1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; creating a food coupon 
  1.3             program using "Minnesota grown" products; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [MINNESOTA GROWN COUPONS.] 
  1.7      The commissioner of agriculture must create and administer 
  1.8   a "Minnesota grown" coupon program to provide food coupons to 
  1.9   individuals and families eligible for at least $50 per month 
  1.10  from the temporary hunger prevention and community development 
  1.11  initiative program.  Thirty-five percent of the total benefit an 
  1.12  individual or family is eligible for under the temporary hunger 
  1.13  prevention and community development initiative shall be issued 
  1.14  each month by the commissioner as coupons, except that the 
  1.15  amount of coupons issued must be rounded up to the nearest $5 
  1.16  and not exceed $100 nor be less than $20. 
  1.17     The commissioner of human services must provide to the 
  1.18  commissioner of agriculture the names of the heads of households 
  1.19  who are eligible for the "Minnesota grown" coupon program, their 
  1.20  addresses, the amount of coupons to be issued to the household, 
  1.21  and any other information necessary to ensure the administrative 
  1.22  efficiency of the "Minnesota grown" coupon program. 
  1.23     Eligibility for the temporary hunger prevention and 
  1.24  community development initiative program and the amount of the 
  1.25  benefit to be issued in "Minnesota grown" coupons must be 
  2.1   determined by county agencies. 
  2.2      The coupons must be clearly labeled as redeemable only for 
  2.3   products licensed to use the "Minnesota grown" logo or labeling 
  2.4   statement under Minnesota Statutes, section 17.102.  Coupons may 
  2.5   be redeemed by farmers, custom meat processors, 
  2.6   community-supported agriculture farms, grocery stores, and 
  2.7   retailers.  The person accepting the coupon is responsible for 
  2.8   its redemption only on products licensed to use the "Minnesota 
  2.9   grown" logo or labeling statement.  
  2.10     Sec. 2.  [ENFORCEMENT.] 
  2.11     The commissioner of agriculture may establish criteria for 
  2.12  vendor eligibility and may enforce section 1 according to 
  2.13  Minnesota Statutes, sections 17.982 to 17.984. 
  2.14     Sec. 3.  [REPORT.] 
  2.15     The commissioner of agriculture shall report on the 
  2.16  "Minnesota grown" coupon program by January 15 annually to the 
  2.17  house of representatives agriculture committee and the senate 
  2.18  agriculture and rural development committee. 
  2.19     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.20     $....... is appropriated to the commissioner of agriculture 
  2.21  from the general fund for the biennium ending June 30, 1999, for 
  2.22  the purposes of sections 1 and 2.