1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to agriculture; appropriating additional money for farm advocates and 
1.3 	mental health counseling support for farm families and business operators;
1.4 	amending Laws 2017, chapter 88, article 1, section 2, subdivision 5.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Laws 2017, chapter 88, article 1, section 2, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

1.7
1.8	Subd. 5.Administration and Financial 
Assistance
 		8,698,000
		8,691,000
8,938,000
	
1.9 	(a) $474,000 the first year and $474,000 the 
1.10 	second year are for payments to county and 
1.11 	district agricultural societies and associations 
1.12 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 38.02, 
1.13 	subdivision 1. Aid payments to county and 
1.14 	district agricultural societies and associations 
1.15 	shall be disbursed no later than July 15 of each 
1.16 	year. These payments are the amount of aid 
1.17 	from the state for an annual fair held in the 
1.18 	previous calendar year.
1.19 	(b) $1,000 the first year and $1,000 the second 
1.20 	year are for grants to the Minnesota State 
1.21 	Poultry Association.
2.1 	(c) $18,000 the first year and $18,000 the 
2.2 	second year are for grants to the Minnesota 
2.3 	Livestock Breeders Association.
2.4 	(d) $47,000 the first year and $47,000 the 
2.5 	second year are for the Northern Crops 
2.6 	Institute. These appropriations may be spent 
2.7 	to purchase equipment.
2.8 	(e) $220,000 the first year and $220,000
2.9 	$250,000 the second year are for farm 
2.10 	advocate services. The base for fiscal year 
2.11 	2020 is $250,000 and the base for fiscal year 
2.12 	2021 is $250,000.
2.13 	(f) $17,000 the first year and $17,000 the 
2.14 	second year are for grants to the Minnesota 
2.15 	Horticultural Society.
2.16 	(g) $108,000 the first year and $108,000 the 
2.17 	second year are for annual grants to the 
2.18 	Minnesota Turf Seed Council for basic and 
2.19 	applied research on: (1) the improved 
2.20 	production of forage and turf seed related to 
2.21 	new and improved varieties; and (2) native 
2.22 	plants, including plant breeding, nutrient 
2.23 	management, pest management, disease 
2.24 	management, yield, and viability. The grant 
2.25 	recipient may subcontract with a qualified 
2.26 	third party for some or all of the basic or 
2.27 	applied research. Any unencumbered balance 
2.28 	does not cancel at the end of the first year and 
2.29 	is available for the second year. These are 
2.30 	onetime appropriations.
2.31 	(h) $113,000 the first year and $113,000
2.32 	$330,000 the second year are for transfer to 
2.33 	the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State 
2.34 	Colleges and Universities for statewide mental 
3.1 	health counseling support to farm families and 
3.2 	business operators through the Minnesota State 
3.3 	Agricultural Centers of Excellence. South 
3.4 	Central College and Central Lakes College 
3.5 	shall serve as the fiscal agent agents. The base 
3.6 	for fiscal year 2020 is $330,000 and the base 
3.7 	for fiscal year 2021 is $330,000.
3.8 	(i) $550,000 the first year and $550,000 the 
3.9 	second year are for grants to Second Harvest 
3.10 	Heartland on behalf of Minnesota's six 
3.11 	Feeding America food banks for the purchase 
3.12 	of milk for distribution to Minnesota's food 
3.13 	shelves and other charitable organizations that 
3.14 	are eligible to receive food from the food 
3.15 	banks. Milk purchased under the grants must 
3.16 	be acquired from Minnesota milk processors 
3.17 	and based on low-cost bids. The milk must be 
3.18 	allocated to each Feeding America food bank 
3.19 	serving Minnesota according to the formula 
3.20 	used in the distribution of United States 
3.21 	Department of Agriculture commodities under 
3.22 	The Emergency Food Assistance Program 
3.23 	(TEFAP). Second Harvest Heartland must 
3.24 	submit quarterly reports to the commissioner 
3.25 	on forms prescribed by the commissioner. The 
