HF 1950

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; establishing a citizens 
  1.3             advisory council on food; requiring a report; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON FOOD.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The citizens advisory council 
  1.8   on food consists of 12 members.  The governor, the speaker of 
  1.9   the house of representatives, and the majority leader of the 
  1.10  senate shall each appoint four members.  The members must be 
  1.11  broadly representative of Minnesota's citizens, with at least 
  1.12  four members being residents of rural communities and at least 
  1.13  four members being either small-scale farmers, people living in 
  1.14  poverty, or people of color, with each of those groups having at 
  1.15  least one representative. 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES.] The citizens advisory council on food 
  1.17  shall analyze, discuss, debate, and recommend policies related 
  1.18  to Minnesota's food system.  As part of this process, the 
  1.19  council shall: 
  1.20     (1) hold at least ten community meetings in the state; 
  1.21     (2) coordinate at least five public hearings in the state 
  1.22  covering the following subjects: 
  1.23     (i) governmental agencies; 
  1.24     (ii) rural life in Minnesota, including farmers and small 
  1.25  town businesses; 
  2.1      (iii) corporate and business concerns, including 
  2.2   processors, distributors, grocers, and others; 
  2.3      (iv) agricultural interests; and 
  2.4      (v) nonprofit organizations; 
  2.5      (3) oversee implementation of a region-by-region food 
  2.6   security measurement study; 
  2.7      (4) oversee the gathering of additional data from existing 
  2.8   studies related to Minnesota's food system; 
  2.9      (5) oversee the gathering of additional data and 
  2.10  information from other communities, states, and countries; and 
  2.11     (6) oversee strategizing and arriving at solutions to 
  2.12  identified problems. 
  2.13     Subd. 3.  [REPORT.] By January 10, 2001, the citizens 
  2.14  advisory council on food shall prepare a written report to the 
  2.15  legislature and the governor compiling the data, stories, and 
  2.16  other evidence it has discovered and recommending solutions to 
  2.17  identified problems. 
  2.18     Subd. 4.  [STAFF.] The governor's office and a 
  2.19  representative from each of the departments of health, 
  2.20  agriculture, human services, and children, families, and 
  2.21  learning shall provide staff for the council. 
  2.22     Subd. 5.  [EXPIRATION.] The citizens advisory council on 
  2.23  food expires on January 10, 2001. 
  2.24     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.25     $363,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.26  commissioner of agriculture for the citizens advisory council on 
  2.27  food established in section 1.  This appropriation is available 
  2.28  until June 30, 2001.