HF 2755 Senate Long Description
Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state +government; reducing general appropriations to the department of agriculture and appropriating money to the department for the invasive species +program; reducing appropriations to the board of animal health; requiring the commissioner of administration to periodically send written reminders+ to state agency heads of the statutory requirement to operate flexible fuel +state owned or leased motor vehicles on E85 fuel dependent on availability, +requiring the communications to include a form for use by agency heads to report to+ the commissioner on total and E85 fuel purchased for use in the vehicles,+ requiring commissioner annual reports to the legislature; modifying the +interest rate under and the funding of the agricultural shared savings loan program+ and authorizing the commissioner of agriculture to provide loans to +resident farmers beginning or expanding organic farming operations; +authorizing commissioner grain scale testing; requiring fees charged by the +commissioner for testing scales and weighing equipment to be uniform with the fees+ charged by the division of weights and measures of the department of +commerce; clarifying and expanding the requirement for the commissioner to +charge certain plant export certification fees and modifying certain permit and +certificate issuance requirements; authorizing interstate cooperation for produce inspection services; authorizing the sale of modified live vaccines +used to prevent common diseases in beef cattle without a prescription from a +licensed veterinarian, exceptions; modifying certain eligibility conditions +for pro rata distribution of aid to county and district agricultural societies and associations, eliminating a certain commissioner certification +requirement and modifying certain reporting requirements; eliminating the limit on +city, town or county contributions to county or district fairs; modifying +certain ethanol producer payments disclosure statement requirements and requiring +annual commissioner reports to the legislature summarizing aggregated data +from plants receiving payments, requiring commissioner payment of certain +producer payments delayed in 2003; authorizing the rural finance authority to transfer +available money from the security account to a special revenue account for +agricultural loans; requiring and providing for the RFA to establish and implement+ a dairy upgrade pilot loan program to assist in financing breeding stock and +equipment purchases and facilities improvements and in meeting feedlot and +other environmental regulations; increasing the RFA value added +agricultural product loan program participation limit; establishing an RFA revolving loan +account to replace certain individual loan program accounts, transferring +certain remaining balances to the loan account; modifying the definition of +low or moderate net worth for agriculture development purposes; providing +for dairy modernization grants through the commissioner of employment and +economic development (DEED); providing for faculty licensure of veterinary +medical center specialty practitioners at the college of veterinary medicine +at the university or Minnesota; increasing grain inspection and warehouse +operator license fees, authorizing the commissioner to impose a penalty for +delinquent payments; increasing penal bond requirements for certain larger grain+ buyers and modifying the financial statement requirement; imposing certain +grain storage license and examination fees; setting a uniform fee for +cities with private grain warehouses operating a grain bank; limiting nuisance +claims against certain agricultural operations operating according to +generally accepted agricultural practices, defining generally accepted +agricultural practices; creating the crime of exposing domestic animals to +disease, prohibiting intentional introduction of disease to domestic animals +or endangering domestic animals by actions contrary to veterinary +practice, defining domestic animal and imposing a criminal penalty and civil +liability for violation;expanding the crime of trespass to persons entering locked or posted +aggregate mining sites and prohibiting certain trespass on posted agricultural +land containing domestic animals or livestock; repealing the private +manure applicator certification program and certain agriculture society +accounting and books examination requirements of the commissioner(ra)