1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to agriculture; creating the Agriculture Research, Education, Extension, 
1.3 	and Technology Transfer Board; appropriating money;proposing coding for new 
1.4 	law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 41A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [41A.14] AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, EXTENSION, 
1.7 	AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BOARD.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Creation. (a) The Agriculture Research, Education, Extension, and 
1.9 	Technology Transfer Board is created and consists of the following members:
1.10 	(1) the commissioner of agriculture;
1.11 	(2) the dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences 
1.12 	at the University of Minnesota;
1.13 	(3) one person representing the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system;
1.14 	(4) two persons representing statewide agriculture organizations;
1.15 	(5) a person representing agriculture industry; 
1.16 	(6) a representative of each of the state and federal agricultural commodity groups; 
1.17 	and
1.18 	(7) a person representing an association of primary manufacturers of forest products.
1.19 	The commissioner and the dean shall be cochairs. The commissioner, the dean, and 
1.20 	the representative of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system are nonvoting 
1.21 	members of the board.
1.22 	(b) Members under paragraph (a), clauses (3) to (6), shall be chosen by their 
1.23 	respective organizations. The commissioner shall not provide daily or expense 
1.24 	compensation for board members.
2.1 	(c) The commissioner shall provide administrative services for the board and act 
2.2 	as its fiscal agent.
2.3 		Subd. 2.Duties; grants. The board shall provide for investments that will most 
2.4 	efficiently achieve long-term agricultural productivity increases through improved 
2.5 	infrastructure, vision, and accountability. Priority shall be given to human infrastructure. 
2.6 	The board shall provide grants for:
2.7 	(1) agricultural research and technology transfer needs and recipients including, but 
2.8 	not limited to, agricultural research and extension at the University of Minnesota, research 
2.9 	and outreach centers, the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, 
2.10 	the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Minnesota Extension, 
2.11 	the University of Minnesota Veterinary School, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 
2.12 	the Stakman-Borlaug Center, and the Minnesota Agriculture Fertilizer Research and 
2.13 	Education Council;
2.14 	(2) agriculture rapid response for plant and animal diseases and pests; and
2.15 	(3) agricultural education including, but not limited to, the Minnesota Agriculture 
2.16 	Education Leadership Council, farm business management, mentoring programs, graduate 
2.17 	debt forgiveness, and high school programs.
2.18 		Subd. 3.Fund. An agriculture research, education, extension, and technology 
2.19 	transfer fund is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of money received in the form 
2.20 	of gifts, grants, reimbursement, or appropriations from any source for any of the purposes 
2.21 	provided in subdivision 2, and any interest or earnings of the fund. Money in the fund is 
2.22 	appropriated to the commissioner of agriculture for the purposes under subdivision 2.

2.23 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; TRANSFER.
 2.24 	(a) $18,750,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $18,750,000 in fiscal year 2017 are 
2.25 	appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for transfer to the 
2.26 	fund created in Minnesota Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 3. Of these amounts: 
2.27 	(1) at least $2,000,000 each year is for agriculture rapid response under Minnesota 
2.28 	Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 2, clause (2); and 
2.29 	(2) at least $2,400,000 each year is for agricultural education under Minnesota 
2.30 	Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 2, clause (3). 
2.31 	(b) The commissioner may use a portion of the appropriations only for direct expenses 
2.32 	incurred by the commissioner to provide administrative services and act as the fiscal agent 
2.33 	for the board under Minnesota Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 1, paragraph (c).
3.1 	(c) To the extent practicable, funds expended under Minnesota Statutes, section 
3.2 	41A.14, subdivision 2, clauses (1) and (2), must supplement and not supplant existing 
3.3 	sources and levels of funding.