1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to property taxes; providing a credit on the 
  1.3             first-half payable 1999 property taxes for 
  1.4             agricultural property; providing for state 
  1.5             reimbursement; appropriating money. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY TAX CREDIT FOR TAXES 
  1.8   PAYABLE IN 1999.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [CREDIT.] Property taxes due and payable in 
  1.10  1999 on class 1b agricultural homestead property, class 2a 
  1.11  agricultural homestead property, or class 2b(3) agricultural 
  1.12  nonhomestead property as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 
  1.13  273.13, except for the portion of the tax attributable to the 
  1.14  house, garage, and surrounding acre of land, are eligible for 
  1.15  the credit under this section.  The credit equals the full 
  1.16  amount of the tax payment due on May 15, 1999, except the 
  1.17  portion of the tax attributable to the house, garage, and 
  1.18  surrounding acre of land, and except that if a portion of the 
  1.19  property was leased for the 1998 agricultural production year, 
  1.20  the credit amount shall be prorated so that only the portion of 
  1.21  the property which was not leased for the 1998 agricultural 
  1.22  production year qualifies for the credit.  Only property owned 
  1.23  by a resident of the state of Minnesota is eligible for the 
  1.24  credit under this section. 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [CERTIFICATION.] The commissioner of revenue 
  2.1   shall develop a form for use by the county auditors to ascertain 
  2.2   qualification for the credit under this section by February 15, 
  2.3   1999.  The form shall require the property owner to certify that 
  2.4   the owner is a resident of the state of Minnesota, and the 
  2.5   percentage of the property, if any, that was leased to anyone 
  2.6   for the 1998 agricultural production year.  The county auditor 
  2.7   shall send the form by March 1, 1999, to all owners of 
  2.8   agricultural property in the county who potentially qualify for 
  2.9   the credit under subdivision 1.  In order to receive the credit, 
  2.10  the owner must file the form with the county auditor by April 
  2.11  15, 1999. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [VERIFICATION.] The county auditor shall verify 
  2.13  all forms submitted for accuracy, and shall determine the amount 
  2.14  of the credit for all qualifying properties in the county.  By 
  2.15  May 1, 1999, the auditor shall notify all applicants of the 
  2.16  amount of the credit and, if applicable, the remaining property 
  2.17  tax amount due by May 15, 1999.  If the May 15 installment has 
  2.18  already been paid on the property, the county shall deduct the 
  2.19  credit amount computed under this section from the amount due on 
  2.20  November 15, 1999. 
  2.21     Subd. 4.  [STATE REIMBURSEMENT.] By June 1, 1999, the 
  2.22  county auditor shall submit a listing of all credits issued 
  2.23  under this section to the commissioner of revenue in a form 
  2.24  prescribed by the commissioner.  By June 15, 1999, the 
  2.25  commissioner shall remit a payment to each county treasurer 
  2.26  equal to the total amount of property tax credits issued under 
  2.27  this section.  The treasurer shall treat these payments in the 
  2.28  same manner as if they were property tax receipts. 
  2.29     Subd. 5.  [PROPERTY TAX REFUND AND SPECIAL PROPERTY TAX 
  2.30  REFUND.] Taxpayers benefitting from the credit under section 1 
  2.31  must deduct the amount of the credit from the net property taxes 
  2.32  payable when applying for a property tax refund under Minnesota 
  2.33  Statutes 1998, section 290A.04, subdivision 2, or a special 
  2.34  property tax refund under Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  2.35  290A.04, subdivision 2h. 
  2.36     Subd. 6.  [APPROPRIATION.] (a) The amount necessary to make 
  3.1   the payments required under this section is appropriated from 
  3.2   the general fund in the state treasury to the commissioner of 
  3.3   revenue for fiscal year 1999. 
  3.4      (b) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 is appropriated to the 
  3.5   commissioner of revenue for distribution to counties for the 
  3.6   costs of administration of this section. 
  3.7      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.8      This act is effective the day following final enactment.