HF 3300

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 04/07/2016 04:32pm

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing a pollinator investment 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.

new text begin [17.119] POLLINATOR INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may award a pollinator
investment grant to a person who implements best management practices to protect wild
and managed insect pollinators in this state equal to ten percent of the first $....... of
qualifying expenditures, provided the person makes qualifying expenditures of at least
$....... The commissioner may award multiple pollinator investment grants to a person
over the life of the program as long as the cumulative amount does not exceed $.......
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the terms defined in this
subdivision have the meanings given them.
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new text begin (b) "Pollinator" means an insect that pollinates flowers.
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new text begin (c) "Qualified expenditures" means the amount spent for:
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new text begin (1) adding native flowering plants as cover crops or prairie strips to provide forage
for pollinators;
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new text begin (2) renovating a pasture system by adding native flowering plants throughout the
growing season or overseeding a pasture with high-diversity native forb or native or
domestic legume mixtures;
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new text begin (3) interseeding legumes with corn or soybean;
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new text begin (4) planting or seeding riparian and wetland areas with perennial cover;
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new text begin (5) planting flowering plants in vegetative buffer strips;
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new text begin (6) planting a living snow fence; or
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new text begin (7) increasing plant diversity in nonproductive areas by adding native flowering
plants, trees, or shrubs or by introducing pollinator-friendly plant species into existing
strands of grasses.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin (a) To be eligible for a pollinator investment grant, a person
must:
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new text begin (1) be a resident of Minnesota or an entity specifically defined in section 500.24,
subdivision 2, that is eligible to own farmland and operate a farm in this state under
section 500.24;
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new text begin (2) be the principal operator of the farm; and
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new text begin (3) apply to the commissioner on forms prescribed by the commissioner including a
statement of the qualifying expenditures made during the qualifying period along with any
proof or other documentation the commissioner may require.
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new text begin (b) The $....... maximum grant applies at the entity level for partnerships, S
corporations, C corporations, trusts, and estates as well as at the individual level. In the
case of married individuals, the grant is limited to $....... for a married couple.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2017 from the general fund to the commissioner
of agriculture for the pollinator investment grant program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 17.119.
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