HF 278

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to game and fish; imposing a surcharge on deer licenses for deer
management; providing for venison donations; authorizing rulemaking;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 97A.055,
subdivision 4; 97A.065, by adding a subdivision; 97A.475, by adding a
subdivision; 97A.485, subdivision 7; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapters 17; 97B.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [17.035] VENISON DISTRIBUTION AND REIMBURSEMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Reimbursement. new text end

new text begin A meat processor holding a license under chapter
28A may apply to the commissioner of agriculture for reimbursement of $70 towards the
cost of processing a deer donated according to subdivision 1. The meat processor shall
deliver the deer, processed into cuts or ground meat, to a charitable organization that is
registered under chapter 309 and with the commissioner of agriculture and that operates
a food assistance program. To request reimbursement, the processor shall submit an
application, on a form prescribed by the commissioner of agriculture, the tag number
under which the deer was taken, and a receipt for the deer from the charitable organization.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Distribution. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of agriculture shall ensure the
equitable statewide distribution of processed deer by requiring the charitable organization
to allocate and distribute processed deer according to the allocation formula used in the
distribution of United States Department of Agriculture commodities under the federal
emergency food assistance program. The charitable organization must submit quarterly
reports to the commissioner on forms prescribed by the commissioner. The reports must
include, but are not limited to, information on the amount of processed deer received and
the organizations to which the meat was distributed.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner of agriculture may adopt rules to implement this section.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97A.055, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Game and fish annual reports.

(a) By December 15 each year,
the commissioner shall submit to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over
appropriations and the environment and natural resources reports on each of the following:

(1) the amount of revenue from the following and purposes for which expenditures
were made:

(i) the small game license surcharge under section 97A.475, subdivision 4;

(ii) the Minnesota migratory waterfowl stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision
5, clause (1);

(iii) the trout and salmon stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 10;

(iv) the pheasant stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 5, clause (2); deleted text begin and deleted text end

(v) the turkey stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 5, clause (3); new text begin and
new text end

new text begin (vi) the deer license surcharge under section 97A.475, subdivision 3a;
new text end

(2) the amounts available under section 97A.075, subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and
(c), and the purposes for which these amounts were spent;

(3) money credited to the game and fish fund under this section and purposes for
which expenditures were made from the fund;

(4) outcome goals for the expenditures from the game and fish fund; and

(5) summary and comments of citizen oversight committee reviews under
subdivision 4b.

(b) The report must include the commissioner's recommendations, if any, for
changes in the laws relating to the stamps and surcharge referenced in paragraph (a).

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97A.065, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Deer license surcharge. new text end

new text begin The surcharge collected under section 97A.475,
subdivision 3a, shall be deposited in a special revenue account and is appropriated to
the commissioner for deer management, including for grants or payments to agencies,
organizations, or individuals for assisting with the cost of processing deer taken for
population management purposes for venison donation programs. None of the additional
license fees shall be transferred to any other agency for administration of programs other
than venison donation. If any money transferred by the commissioner is not used for a
venison donation program, it shall be returned to the commissioner.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97A.475, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 3a. new text end

new text begin Deer license surcharge. new text end

new text begin Fees for annual resident and nonresident licenses
to take deer by firearms or archery established under subdivisions 2, clauses (4), (5), (9),
and (11), and 3, clauses (2), (3), and (7), must be increased by a surcharge of $1, except
as provided under section 97A.065, subdivision 6. An additional commission may not
be assessed on the surcharge and the following statement must be included in the annual
deer hunting regulations: "The $1 deer license surcharge is being paid by hunters for deer
management, including assisting with the costs of processing deer donated for charitable
purposes."
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97A.485, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Electronic licensing system commission.

The commissioner shall retain
for the operation of the electronic licensing system the commission established under
section 84.027, subdivision 15, and issuing fees collected by the commissioner on all
license fees collected, excluding:

(1) the small game surcharge; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) new text begin the deer license surcharge; and
new text end

new text begin (3) new text end $2.50 of the license fee for the licenses in section 97A.475, subdivisions 6,
clauses (1), (2), and (4), 7, 8, 12, and 13.

Sec. 6.

new text begin [97B.303] VENISON DONATIONS.
new text end

new text begin An individual who takes a deer may donate the deer, for distribution to charitable
food assistance programs, to a meat processor that is licensed under chapter 28A. An
individual donating a deer must supply the processor with the tag number under which
the deer was taken.
new text end