SF 3609

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/12/2026 09:29 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to workforce development; appropriating money for grants for meat cutting
and butchery training; requiring a report.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin MEAT CUTTING GRANTS; APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin (a) $225,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the workforce development fund
to the commissioner of employment and economic development to provide grants to
secondary career and technical education programs to offer instruction in meat cutting and
butchery. This is a onetime appropriation. Grants may be used for costs, including but not
limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) equipment required for a meat cutting program;
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new text begin (2) facility renovation to accommodate meat cutting; and
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new text begin (3) training faculty to teach the fundamentals of meat processing.
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new text begin (b) A grant recipient may be awarded a grant of up to $75,000 and may use up to ten
percent of the grant for faculty training.
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new text begin (c) Priority may be given to applicants who are coordinating with meat cutting and
butchery programs at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions or with local
industry partners.
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new text begin (d) By January 15, 2028, the commissioner must report to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance, education
finance, and workforce development finance a list of the grants, including the amount
awarded to each grantee, made under this section by county and note the number and amount
of grant requests not fulfilled. The report may include additional information as determined
by the commissioner, including but not limited to information regarding the outcomes
produced by these grants. If additional grants are awarded under this section that were not
covered in the report due by January 15, 2028, the commissioner must submit an additional
report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over agriculture finance, education finance, and workforce development finance
regarding all grants issued under this section by November 1, 2028.
new text end

new text begin (e) The Department of Employment and Economic Development may enter into an
interagency agreement with the Department of Agriculture, including agreements to transfer
funds, to administer the program.
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