| 11 | | - | (a) There is established, within available appropriations, the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board which shall be within the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes only. |
|---|
| 18 | + | [(a)] There is established, within the General Fund, a separate, nonlapsing account to be known as the "community investment account". The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. The funds in the account shall be distributed every three months as follows: [(1) Twenty-five per cent to the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism to use as follows: (A) Two hundred thousand dollars, annually, to supplement the technical assistance and preservation activities of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, established pursuant to special act 75-93, and (B) the remainder to supplement historic preservation activities as provided in sections 10-409 to 10-415, inclusive; (2) twenty-five per cent to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to supplement new or existing affordable housing programs; (3) twenty-five per cent to the Department of Environmental Protection for municipal open space grants; and (4) twenty-five per cent to the Department of Agriculture to use as follows: (A) Five hundred thousand dollars annually for the agricultural viability grant program established pursuant to section 22-26j; (B) five hundred thousand dollars, annually for the farm transition program established pursuant to section 22-26k; (C) one hundred thousand dollars annually to encourage the sale of Connecticut Grown food to schools, restaurants, retailers, and other institutions and businesses in the state; (D) seventy-five thousand dollars annually for the Connecticut farm link program established pursuant to section 22-26l; and (E) the remainder for farmland preservation programs pursuant to chapter 422. Each agency receiving funds under this section may use not more than ten per cent of such funds for administration of the programs for which the funds were provided. |
|---|
| 13 | | - | (b) The board shall consist of nine members: (1) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be a Connecticut licensed dairy producer and a member of a dairy cooperative; (2) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be a Connecticut licensed milk producer and a member of a dairy cooperative; (3) one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be an independent Connecticut licensed milk producer; (4) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a Connecticut licensed milk producer and a member of a dairy cooperative; (5) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a Connecticut licensed milk producer and a member of a dairy cooperative; (6) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a member of a state-wide health and nutrition organization promoting consumer interests; (7) the Commissioner of Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee; and (8) the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to agriculture, who shall be ex-officio members without the right to vote. The board shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members. Any person absent from (A) three consecutive meetings of the commission, or (B) fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board, effective immediately. Vacancies on the board shall be filled by the appointing authority. Members of the board serve without compensation but shall, within the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The board shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the chairperson or a majority of the board. |
|---|
| 20 | + | (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, from July 1, 2009, until July 1, 2011, the funds in the community investment account established pursuant to said subsection shall be distributed every three months as follows:] (1) Twenty per cent to the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism to use as follows: (A) Two hundred thousand dollars, annually, to supplement the technical assistance and preservation activities of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, established pursuant to special act 75-93, and (B) the remainder to supplement historic preservation activities as provided in sections 10-409 to 10-415, inclusive; (2) twenty per cent to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to supplement new or existing affordable housing programs; (3) twenty per cent to the Department of Environmental Protection for municipal open space grants; and (4) forty per cent to the Department of Agriculture to use as follows: (A) One hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, quarterly, for the agricultural viability grant program established pursuant to section 22-26j; (B) one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, quarterly, for the farm transition program established pursuant to section 22-26k; (C) twenty-five thousand dollars, quarterly, to encourage the sale of Connecticut Grown food to schools, restaurants, retailers, and other institutions and businesses in the state; (D) eighteen thousand seven hundred fifty dollars, quarterly, for the Connecticut farm link program established pursuant to section 22-26l; (E) twelve thousand five hundred dollars, quarterly, [for Urban Oaks Organic Farm] divided equally among the soil and water conservation districts and boards established pursuant to section 22a-315; (F) eleven thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars, quarterly, for the Seafood Advisory Council established pursuant to section 22-455; (G) eleven thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars, quarterly, to the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council established pursuant to section 22-26c; (H) six thousand two hundred fifty dollars, quarterly, to the Connecticut Food Policy Council established pursuant to section 22-456; and (I) the remainder each quarter to the agricultural sustainability account established pursuant to section [4-66c] 4-66cc. Each agency receiving funds under this section may use not more than ten per cent of such funds for administration of the programs for which the funds were provided, except the Department of Agriculture may also use such funds for the administration of farmland preservation programs pursuant to chapter 422. |
|---|
| 17 | | - | (d) The board may use such funds as may be available from federal, state or other sources and may enter into contracts to carry out the purposes of this section. Any money collected by the board pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be deemed state funds and shall be deposited pursuant to section 4-33, in a qualified public depository in Connecticut. Such funds shall be expended by the board for expenses incurred in administering the budget recommended by the board. |
|---|
