1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; establishing the Minnesota 
  1.3             grown community food pilot program; establishing 
  1.4             program components; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [MINNESOTA GROWN COMMUNITY FOOD PILOT PROGRAM.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A pilot program is 
  1.8   established to expand the concept of the Minnesota grown program 
  1.9   to assist low-income families in accessing nutritious and 
  1.10  affordable food, and to promote economic development by creating 
  1.11  new markets and food distribution systems.  The Sustainable 
  1.12  Resources Center shall administer the pilot program.  Food 
  1.13  coupon distribution shall be administered according to 
  1.14  subdivision 3. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES.] The Sustainable Resources Center, in 
  1.16  conjunction with the Minnesota Food Association, shall select 
  1.17  two urban and two rural communities to conduct activities that 
  1.18  establish models of sustainable community food systems.  These 
  1.19  activities shall include, but are not limited to: 
  1.20     (1) conducting food system assessments in each community to 
  1.21  identify assets and needs; 
  1.22     (2) supporting the creation of producer distribution 
  1.23  networks to establish direct links to low-income consumers; and 
  1.24     (3) working with food processing plants in the selected 
  1.25  community to develop the support services needed to make entry 
  2.1   level jobs accessible to low-income people. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [COMMISSIONER TO ISSUE FOOD COUPONS.] (a) Coupons 
  2.3   worth $10 shall be issued each month within the funds available 
  2.4   by the commissioner of agriculture to individuals who are 
  2.5   residents of the communities in the pilot project and eligible 
  2.6   for the supplement under this section.  Eligible individuals 
  2.7   include: 
  2.8      (1) legal noncitizens who are eligible for food programs 
  2.9   under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256D or 256J; and 
  2.10     (2) individuals receiving food stamps whose income does not 
  2.11  exceed 120 percent of federal poverty income guidelines.  
  2.12     The commissioner of human services must provide to the 
  2.13  commissioner of agriculture the names of the heads of households 
  2.14  that contain individuals who are eligible for the supplement 
  2.15  under this section, their addresses, and any other information 
  2.16  necessary to ensure the administrative efficiency of the 
  2.17  program.  The amount of the Minnesota grown coupons must be 
  2.18  excluded as income under the AFDC, refugee cash assistance, 
  2.19  general assistance, MFIP, MFIP-R, MFIP-S, food stamp programs, 
  2.20  state housing subsidy programs, low-income energy assistance 
  2.21  programs, and other programs that do not count food stamps as 
  2.22  income.  Counties must apply to the commissioner if they wish to 
  2.23  participate in the Minnesota grown coupon program. 
  2.24     (b) The coupons must be clearly labeled as redeemable only 
  2.25  for products licensed to use the Minnesota grown logo or 
  2.26  labeling statement under Minnesota Statutes, section 17.102.  
  2.27  Coupons may be redeemed by farmers, custom meat processors, and 
  2.28  community-supported agriculture farms, and other entities 
  2.29  approved by the commissioner.  The person accepting the coupon 
  2.30  is responsible for its redemption only on products licensed to 
  2.31  use the Minnesota grown logo or labeling statement. 
  2.32     (c) The commissioner may establish criteria for vendor 
  2.33  eligibility and may enforce the Minnesota grown coupon program 
  2.34  according to Minnesota Statutes, sections 17.982 to 17.984. 
  2.35     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.36     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.1   commissioner of agriculture for the Minnesota grown community 
  3.2   food pilot program under section 1. 
  3.3      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.4      Section 1, subdivisions 1 and 2, are effective the day 
  3.5   following final enactment.  Section 1, subdivision 3, is 
  3.6   effective January 1, 1999.