HF 145

as introduced - 91st Legislature, 2020 1st Special Session (2019 - 2020) Posted on 06/17/2020 11:16am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; appropriating money for food security direct purchases in
response to COVID-19.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin COVID-19 CRISIS; FOOD SECURITY DIRECT PURCHASES;
APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Food security direct purchases. new text end

new text begin $6,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 is
appropriated from the federal coronavirus relief fund to the commissioner of agriculture for
grants to nonprofit organizations to purchase food for distribution to individuals and families
in need through the emergency feeding network and for associated administrative costs. Of
this amount:
new text end

new text begin (1) $5,700,000 is for grants to Second Harvest Heartland, which must give preference
to food produced by emerging farmers and must use at least 50 percent of this amount to
acquire food from Minnesota producers and processors negatively impacted by COVID-19;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) $300,000 is for grants to The Food Group, which must use at least 50 percent of this
amount to acquire food from Minnesota producers and processors negatively impacted by
COVID-19.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Reports. new text end

new text begin No later than February 1, 2021, the commissioner of agriculture must
report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over agriculture finance the amounts and sources of food purchased under this
section and the organizations to which this food was distributed.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible expenditures; availability. new text end

new text begin (a) Money appropriated in subdivision 1
may not be spent until the commissioner of management and budget determines that the
expenditure is an eligible use of the federal coronavirus relief fund.
new text end

new text begin (b) The appropriation in subdivision 1 is available until December 30, 2020.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end