1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to environment; appropriating money to develop statewide soil health 
1.3 	action plan; appropriating money for precision agriculture research and outreach; 
1.4 	increasing funding for the agricultural best management practices loan program.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. STATEWIDE SOIL HEALTH ACTION PLAN; APPROPRIATION.
 1.7 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the Board of Regents 
1.8 	of the University of Minnesota to prepare a statewide action plan for soil health in 
1.9 	consultation with the Board of Water and Soil Resources and the commissioners of 
1.10 	agriculture, natural resources, and the Pollution Control Agency. The plan must include 
1.11 	recommendations for protecting and improving the state's soil health for agricultural and 
1.12 	water quality purposes, including recommendations for research, implementation, outreach, 
1.13 	and prioritization of the use of future funding. By January 15, 2022, the plan must be 
1.14 	submitted to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and 
1.15 	senate committees and divisions with jurisdiction over agriculture and environment and 
1.16 	natural resources policy. This is a onetime appropriation.

1.17 	Sec. 2. PRECISION AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH; 
1.18 	APPROPRIATION.
 1.19 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the Board of Regents 
1.20 	of the University of Minnesota, in consultation with the commissioner of agriculture and 
1.21 	the Board of Water and Soil Resources, to provide additional research and outreach through 
1.22 	the University of Minnesota's Precision Agriculture Center and to:
2.1 	(1) develop policy recommendations regarding data privacy, public-private partnerships, 
2.2 	and needed technical assistance focused on the most challenging agricultural and water 
2.3 	issues; and
2.4 	(2) research recommendations and pilot studies that include variable rate nutrients, 
2.5 	variable rate irrigation, nitrogen mineralization, remote sensing, delineation of management 
2.6 	zones, and extension programming.

2.7 	Sec. 3. AGRICULTURAL BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES LOAN PROGRAM; 
2.8 	TRANSFER.
 2.9 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is transferred from the general fund to the commissioner of 
2.10 	agriculture for deposit in the appropriate agricultural and environmental revolving loan 
2.11 	account established under Minnesota Statutes, section 17.117, subdivision 5a, for low-interest 
2.12 	loans to farmers, rural landowners, and agricultural businesses through the agricultural best 
2.13 	management practices loan program. This is a onetime transfer.