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HF 2420

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/02/2023 02:12pm

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.

Bill Text Versions

Engrossments
Introduction Posted on 03/02/2023

Current Version - as introduced

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A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing pilot programs for plant-based food research,
training, and workforce development; requiring a report; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin CITATION.
new text end

new text begin This act may be cited as the "Producing Lucrative Agriculture with New Technologies
Act (PLANT Act)."
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin PLANT-BASED FOOD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PILOT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of agriculture shall establish and
administer a plant-based food research and development pilot grant program. The
commissioner shall award competitive grants to eligible entities for activities, as described
in subdivision 2, that support research focused on creating foods with the same characteristics
as animal-based meat using plants.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Activities. new text end

new text begin Eligible grant activities include:
new text end

new text begin (1) characterization of functional properties, breeding efforts, scalability, environmental
sustainability, and nutrition of plant proteins and crop-based sidestreams for use as ingredients
in plant-based foods;
new text end

new text begin (2) development of new and standardized high-throughput screening and analytical
methods to measure the usefulness of crops and their components in plant-based foods;
new text end

new text begin (3) development of extraction and processing techniques for making plant-based
ingredients more functional, palatable, affordable, and scalable when producing plant-based
foods; and
new text end

new text begin (4) innovation in plant-based food end product manufacturing processes, including
equipment design and pilot production methods.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin No later than January 15, 2025, the commissioner of agriculture must
report grant activity and program outcomes to the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over agriculture policy while identifying additional opportunities to make public investments
in research and development of plant-based foods.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin PLANT-BASED FOOD WORKFORCE SCHOLARSHIPS PILOT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of agriculture shall establish a
Minnesota plant-based food workforce development scholarship pilot program to assist in
meeting the workforce demand for the plant-based foods industry in Minnesota and to
enhance long-term economic self-sufficiency by connecting students, institutions of higher
education, employers, and communities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Coordination. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall coordinate funds and award scholarships
to students pursuing careers in the plant-based foods industry at colleges and universities
in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System while prioritizing students from
underrepresented communities within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
disciplines.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin PLANT-BASED FOODS PRODUCTION TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of agriculture shall establish and administer a plant-based foods
production training pilot grant program to award grants to secondary career and technical
education programs and institutions of higher education for the purpose of offering instruction
in plant-based food production. The commissioner shall give priority to institutions that
coordinate with local producers of plant-based foods. Grants may be used for costs, including
but not limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) equipment required to produce plant-based foods;
new text end

new text begin (2) facility renovation to accommodate plant-based food production; and
new text end

new text begin (3) training faculty to teach the fundamentals of plant-based food production.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of agriculture for the purposes of this act. This is a onetime appropriation and is available
until June 30, 2024. Of this amount:
new text end

new text begin (1) $2,000,000 is for the plant-based food research and development pilot program in
section 2;
new text end

new text begin (2) $500,000 is for the plant-based food workforce scholarships pilot program in section
3; and
new text end

new text begin (3) $500,000 is for plant-based foods production training grants under section 4.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE; EXPIRATION.
new text end

new text begin This act is effective the day following final enactment and expires January 15, 2025.
new text end