SF 655

2nd Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; providing for a checkoff for fertilizer, soil amendment,
and plant amendment; establishing a Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research
and Education Council and program; exempting on-farm storage from fertilizer
facility safeguarding and permitting; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2006, section 18C.305, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 18C.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 18C.305, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Exemption. new text end

new text begin A permit and safeguard is not required for a person who
stores on the person's own property and for the person's own use up to 6,000 gallons
of liquid commercial fertilizer.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [18C.70] MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZER RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION COUNCIL.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The Minnesota Agricultural
Fertilizer Research and Education Council is established. The council is composed of
12 voting members as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) two members of the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers;
new text end

new text begin (2) one member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association;
new text end

new text begin (3) one member of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association;
new text end

new text begin (4) one member of the sugar beet growers industry;
new text end

new text begin (5) one member of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers;
new text end

new text begin (6) one member of the potato growers industry;
new text end

new text begin (7) one member of the Minnesota Farm Bureau;
new text end

new text begin (8) one member of the Minnesota Farmers Union;
new text end

new text begin (9) one member from the Minnesota Irrigators Association;
new text end

new text begin (10) one member of the Minnesota Grain and Feed Association; and
new text end

new text begin (11) one member of the Minnesota Independent Crop Consultant Association or the
Minnesota certified crop advisor program.
new text end

new text begin (b) Council members shall serve three-year terms. After the initial council is
appointed, subsequent appointments must be staggered so that one-third of council
membership is replaced each year. Council members must be nominated by their
organizations and appointed by the commissioner. The commissioner of agriculture must
convene the first meeting of the council. The council must select its chair at its first
meeting. The council may add nonvoting members at its discretion. The council must
meet at least once per year, with all related expenses reimbursed by members' sponsoring
organizations or by the members themselves.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Powers and duties. new text end

new text begin The council must review applications and select
projects to receive agricultural fertilizer research and education program grants, as
authorized in section 18C.71. The council must establish a program to provide grants to
research, education, and technology transfer projects related to agricultural fertilizer,
soil amendments, and plant amendments. For the purpose of this section, "fertilizer"
includes soil amendments and plant amendments, but does not include vegetable or animal
manures that are not manipulated. The commissioner has authority over all deposits to
and withdrawals from the program account authorized in subdivision 4, but after January
1, 2009, the council may select the commissioner or any other person it considers fit
to perform all other administrative duties related to the program. The commissioner
is responsible for all fiscal and administrative duties in the first year and may use up
to eight percent of program revenue to offset costs incurred. No later than October 1,
2008, the commissioner must provide the council with an estimate of the annual costs the
Department of Agriculture would incur in administering the program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Checkoff fees. new text end

new text begin Any person, whether located in Minnesota or outside of
the state, that sells fertilizer to producers must collect a checkoff of 40 cents per ton of
fertilizer sold and forward the checkoff funds at least semiannually to the commissioner
along with forms provided by the commissioner. For the purposes of this section,
"producer" means a person who owns or operates an agricultural producing or growing
facility for an agricultural commodity, shares in the profits and risk of loss from the
operation, and grows, raises, feeds, or produces the agricultural commodity in Minnesota
during the current or preceding calendar year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Program account. new text end

new text begin There is established in the state treasury an agricultural
fertilizer research and education program account in the agricultural fund. The checkoff
funds raised under this section must be deposited in the account. Money in the account,
including interest earned, is appropriated to the commissioner to carry out the program
and to provide refunds under subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Refunds. new text end

new text begin A producer may, by use of forms provided by the commissioner
and upon presentation of proof the commissioner requires, have the checkoff fee refunded.
The producer must submit refund requests to the commissioner by February 28 each year
for checkoff fees paid in the previous calendar year. For checkoff fees paid between
January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2009, refunds must not be issued until January 15, 2009.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Rules. new text end

new text begin The commissioner's duties under this section and section 18C.71
are not subject to the provisions of chapter 14.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires on January 8, 2018.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2008.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [18C.71] MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZER RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Eligible projects. new text end

new text begin Eligible project activities include research,
education, and technology transfer related to the production and application of fertilizer,
soil amendments, and other plant amendments. Chosen projects must contain a component
of outreach that achieves a timely dissemination of findings and their applicability to the
production agricultural community.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Awarding grants. new text end

new text begin Applications for program grants must be submitted in
the form prescribed by the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education
Council. Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline prescribed by the
council. All applications are subject to a thorough in-state review by a peer committee
established and approved by the council. Each project meeting the basic qualifications is
subject to a yes or no vote by each council member. Projects chosen to receive funding
must achieve an affirmative vote from at least eight of the 12 council members or
two-thirds of voting members present. Projects awarded program funds must submit an
annual progress report in the form prescribed by the council.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Annual audit. new text end

new text begin The program must have an annual audit of financial
activities, which the council must file with the commissioner on or before June 1 for the
immediately preceding year ending December 31.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires January 8, 2018.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2008.
new text end