Minnesota Session Laws - 2020, Regular Session

CHAPTER 97--H.F.No. 4599

An act

relating to agriculture; modifying the time period for the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act in 2020;

amending Laws 2020, chapter 74, article 1, section 19.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2020, chapter 74, article 1, section 19, is amended to read:

Sec. 19.

FARMER-LENDER MEDIATION EXTENSIONS.

(a) The legislature finds that due to the emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the time period for the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act needs to be temporarily extended to ensure an orderly process with state assistance to adjust agricultural indebtedness to preserve the general welfare and fiscal integrity of the state.

(b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 583.26, subdivision 4, a creditor may not begin or continue proceedings to enforce a debt subject to the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act against agricultural property of the debtor under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 580 or 581, or Minnesota Statutes, sections deleted text begin 336.9-501 to 336.9-508 deleted text end new text begin 336.9-601 to 336.9-624 new text end , to terminate a contract for deed to purchase agricultural property under Minnesota Statutes, section 559.21, or to garnish, levy on, execute on, seize, or attach agricultural property until 150 days after the date the debtor files a mediation request with the director of the Minnesota Extension Service new text begin , or December 1, 2020, whichever is later new text end .

(c) Any mediation proceeding being conducted pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 583, and that is in progress on the effective date of this section is allowed an additional 60 days from the date the debtor filed a mediation request with the director of the Minnesota Extension Service new text begin or until December 1, 2020, whichever is later, new text end before a creditor can proceed to enforce a debt against the debtor's agricultural property.

Sec. 2.

Laws 2020, chapter 74, article 1, section 19, the effective date, is amended to read:

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective the day following final enactment and applies to (1) mediation proceedings in progress on the effective date of this section, and (2) mediation proceedings beginning after the effective date of this section if the mediation request is filed before deleted text begin July deleted text end new text begin August new text end 31, 2020.

Sec. 3.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin Sections 1 and 2 are effective retroactively from April 16, 2020. new text end

Presented to the governor May 16, 2020

Signed by the governor May 18, 2020, 8:11 a.m.