2E Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state government; appropriating money for agriculture, veterans, and the military

ARTICLE 1 - AGRICULTURE

Providing a summary of appropriations; appropriating money to commissioner of agriculture for protection services including the voluntary cleanup fund, for compensation for crop damage caused by elk and livestock destroyed or crippled by gray wolves and certain noxious weed control duties, for agricultural marketing and development purposes including Minnesota grown product promotion grants, demonstration projects involving sustainable agriculture grants, technical assistance to county and town officials relating to livestock siting issues and local zoning and land use planning, organic farming and for a reimbursement grant to the St. Paul growers association, for bioenergy and value-added agriculture purposes including ethanol producer payments, for administration and financial assistance including continuation of the dairy development and profitability enhancement and dairy business planning grant programs, equipment for the Northern Crops Institute, a grant to the livestock breeders association, payments to county and district agricultural societies and associations and 4-H premiums, grants to the Minnesota state poultry association, grants to the Minnesota turf seed council, grants to second harvest heartland for purchase of milk for food shelves, a transfer to trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) for mental health counseling to support farm families and business operators, grants to Minnesota horticultural society, Minnesota veterinary diagnostic laboratory, star farms program, feeding Minnesota task force, board of animal health including bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis eradication, avian pneumovirus disease investigation and identification and cervidae inspection and for agricultural utilization research institute including technical assistance and technology transfer to bioenergy crop producers and users; modifying certain compensation payments to livestock stock and crop owners; modifying certain compensation reporting requirements for commissioner; expanding duties of commissioner relating to sustainable farming; updating loan criteria for the shared savings loan program; updating the Minnesota noxious weed law, defining and redefining certain terms, authorizing cooperative weed control agreements, authorizing certain duties of county-designated employees, authorizing commissioner to certify forage, mulch, soil, gravel and other material, requiring commissioner in consultation with the noxious weed advisory committee to determine noxious weeds subject to control and requiring a periodic list and specifying distribution, authorizing county petition for weed designation and providing for management, gifts, grants, contracts, funds, investigation, education, state and federal lands, interagency cooperation and establishing a weed management area, modifying certain appointment requirements and duties of county agricultural inspectors, specifying certain mandatory duties of county agricultural inspectors and county-designated employees; specifying certain county and municipality approval requirements for noxious weed program funding use; creating the noxious weed and invasive plant species assistance account in the agricultural fund and providing for an appropriation and a grant program under commissioner; establishing the noxious weed advisory committee, specifying certain duties and membership requirements, providing a deadline for appointments, sunset provision; modifying certain pesticide control regulations, defining certain terms, increasing the authority of commissioner relating to waste pesticide collections, regulating pesticide application on common carrier railroad property; modifying certain fertilizer, soil amendment and plant amendment provisions, requiring the filing of annual tonnage reports and modifying certain fee requirements; modifying uses of money in the agricultural chemical response and reimbursement account to pay for certain incident response costs; increasing food handler reinspection assessment fees; modifying food handler and Grade A milk reinspection fees; establishing the feeding Minnesota task force to make proposals to maximize consumption of Minnesota grown produce and livestock by facilitating the donation of harvested products to charities providing food for hungry people, specifying membership requirements and duties, specifying deadline for member appointments, sunset provision; updating rural finance authority (RFA) loan terms for the beginning farmer program, loan restructuring program, seller-sponsored program, agricultural improvement loan program and livestock expansion loan program; extending the expiration date of the farmer-lender mediation program; clarifying a prior provision relating to bovine tuberculosis control temporary assessments and providing for enforcement; repealing certain aquaculture report requirements and certain provisions relating to fair prizes, the family farm security program and certain requirements for native prairie planning

ARTICLE 2 - RURAL FINANCE AUTHORITY BONDS

Appropriating money to rural finance authority (RFA) to purchase participation interests in or to make direct agricultural loans to farmers under the beginning farmer program, loan restructuring program, seller-sponsored program, agricultural loan improvement program and livestock expansion program, authorizing the issuance of user financed general obligation bonds for RFA loans

ARTICLE 3 - VETERANS AFFAIRS

Providing a summary of appropriations; appropriating money to commissioner of veterans affairs for biennial appropriations, for a grant to the Minnesota assistance council for veterans and for the costs of administering the Minnesota GI bill program; authorizing and providing for the issuance of special gold star motor vehicle license plates for family members of military service personnel who have died in active military service by commissioner of public safety, fee exemption, authorizing transfer upon payment of fee, providing for costs of production; extending the expiration date for the higher education veterans assistance program

ARTICLE 4 - MILITARY AFFAIRS

Appropriating money to commissioner of military affairs for maintenance of training facilities, general support and enlistment incentives
(je)