Relating to the state government, appropriating money for agricultural and veterans affairs and military affairs

ARTICLE 1 - AGRICULTURE

Appropriating money to the commissioner of agriculture for certain protection services, research for impaired waters, clean water legacy technical assistance, invasive species control, meat, dairy and food inspections, animal health emergencies, livestock premise identification and for a port of Duluth task force, for agricultural marketing and development including grants for the Minnesota grown promotion, sustainable agriculture demonstration projects, livestock siting and local zoning issues, integrated pest management, agricultural best management practices loan program and residential farmers cost share payments for organic certification, for bioenergy and value added agricultural products including ethanol producer payments, for grants to bioenergy projects, to the NextGen energy board for grants, for a grant to the turf seed council, for a grant to a joint venture combined heat and power energy facility located in Scott or LeSueur county, for a grant to the Bois Forte band of Chippewa for renewable energy biofuels demonstration facility feasibility study and White Earth band of Chippewa for a feasibility study of a renewable energy biofuels research and production facility, for a grant to the Elk river economic development authority for a feasibility study of the Elk River renewable fuels facility using a plasma gasification process to convert cellulosic material, for a grant to Chisago county to conduct a feasibility study of developing a multistream renewable energy biofuels demonstration facility in Chisago, Isanti or Pine counties, for administration and financial assistance including dairy development and profitability enhancement, Northern Crops Institute, Minnesota livestock breeders association, for grants to the agricultural education leadership council, for grants for fertilizer research, for aid payments to county and district agricultural societies and associations, for forage and turf seed production improvements, for second harvest heartland, to state colleges and university (MnSCU) board of trustees for mental health counseling at Central Lakes college and Ridgewater college, the Minnesota horticultural society for grants and to the university of Minnesota to upgrade and purchase instrumentation to allow measurement of enology components, to the board of animal health for bovine tuberculosis eradication and surveillance and to the agricultural utilization research institute; modifying certain livestock compensation requirements; specifying certain commissioner of agricultural duties relating to cooperation with federal agencies to assist in the development of agricultural resources; modifying agricultural development contract requirements; modifying use of Minnesota grown label, increasing license fees, requiring appropriations to be matched by private funds; making water quality cooperatives eligible under the department of agriculture best management practices loan program; increasing the loan maximum; modifying certain feed law provisions; expanding applicability of certain penalties; modifying and clarifying certain provisions of the waste pesticide collection program and increasing funding from the pesticide regulatory account for the program; eliminating the aquatic pest control license; modifying certain requirements for pesticide application on golf courses; establishing a Minnesota agricultural fertilizer research and education council, specifying powers and duties, imposing certain checkoff fees, sunset provision; establishing an agriculture and fertilizer research and education program, specifying eligible projects and providing for grant awards, requiring an annual audit of financial activities to be filed with the commissioner of agriculture, sunset provision; modifying agricultural chemical incident provisions, modifying the definition of eligible persons to include motor carriers transporting agricultural chemicals, defining incident to include certain disasters and leaks, spills and emission discharges, eliminating the surcharge imposed on aquatic pest control licenses; modifying labeling requirements for feed; requiring a food handler license for a temporary food concession stand, modifying the extent of license requirements for seasonal food stands; modifying fees for food handler facility floor plans review; creating a food safety and defense task force; modifying and clarifying certain milk requirements; authorizing the animal health board to pay indemnity to cattle owners for destroyed (euthanized) cattle testing suspect or positive for bovine tuberculosis under certain conditions; requiring the board to pay fair market value less salvage value; authorizing the board to adopt rules for the control of bovine tuberculosis in cattle; providing for cellulosic biofuel development, specifying a state goal; creating the NextGen energy board consisting of the commissioners of agriculture, commerce, natural resources (DNR), the pollution control agency (PCA) and employment and economic development (DEED) and certain legislative members, specifying board duties, sunset provision; providing for a twenty five by twenty five goal for renewable resources; modifying certain borrower eligibility criteria for the rural finance authority (RFA) program; modifying certain provisions for the agricultural improvement loan program, the value-added agricultural product loan program, the disaster recovery loan program and the livestock equipment pilot loan program; expanding the use of the rural finance authority revolving loan account to include disaster recovery; modifying eligibility requirements for beginning farmers; extending the prohibition for approving permits for the construction of new open air swine basins by the commissioner of the pollution control agency (PCA) or county boards; providing an exception to recreational camping regulations for county fairgrounds; prohibiting county or district societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals from conducting investigations or assist in prosecutions outside the boundaries of the county; requiring the commissioner of agriculture in consultation with the commissioner of health and the university of Minnesota to evaluate the potential hazards posed by plants to retail customers and livestock and report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioner of agriculture to convene a waste pesticide task force to review waste pesticide collection issues; requiring the commissioners of agriculture and health to study the development and implementation of a license for commercial pesticide applicators applying antimicrobial pesticides for hire in homes, apartments and other residences, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioner of agriculture in consultation with the legislature to appoint an animal husbandry working group to study standards, training and qualifications for persons providing services for equine teeth floating, animal chiropractic and artificial insemination, requiring a report to the legislature by a certain date; repealing the Minnesota grown matching account, the aquatic pest control license, a certain additional fertilizer application fee for product use without initial registration or license, a provision relating to information on the sale of bulk tanks, certain animal health provisions and certain animal health rules

ARTICLE 2 - VETERANS AFFAIRS

Appropriating money to the commissioner of veterans affairs for soldiers assistance, outreach programs, tribal veterans services, disabled veterans, higher education veterans assistance, information technology, state veterans cemetery in Little Falls, administration of veterans programming, compensation for honor guards, spousal education benefits, health screening exams for depleted uranium in veterans, for grants to assist world war II veterans attending the dedication of the WWII memorial in St. Paul, for suicide prevention and psychological counseling for veterans and a telephone hotline; providing reimbursement grants or pay for certain honor guard members; modifying eligibility for educational benefits for certain surviving military spouses and children under the War Orphans Act; changing qualifications for service on the veterans home board and for service as executive director of the veterans home board; requiring the commissioner and the adjutant general of the national guard to report to the legislature regarding the psychological status and needs of returning soldiers

ARTICLE 3 - MILITARY AFFAIRS

Appropriating money to the commissioner of military affairs for maintenance of training facilities, general support and enlistment incentives; authorizing the adjutant general to activate members to serve as honor guard at certain funerals; providing for amateur athletics status for armed services members; authorizing the adjutant general to establish the national guard nonappropriated fund instrumentality (MNG NAFI), defining certain terms, providing for use of national guard lands and facilities, authorizing the MNG NAFI to accept certain funds and requiring the adjutant general to adopt certain rules; reducing a certain prior bond sale authorization for the starbase Minnesota program; repealing the provision providing for the design of a starbase facility
(Ch. 45, 2007)