Minnesota Session Laws - 2018, Regular Session

CHAPTER 140--H.F.No. 2982

An act

relating to agricultural data; classifying agricultural research data maintained by the University of Minnesota;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 13.643, subdivision 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 13.643, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Research, monitoring, or assessment data.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the following data created, collected, deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin or new text end maintained by the Department of Agriculture new text begin or the University of Minnesota new text end during research, monitoring, or the assessment of farm practices and related to natural resources, the environment, agricultural facilities, or agricultural practices are classified as private or nonpublic:

(1) names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of study participants or cooperators; deleted text begin and deleted text end

(2) location of research, study site, and global positioning system data new text begin ; and new text end

new text begin (3) data created, collected, or maintained by the University of Minnesota for inclusion on an agricultural data analysis platform maintained and hosted by the University of Minnesota that identify or could identify an individual or business new text end .

(b) The following data are public:

(1) location data and unique well numbers for wells and springs unless protected under section 18B.10 or another statute or rule; and

(2) data from samples collected from a public water supply as defined in section 144.382, subdivision 4.

(c) The Department of Agriculture new text begin or the University of Minnesota new text end may disclose data collected under paragraph (a) if the Department of Agriculture new text begin or the University of Minnesota new text end determines that there is a substantive threat to human health and safety or to the environment, or to aid in the law enforcement process. The Department of Agriculture new text begin or the University of Minnesota new text end may also disclose data with written consent of the subject of the data.

Presented to the governor May 14, 2018

Signed by the governor May 17, 2018, 2:58 p.m.