130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1744		LR 2195(03)
	An Act To Increase Funding for the Animal Welfare Fund by Increasing Certain Fees
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2021-22	FY 2022-23	Projections  FY 2023-24	Projections  FY 2024-25
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$279,360	$279,360	$279,360
Revenue
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$279,360	$279,360	$279,360
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill increases the registration fee to distribute a commercial feed in the State from $80 to $100 per product name for pet food, from $80 to $100 per product name for all other commercial feed and from $80 to $100 for a home-based manufacturer of pet food. The bill also changes the revenue distribution of these fees. Currently, 50% of the fees are credited to the Animal Welfare Fund (AWF) and 50% are credited to the General Fund. This bill would change the ratio to 60% AWF and 40% General Fund. The combination of higher registration fees and changed distribution ratio will not impact General Fund revenues but will result in an increase in Other Special Revenue Funds revenues to the AWF of $279,360 starting in fiscal year 2022-23.
	The bill also increases the daily compensation for animal shelters holding animals pending court decisions from $5 to $15 for dogs and cats, from $8 to $18 for female cats or dogs with unweaned litters and from $10 to $20 for equines. It also increases from $8 to $20 the upper limit of daily compensation for holding livestock animals, excluding equines, fowl and rabbits.
	The bill includes allocations of $279,360 beginning in fiscal year 2022-23 to allow expenditure of the additional revenue, which will be more than sufficient to cover the higher compensation paid to animal shelters.