| 24 | + | (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, in addition to the fees for recording a document under subsection (a) of this section, [from July 1, 2009, until July 1, 2011,] town clerks shall receive a fee of forty dollars for each document recorded in the land records of the municipality. The town clerk shall retain one dollar of any fee paid pursuant to this subsection and three dollars of such fee shall become part of the general revenue of the municipality and be used to pay for local capital improvement projects, as defined in section 7-536. Not later than the fifteenth day of each month, [from July 1, 2009, until July 1, 2011,] town clerks shall remit thirty-six dollars of the fees paid pursuant to this subsection during the previous calendar month to the State Treasurer. Upon deposit in the General Fund, such amount shall be credited to the community investment account established pursuant to section 4-66aa. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any document recorded on the land records by an employee of the state or of a municipality in conjunction with such employee's official duties. As used in this subsection, "municipality" includes each town, consolidated town and city, city, consolidated town and borough, borough, and district, as defined in chapter 105 or 105a, any municipal corporation or department thereof created by a special act of the General Assembly, and each municipal board, commission and taxing district not previously mentioned. |
|---|
| 21 | | - | (f) On and after October 1, 2011, the board shall undertake those duties anticipated and required by 7 USC 4504. In performing such duties, the board shall: Assess a fee of ten cents per hundredweight upon milk delivered by Connecticut milk producers, or a fee that is commensurate with the credit allowed for producer contributions to state qualified programs under 7 USC 4504. Such fee shall be collected as follows: (1) Any dealer who purchases milk directly from producers shall withhold from each Connecticut milk producer a fee of ten cents per hundredweight on all milk produced and shall forward such fee to the board not later than the last day of the month following the month in which such milk was produced, and (2) all producer dealers shall pay to the board a fee of ten cents per hundredweight on all milk produced by the producer dealer not later than the last day of the month following the month in which such milk was produced. |
|---|
| 28 | + | (a) For purposes of this section: |
|---|
| 29 | + | |
|---|
| 30 | + | (1) "Federal pay price" means the northeast monthly uniform price for milk at Hartford zone pursuant to the United States Department of Agriculture Northeast Federal Milk Marketing Order; |
|---|
| 31 | + | |
|---|
| 32 | + | (2) "Milk producer" means a person, firm or corporation registered pursuant to section 22-172 of the general statutes; and |
|---|
| 33 | + | |
|---|
| 34 | + | (3) "Minimum sustainable monthly cost of production" means eighty-two per cent of the baseline determined by the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service monthly average cost of production for a New England state. |
|---|
| 35 | + | |
|---|
| 36 | + | (b) (1) Commencing on the date the first deposit is made into the agricultural sustainability account established pursuant to section [29 of this act] 4-66cc of the general statutes and subject to subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, a milk producer shall be entitled to a grant as specified in this subsection. For each month that the federal pay price is below the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production, the milk producer shall be entitled to an amount equal to the dollar amount such federal pay price was below the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production, multiplied by the amount of milk produced by such milk producer during such month. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall make such grants to such milk producers on a quarterly basis, beginning on the date three months after the first deposit is made into the agricultural sustainability account established pursuant to section [29 of this act] 4-66cc of the general statutes. Such grant payments shall be made by the commissioner from said account. In the event the amount of available funds in said account at the time such quarterly grants are due is less than the aggregate amount of grants to which producers are entitled pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall distribute all of the funds in the account to such milk producers on a proportionate basis based on their relative levels of milk production. |
|---|
| 37 | + | |
|---|
| 38 | + | (2) For purposes of calculating a grant due a milk producer pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, each milk producer or handler, as defined in section 22-127 of the general statutes, who receives milk from producers in the state, shall file with the Commissioner of Agriculture, in such form and at such times as said commissioner shall direct, information as to the amount of milk produced by each producer. |
|---|
| 39 | + | |
|---|
| 40 | + | (3) Prior to receiving a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, a milk producer shall file with the Commissioner of Agriculture, in such form and at such times as said commissioner shall direct, proof that such milk producer has completed an energy audit, as defined in section 16a-38 of the general statutes. |
|---|
| 41 | + | |
|---|
| 42 | + | [(c) The provisions of this section shall terminate July 1, 2011.] |
|---|
| 43 | + | |
|---|
| 44 | + | |
|---|
| 45 | + | |
|---|
| 46 | + | |
|---|
| 47 | + | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
|---|
| 48 | + | Section 1 from passage 4-66aa |
|---|
| 49 | + | Sec. 2 from passage 7-34a(f) |
|---|
| 50 | + | Sec. 3 from passage PA 09-229, Sec. 30 |
|---|
| 51 | + | |
|---|
| 52 | + | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
|---|
| 53 | + | |
|---|
| 54 | + | Section 1 |
|---|
| 55 | + | |
|---|
| 56 | + | from passage |
|---|
| 57 | + | |
|---|
| 58 | + | 4-66aa |
|---|
| 59 | + | |
|---|
| 60 | + | Sec. 2 |
|---|
| 61 | + | |
|---|
| 62 | + | from passage |
|---|
| 63 | + | |
|---|
| 64 | + | 7-34a(f) |
|---|
| 65 | + | |
|---|
| 66 | + | Sec. 3 |
|---|
| 67 | + | |
|---|
| 68 | + | from passage |
|---|
| 69 | + | |
|---|
| 70 | + | PA 09-229, Sec. 30 |
|---|
| 71 | + | |
|---|
| 72 | + | Statement of Legislative Commissioners: |
|---|
| 73 | + | |
|---|
| 74 | + | In section 3, the words "retail raw" were removed from subsection (b)(2), as they were inserted due to a clerical error and not intended to be in the bill. |
|---|
| 75 | + | |
|---|
| 76 | + | |
|---|
| 77 | + | |
|---|
| 78 | + | FIN Joint Favorable Subst. |
|---|
| 79 | + | |
|---|
| 80 | + | FIN |
|---|
| 81 | + | |
|---|
| 82 | + | Joint Favorable Subst. |
|---|