3.26 	reports must include, but are not limited to, 
3.27 	information on the expenditure of funds, the 
3.28 	amount of milk purchased, and the 
3.29 	organizations to which the milk was 
3.30 	distributed. Second Harvest Heartland may 
3.31 	enter into contracts or agreements with food 
3.32 	banks for shared funding or reimbursement of 
3.33 	the direct purchase of milk. Each food bank 
3.34 	receiving money from this appropriation may 
3.35 	use up to two percent of the grant for 
3.36 	administrative expenses. Any unencumbered 
4.1 	balance does not cancel at the end of the first 
4.2 	year and is available for the second year.
4.3 	(j) $1,100,000 the first year and $1,100,000 
4.4 	the second year are for grants to Second 
4.5 	Harvest Heartland on behalf of the six Feeding 
4.6 	America food banks that serve Minnesota to 
4.7 	compensate agricultural producers and 
4.8 	processors for costs incurred to harvest and 
4.9 	package for transfer surplus fruits, vegetables, 
4.10 	and other agricultural commodities that would 
4.11 	otherwise go unharvested, be discarded, or 
4.12 	sold in a secondary market. Surplus 
4.13 	commodities must be distributed statewide to 
4.14 	food shelves and other charitable organizations 
4.15 	that are eligible to receive food from the food 
4.16 	banks. Surplus food acquired under this 
4.17 	appropriation must be from Minnesota 
4.18 	producers and processors. Second Harvest 
4.19 	Heartland must report in the form prescribed 
4.20 	by the commissioner. Second Harvest 
4.21 	Heartland may use up to 15 percent of each 
4.22 	grant for matching administrative and 
4.23 	transportation expenses. Any unencumbered 
4.24 	balance does not cancel at the end of the first 
4.25 	year and is available for the second year.
4.26 	(k) $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the 
4.27 	second year are for grants to the Center for 
4.28 	Rural Policy and Development.
4.29 	(l) $235,000 the first year and $235,000 the 
4.30 	second year are for grants to the Minnesota 
4.31 	Agricultural Education and Leadership 
4.32 	Council for programs of the council under 
4.33 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 41D.
4.34 	(m) $600,000 the first year and $600,000 the 
4.35 	second year are for grants to the Board of 
5.1 	Regents of the University of Minnesota to 
5.2 	develop, in consultation with the 
5.3 	commissioner of agriculture and the Board of 
5.4 	Animal Health, a software tool or application 
5.5 	through the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 
5.6 	that empowers veterinarians and producers to 
5.7 	understand the movement of unique pathogen 
5.8 	strains in livestock and poultry production 
5.9 	systems, monitor antibiotic resistance, and 
5.10 	implement effective biosecurity measures that 
5.11 	promote animal health and limit production 
5.12 	losses. These are onetime appropriations.
5.13 	(n) $150,000 the first year is for the tractor 
5.14 	rollover protection pilot program under 
5.15 	Minnesota Statutes, section 17.119. This is a 
5.16 	onetime appropriation and is available until 
5.17 	June 30, 2019.
5.18 	(o) $400,000 the first year is for a grant to the 
5.19 	Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State 
5.20 	Colleges and Universities to expand and 
5.21 	renovate the GROW-IT Center at Metropolitan 
5.22 	State University. This is a onetime 
5.23 	appropriation.
5.24 	By January 15, 2018, the commissioner shall 
5.25 	submit a report to the chairs and ranking 
5.26 	minority members of the legislative 
5.27 	committees with jurisdiction over agricultural 
5.28 	policy and finance with a list of inspections 
5.29 	the department conducts at more frequent 
5.30 	intervals than federal law requires, an 
5.31 	explanation of why the additional inspections 
5.32 	are necessary, and provide recommendations 
5.33 	for eliminating any unnecessary inspections.

6.1 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 6.2 	This act is effective the day following final enactment.