SF 4099

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/05/2026 09:25 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; modifying prior agriculture provisions; appropriating money;
amending Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivisions 1, 2.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation

$

deleted text begin 58,957,000 deleted text end new text begin 59,306,000 new text end

$

deleted text begin 56,052,000 deleted text end new text begin 56,072,000 new text end

Appropriations by Fund
	2026	2027
General	deleted text begin 58,558,000 deleted text end new text begin 58,907,000 new text end	deleted text begin 55,653,000 deleted text end new text begin 55,673,000 new text end
Remediation	399,000	399,000

The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following
subdivisions. Notwithstanding Minnesota
Statutes, section 16B.98, subdivision 14,
unless otherwise specified in this section, the
commissioner of agriculture may use up to 7.5
percent of money appropriated for costs
incurred to administer the Department of
Agriculture's grant and financial assistance
programs.

Sec. 2.

Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Protection Services

Appropriations by Fund
General	deleted text begin 20,828,000 deleted text end new text begin 21,177,000 new text end	deleted text begin 21,207,000 deleted text end new text begin 21,227,000 new text end
Remediation	399,000	399,000

(a) $399,000 the first year and $399,000 the
second year are from the remediation fund for
administrative funding of the voluntary
cleanup program.

(b) $639,000 the first year and $639,000 the
second year are for the soil health financial
assistance program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 17.134. The commissioner may award
no more than $50,000 of the appropriation
each year to a single recipient.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section
16B.98, subdivision 14, the commissioner may
use up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for
costs incurred to administer the program. Any
unencumbered balance does not cancel at the
end of the first year and is available in the
second year. Appropriations encumbered
under contract on or before June 30, 2027, for
soil health financial assistance grants are
available until June 30, 2029.

(c) deleted text begin $275,000 deleted text end new text begin $485,000 new text end the first year and
deleted text begin $250,000 deleted text end new text begin $270,000 new text end the second year are for
compensation for livestock destroyed or
crippled by a wolf under Minnesota Statutes,
section 3.737. The first year appropriation may
be spent to compensate for livestock that were
destroyed or crippled during fiscal year 2025.
If the amount in the first year is insufficient,
the amount in the second year is available in
the first year. The commissioner may use up
to $5,000 each year to reimburse expenses
incurred by university extension educators to
provide fair market values of destroyed or
crippled livestock. If the commissioner
receives federal money to pay claims for
destroyed or crippled livestock, an equivalent
amount of this appropriation may be used to
reimburse nonlethal prevention methods
performed by federal wildlife services staff.
The base for this appropriation is $175,000 in
fiscal year 2028 and each year thereafter.

(d) deleted text begin $255,000 deleted text end new text begin $394,000 new text end the first year and
$230,000 the second year are for compensation
for crop or fence damage caused by elk under
Minnesota Statutes, section 3.7371. If the
amount in the first year is insufficient, the
amount in the second year is available in the
first year. The commissioner may use up to
$10,000 of the appropriation each year to
reimburse expenses incurred by the
commissioner or the commissioner's approved
agent to investigate and resolve claims, as well
as for costs associated with training for
approved agents. The commissioner may use
up to $40,000 of the appropriation each year
for grants to producers for measures to protect
stored crops from elk damage. If the
commissioner determines that claims made
under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.737 or
3.7371, are unusually high, amounts
appropriated for either program may be
transferred to the appropriation for the other
program. The base for this appropriation is
$155,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each year
thereafter.

(e) $825,000 the first year and $825,000 the
second year are to replace capital equipment
in the Department of Agriculture's analytical
laboratory.

(f) $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the
second year are for additional meat and poultry
inspection services. The commissioner is
encouraged to seek inspection waivers, match
federal money, and offer more online
inspections for the purposes of this paragraph.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(g) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are for grants to counties to
support county agricultural inspectors. The
commissioner may use up to three percent of
the appropriation each year for administration.
This is a onetime appropriation. County
agricultural inspectors and county-designated
employees must annually submit an
application, on a form approved by the
commissioner, to be eligible for funding
during a given year. The commissioner must
equally divide available grant money among
eligible counties. To be eligible for grants
under this section, a county must employ a
county agricultural inspector or a
county-designated employee who:

(1) has attended training for new county
agricultural inspectors offered by the
commissioner;

(2) coordinates with the commissioner to
review applicable laws and enforcement
procedures;

(3) compiles and submits to the commissioner
local weed inspector annual report data;

(4) conducts an annual meeting and training
for local weed inspectors; and

(5) assists the commissioner with control
programs and other agricultural programs
when requested under Minnesota Statutes,
section 18.81, subdivision 1b, as directed by
the county board.

(h) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the
second year are appropriated to establish and
administer the biofertilizer innovation and
efficiency program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 18C.113. The commissioner may use
up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for costs
incurred to administer the program.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section
16A.28, any unencumbered balance at the end
of fiscal year 2026 does not cancel and is
available until June 30, 2027. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(j) $75,000 the first year is to conduct an
evaluation of the practice performance and
economic performance of the Olmsted County
groundwater protection and soil health
initiative, including the cover crop program,
alternative crops program, and haying,
grazing, and pasture enhancement program.
The evaluation must look at environmental
outcomes, include a cost-benefit analysis, and
be submitted to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative
committees and divisions with jurisdiction
over agriculture policy and finance by June 1,
2027. The commissioner may contract with
an independent third party to conduct the
evaluation.

(k) $420,000 the first year and $924,000 the
second year are to support current services.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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