HF 3021

1st Committee Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010)

Posted on 03/19/2013 07:29 p.m.

1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to agriculture; establishing a variable rate fertilizer application 1.3equipment grant program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law 1.4in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 17. 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6    Section 1. new text begin [17.119] VARIABLE RATE FERTILIZER APPLICATION new text end 1.7 new text begin EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. new text end 1.8     new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Definitions. new text end new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the terms defined in new text end 1.9 new text begin this subdivision have the meanings given. new text end 1.10 new text begin (b) "Eligible person" means a partnership, corporation, cooperative, or other legal new text end 1.11 new text begin business structure that applies fertilizer to agricultural land for hire. new text end 1.12 new text begin (c) "Eligible equipment" means variable rate fertilizer application machinery or new text end 1.13 new text begin equipment that is capable of applying three or more products simultaneously at variable new text end 1.14 new text begin rates. new text end 1.15     new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Grant program; administration. new text end new text begin The commissioner of agriculture shall new text end 1.16 new text begin administer a grant program to partially reimburse an eligible person for the purchase of new text end 1.17 new text begin eligible equipment. Before receiving a grant, an eligible person must submit an affidavit new text end 1.18 new text begin on a form provided by the commissioner of agriculture certifying that the eligible person new text end 1.19 new text begin or the eligible person's agent will use the eligible equipment to fertilize at least 5,000 new text end 1.20 new text begin agricultural acres in this state in each of the following five years. A grant may not exceed new text end 1.21 new text begin ten percent of the amount paid by the eligible person to purchase the eligible equipment. new text end 1.22 new text begin If eligible grant applications exceed available funds, the commissioner of agriculture may new text end 1.23 new text begin develop and employ an equitable lottery system to select grant recipients. new text end 2.1    Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; VARIABLE RATE FERTILIZER APPLICATION new text end 2.2 new text begin EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. new text end 2.3 new text begin $2,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2011 from the clean water fund to the new text end 2.4 new text begin commissioner of agriculture to award grants under section 1. new text end