HF 1020

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/08/2023 12:01pm

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; increasing funding for county and district agricultural society
premium aid; modifying reporting requirements; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 38.02, subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 38.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Pro rata distribution; conditions.

(a) Money appropriated to aid county
and district agricultural societies and associations shall be distributed among all county and
district agricultural societies or associations in the state pro rata, upon condition that each
of them has complied with the conditions specified in paragraph (b).

(b) To be eligible to participate in the distribution of aid, each agricultural society or
association shall have:

(1) held an annual fair for each of the three years last past, unless prevented from doing
so because of a calamity or an epidemic declared by the community health board as defined
in section 145A.02, subdivision 5, the state commissioner of health, or the Board of Animal
Health to exist;

(2) an annual membership of 15 or more;

(3) paid out to exhibitors for premiums awarded at the last fair held a sum not less than
the amount to be received from the state;

(4) published and distributed, or made available on an Internet website, not less than
three weeks before the opening day of the fair a premium list, listing all items or articles
on which premiums are offered and the amounts of such premiums and shall have paid
premiums pursuant to the amount shown for each article or item to be exhibited; provided
that premiums for school exhibits may be advertised in the published premium list by
reference to a school premium list prepared and circulated during the preceding school year;
and shall have collected all fees charged for entering an exhibit at the time the entry was
made and in accordance with schedule of entry fees to be charged as published in the
premium list;

(5) paid not more than one premium on each article or item exhibited, excluding
championship or sweepstake awards, and excluding the payment of open class premium
awards to 4H Club exhibits which at this same fair had won a first prize award in regular
4H Club competition; and

(6) submitted to the commissioner of agriculture on or before the first day of November
of the year in which the fair was held its annual report of premiums paid new text begin which must include
the information required under paragraph (e) new text end .

(c) All payments authorized under the provisions of this chapter shall be made only upon
the presentation by the commissioner of agriculture with the commissioner of management
and budget of a statement of premium allocations. As used herein the term premium shall
mean the cash award paid to an exhibitor for the merit of an exhibit of livestock, livestock
products, grains, fruits, flowers, vegetables, articles of domestic science, handicrafts, hobbies,
fine arts, other products of a creative nature, and articles made by school pupils, or the cash
award paid to the merit winner of events such as 4H Club or Future Farmer contest, youth
group contests, school spelling contests and school current events contests, the award
corresponding to the amount offered in the advertised premium list referred to in schedule
2. Payments of awards for horse races, horse pulls, tractor pulls, demolition derby, automobile
or other racing, jackpot premiums, ball games, musical contests, talent contests, parades,
and for amusement features for which admission is charged, are specifically excluded from
consideration as premiums within the meaning of that term as used herein. The amount shall
be computed as follows: On the first $750 premiums paid by each society or association at
the last fair held, the society or association shall receive 100 percent reimbursement; on the
second $750 premiums paid, 80 percent; on the third $750 premiums paid, 60 percent; and
on any sum in excess of $2,250, 40 percent. The commissioner of management and budget
shall make payments not later than July 15 of the year following the calendar year in which
the annual fair was held to those agricultural societies or associations entitled to payments
under the provisions of this chapter.

(d) If the total amount of state aid to which the agricultural societies and associations
are entitled under the provisions of this chapter exceeds the amount of the appropriation,
the amounts to which the societies or associations are entitled shall be prorated so that the
total payments by the state will not exceed the appropriation.

new text begin (e) Each agricultural society or association submitting an annual report of premiums
paid must provide the following information:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of exhibitors receiving a premium;
new text end

new text begin (2) the average and total premium amounts;
new text end

new text begin (3) summary demographic data on premium recipients; and
new text end

new text begin (4) any other information required by the commissioner of agriculture.
new text end

new text begin No later than February 1 each year, the commissioner of agriculture must summarize and
report the information collected under this paragraph to the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over agriculture finance.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; PREMIUM AID.
new text end

new text begin $674,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $674,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for aid payments to county and district
agricultural societies and associations under Minnesota Statutes, section 38.02, subdivision
1. The commissioner must disburse the payments no later than July 15 each year.
new text end