SF 1817

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/17/2015 09:26am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing a young farmer summer seminar and
practicum program; exempting program participants from certain labor laws;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 177.23,
subdivision 7; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [136A.1285] YOUNG FARMER SUMMER SEMINAR AND
PRACTICUM PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program establishment. new text end

new text begin The office, in consultation with the
commissioner of agriculture, shall facilitate a young farmer summer seminar and practicum
program available to undergraduate students enrolled at a baccalaureate-granting
Minnesota public or private postsecondary institution, college, or university.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program components. new text end

new text begin (a) Participating students must complete at least
two days per week, on average, of coursework in animal science, soil science, ecology,
environmental science, horticulture, plant biology, and political science.
new text end

new text begin (b) Participating students must complete an unpaid internship at a participating farm.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Lead institution, college, or university; course credit. new text end

new text begin (a) The
commissioner must solicit proposals and select an institution, college, or university to
administer the program.
new text end

new text begin (b) An institution, college, or university must provide participating students with
academic credit upon successful completion of the young farmer summer seminar and
practicum program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin State financial support. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must award program funding
to the lead institution, college, or university selected under subdivision 3.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 177.23, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Employee.

"Employee" means any individual employed by an employer
but does not include:

(1) two or fewer specified individuals employed at any given time in agriculture on a
farming unit or operation who are paid a salary;

(2) any individual employed in agriculture on a farming unit or operation who is
paid a salary greater than the individual would be paid if the individual worked 48 hours at
the state minimum wage plus 17 hours at 1-1/2 times the state minimum wage per week;

(3) an individual under 18 who is employed in agriculture on a farm to perform
services other than corn detasseling or hand field work when one or both of that minor
hand field worker's parents or physical custodians are also hand field workers;

(4) for purposes of section 177.24, an individual under 18 who is employed as a
corn detasseler;

(5) any staff member employed on a seasonal basis by an organization for work in an
organized resident or day camp operating under a permit issued under section 144.72;

(6) any individual employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional
capacity, or a salesperson who conducts no more than 20 percent of sales on the premises
of the employer;

(7) any individual who renders service gratuitously for a nonprofit organization;

(8) any individual who serves as an elected official for a political subdivision or who
serves on any governmental board, commission, committee or other similar body, or who
renders service gratuitously for a political subdivision;

(9) any individual employed by a political subdivision to provide police or fire
protection services or employed by an entity whose principal purpose is to provide police
or fire protection services to a political subdivision;

(10) any individual employed by a political subdivision who is ineligible for
membership in the Public Employees Retirement Association under section 353.01,
subdivision 2b, clause (1), (2), (4), or (9);

(11) any driver employed by an employer engaged in the business of operating
taxicabs;

(12) any individual engaged in babysitting as a sole practitioner;

(13) for the purpose of section 177.25, any individual employed on a seasonal basis
in a carnival, circus, fair, or ski facility;

(14) any individual under 18 working less than 20 hours per workweek for a
municipality as part of a recreational program;

(15) any individual employed by the state as a natural resource manager 1, 2, or
3 (conservation officer);

(16) any individual in a position for which the United States Department of
Transportation has power to establish qualifications and maximum hours of service under
United States Code, title 49, section 31502;

(17) any individual employed as a seafarer. The term "seafarer" means a master
of a vessel or any person subject to the authority, direction, and control of the master
who is exempt from federal overtime standards under United States Code, title 29,
section 213(b)(6), including but not limited to pilots, sailors, engineers, radio operators,
firefighters, security guards, pursers, surgeons, cooks, and stewards;

(18) any individual employed by a county in a single-family residence owned by a
county home school as authorized under section 260B.060 if the residence is an extension
facility of that county home school, and if the individual as part of the employment duties
resides at the residence for the purpose of supervising children as defined by section
260C.007, subdivision 4; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(19) nuns, monks, priests, lay brothers, lay sisters, ministers, deacons, and other
members of religious orders who serve pursuant to their religious obligations in schools,
hospitals, and other nonprofit institutions operated by the church or religious order deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (20) any individual who renders service gratuitously for a farm as part of the young
farmer summer seminar and practicum program under section 136A.1285.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION; YOUNG FARMERS SUMMER SEMINAR.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2016 and $....... in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the young farmer
summer seminar and practicum program in this act.
new text end