SF 1245

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 06/15/2023 11:43am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing a soil health financial assistance program;
modifying a pilot program; appropriating money; amending Laws 2022, chapter
95, article 2, section 29; 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 [17.995] SOIL HEALTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must establish and administer a
program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance with this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible projects. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may award a grant under this section for
any project on agricultural land in Minnesota that will:
new text end

new text begin (1) increase the quantity of organic carbon in soil through practices, including but not
limited to reduced tillage, cover cropping, manure management, precision agriculture, crop
rotations, and changes in grazing management;
new text end

new text begin (2) integrate perennial vegetation into the management of agricultural lands;
new text end

new text begin (3) reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions through changes to livestock, soil
management, or nutrient optimization;
new text end

new text begin (4) increase the usage of precision agricultural practices;
new text end

new text begin (5) enable the development of site-specific management plans; or
new text end

new text begin (6) enable the purchase of equipment, parts and materials, technology, subscriptions,
technical assistance, seeds, seedlings, or amendments that will further any of the purposes
in clauses (1) to (5).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Grant eligibility. new text end

new text begin Any owner or lessee of farmland may apply for a grant under
this section. Local government units, including cities, towns, counties, soil and water
conservation districts, Tribal Nations, and joint powers boards, are also eligible for a grant.
A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment or technology must make those
purchases available for use by the public.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Laws 2022, chapter 95, article 2, section 29, is amended to read:

Sec. 29. deleted text begin SOIL HEALTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM deleted text end new text begin HEALTHY
SOIL MANAGEMENT PLAN new text end .

deleted text begin Subdivision 1. deleted text end

deleted text begin Establishment. deleted text end

deleted text begin The commissioner of agriculture must establish and
administer a pilot program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance with
this section.
deleted text end

Subd. 2.

State healthy soil management plan.

The commissioner must develop a
healthy soil management plan in consultation with the University of Minnesota, the United
States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Board of
Water and Soil Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and nongovernmental
environmental and agricultural organizations. By December 31, 2023, and December 31,
2024, the commissioner must report the plan to the governor and to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and divisions with
jurisdiction over agriculture, the environment, and natural resources. The plan must include
all of the following:

(1) an assessment of the current state of healthy soil management practices statewide;

(2) a statewide five- and ten-year goal for healthy soil management practice
implementation, denominated in acres;

(3) an explanation of how the commissioner will make grant award decisions based on
the eligibility categories described in subdivision 3;

(4) an explanation of how the commissioner will ensure a geographically fair distribution
of funding across a broad group of crop types, soil management practices, and farm sizes;

(5) a strategy for leveraging other public and private sources of money to expand healthy
soil management practices in the state;

(6) a summary of the operations of the program, including a summary of state, federal,
and private money spent, the total number of projects and acres, and an estimate of carbon
sequestered or carbon emissions reduced during that period; and

(7) any other matter that the commissioner deems relevant.

deleted text begin Subd. 3. deleted text end

deleted text begin Eligible projects. deleted text end

deleted text begin The commissioner may award a grant under this section for
any project on agricultural land in Minnesota that will:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) increase the quantity of organic carbon in soil through practices, including but not
limited to reduced tillage, cover cropping, manure management, precision agriculture, crop
rotations, and changes in grazing management;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) integrate perennial vegetation into the management of agricultural lands;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions through changes to livestock, soil
management, or nutrient optimization;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (4) increase the usage of precision agricultural practices;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (5) enable the development of site-specific management plans; or
deleted text end

deleted text begin (6) enable the purchase of equipment, parts and materials, technology, subscriptions,
technical assistance, seeds, seedlings, or amendments that will further any of the purposes
in clauses (1) to (5).
deleted text end

deleted text begin Subd. 4. deleted text end

deleted text begin Grant eligibility. deleted text end

deleted text begin Any owner or lessee of farmland may apply for a grant under
this section. Local government units, including cities, towns, counties, soil and water
conservation districts, Tribal nations, and joint powers boards, are also eligible for a grant.
A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment or technology must make those
purchases available for use by the public.
deleted text end

deleted text begin Subd. 5. deleted text end

deleted text begin Funding limitations. deleted text end

deleted text begin Every appropriation for the soil health financial assistance
pilot program is subject to the following limitations:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) the commissioner may award no more than ten percent of the appropriation to a
single recipient; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) the commissioner may use no more than five percent of the appropriation to cover
the costs of administering the program.
deleted text end

Subd. 6.

Expiration.

This section expires deleted text begin June 30 deleted text end new text begin December 31 new text end , 2024.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
agriculture for purposes of the soil health financial assistance program. The commissioner
may award no more than ten percent of the appropriation to a single recipient. The
commissioner may use up to five percent of the appropriation for administration. This is a
onetime appropriation.
new text end