In accordance with this section, the commissioner shall establish and promote a Maine foods procurement program with the goal that, no later than 2025, 20% of all food and food products procured by state institutions are Maine food or food products. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).] 1. Institutional market development coordinator. The commissioner shall designate an employee of the department as an institutional market development coordinator to serve as a representative to assist in the development of connections between state purchasers, Maine food producers, distributors and other institutional stakeholders. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).] 2. Guidelines. The commissioner shall establish guidelines to assist state institutions to assess their ability to procure Maine foods and food products while minimizing costs for that procurement. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).] 3. Annual meeting. The institutional market development coordinator may convene an annual meeting that brings together Maine food producers and food service professionals to enhance opportunities for cooperation and expand the purchase of Maine foods and food products by state institutions. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).] 4. Advisory committee. The commissioner may establish an advisory committee to discuss strategies for expanding purchases of Maine foods and food products by state institutions. The advisory committee may be composed of representatives of state agencies, for-profit and nonprofit institutions and other relevant stakeholders identified by the commissioner. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).] 5. Report. The commissioner shall include a description of the progress toward reaching the goal under this section in the biennial report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to section 2, subsection 5. [PL 2019, c. 677, §7 (NEW).]
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