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Committee hears support for changing eligibility language for nutrition incentive fund to protect state match
Summary
Witnesses, agency officials and program operators supported LD 2004 to remove the word 'federal' from statute governing the fund that supports Maine Harvest Bucks and Farm Fresh Rewards, saying the change preserves a $600,000 ongoing state allocation and allows continued matching for SNAP EBT purchases amid federal uncertainty.
Supporters told the Joint Standing Committee that LD 2004 is a statutory language update intended to protect Maine's existing investment in nutrition incentive programs.
Representative Bill Plucker and Senator Henry Ingwersen, sponsor, said the bill would strike the modifier "federal" from the fund's eligibility language so state contributions can be used regardless of whether benefits accessed on a SNAP EBT card are federally or state funded. "No matter the funding sources, the original intent has always been to match SNAP EBT dollars," Ingwersen said, adding that in 2025 the fund helped farmers and producers generate more than $2,000,000 in additional sales.
Courtney Kennedy, Nutrition Director at Good Shepherd Food Bank and manager of Farm Fresh Rewards, said the proposal does not increase funding but protects the existing $600,000 allocation so programs can operate when federal match streams fluctuate. "This bill does not increase funding levels or create new program, rather it updates statutory language to ensure that existing state investments can continue to support nutrition incentive programs regardless of fluctuations in the federal funding streams," Kennedy said.
Michelle Webb of the Department of Agriculture described the fund's history and explained the statute originally assumed a federal match. She said LD 2004 responds to recent pauses in federal payments and would preserve state contributions that expand market access for Maine farmers. Industry representatives, including Jimmy DiBiase of the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets, said the Harvest Bucks program and related incentives are essential for both food access and producer income, noting the fund supports some 80 farmers markets and more than 400 small farms.
The committee took testimony from non‑profits, program operators and a former USDA official who suggested additional tweaks (for example to project cost caps and match ratios). No opposition testimony was recorded and the committee closed the hearing for LD 2004; work session consideration was anticipated.
