1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to drought relief; providing financial assistance to livestock farmers and 
1.3 	specialty crop producers impacted by drought; providing drought relief loans to 
1.4 	farmers; providing financial assistance to municipalities, townships, and Tribal 
1.5 	governments for increasing water efficiency in public water supplies; providing 
1.6 	grants for planting shade trees and purchasing tree-watering equipment; providing 
1.7 	financial assistance to replace drought-killed seedlings; appropriating money.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. DROUGHT RELIEF; APPROPRIATION.
 1.10 		Subdivision 1.Agriculture. (a) $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the 
1.11 	general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for grants and other forms of financial 
1.12 	assistance for livestock farmers and specialty crop producers impacted by drought in 2021. 
1.13 	The commissioner may issue payments of up to $10,000 on a first-come, first-served, 
1.14 	noncompetitive basis. Preference may be given to producers located in counties that included 
1.15 	areas designated as D4, exceptional drought, on any of the weekly maps published during 
1.16 	2021 by the National Drought Mitigation Center at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. This 
1.17 	is a onetime appropriation. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, 
1.18 	unencumbered balances under this paragraph do not cancel until June 30, 2026.
1.19 	(b) $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is transferred from the general fund to the Rural 
1.20 	Finance Authority Revolving Loan account established under Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.21 	41B.06, with priority given to drought relief loans under Minnesota Statutes, section 41B.047.
1.22 		Subd. 2.Natural resources. (a) $300,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the 
1.23 	general fund to the commissioner of natural resources for costs associated with resolving 
1.24 	Department of Natural Resources-confirmed well interferences that occurred from May 1 
2.1 	to December 30, 2021. This is a onetime appropriation. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, 
2.2 	section 16A.28, unencumbered balances under this paragraph do not cancel until June 30, 
2.3 	2026.
2.4 	(b) $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.5 	commissioner of natural resources for grants to municipal, township, and Tribal governments 
2.6 	that operate public water supplies to increase water efficiency. Sub-awards to residents are 
2.7 	an allowable use under this appropriation. This is a onetime appropriation. Notwithstanding 
2.8 	Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered balances under this paragraph do not 
2.9 	cancel until June 30, 2026.
2.10 	(c) $4,500,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.11 	commissioner of natural resources for grants to local and Tribal governments to remove 
2.12 	and plant shade trees impacted by drought and provide communities with tree-watering 
2.13 	equipment under Minnesota Statutes, section 88.82. Money appropriated for grants under 
2.14 	this paragraph may be used to pay reasonable costs incurred by the commissioner of natural 
2.15 	resources to administer the grants. This is a onetime appropriation. Notwithstanding 
2.16 	Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered balances under this paragraph do not 
2.17 	cancel until June 30, 2027. The commissioner must accept applications under this paragraph 
2.18 	for at least five business days and, if total applications exceed $4,500,000, the commissioner 
2.19 	must award grants to eligible applicants at random until the funding is exhausted.
2.20 	(d) $5,550,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.21 	commissioner of natural resources to replace drought-killed seedlings on Department of 
2.22 	Natural Resources-managed lands and to administer grants to Tribal, county, and private 
2.23 	forestland owners to replace drought-killed seedlings on their land. Seedling replacement 
2.24 	includes site prep, replanting, and tending seedlings. This is a onetime appropriation. 
2.25 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, unencumbered balances under this 
2.26 	paragraph do not cancel until June 30, 2027.

2.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.