HF 2502

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/24/2016 04:29pm

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing a tractor rollover protection pilot grant
program; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 17.

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

Section 1.

[17.119] TRACTOR ROLLOVER PROTECTION PILOT GRANT
PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Grants; eligibility.

(a) The commissioner must award cost-share
grants to Minnesota farmers who retrofit eligible tractors with eligible rollover protective
structures. Grants are limited to 70 percent of the farmer's documented cost to purchase,
ship, and install an eligible rollover protective structure. The commissioner must increase
the grant award amount over the 70 percent grant limitation requirement if necessary to
limit a farmer's cost per tractor to no more than $500.

(b) A rollover protective structure is eligible if it meets or exceeds SAE International
standard J2194.

(c) A tractor is eligible if the tractor was built before 1987.

Subd. 2.

Promotion; administration.

The commissioner may spend up to 20
percent of total program dollars each fiscal year to promote the program to Minnesota
farmers. The commissioner must minimize administrative costs by cooperating with the
New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health to administer the grant program.

Subd. 3.

Nonstate funds; appropriation.

The commissioner must solicit
contributions from nonstate sources to supplement state appropriations for this program.
Funds received under this subdivision are appropriated to the commissioner for purposes
of this section.

Subd. 4.

Expiration.

This section expires on June 30, 2019.

Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.

$250,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of agriculture for the purposes of section 1.