Hunter-harvested venison donation program modified.

Plain English Breakdown

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Changes to Deer Meat Donation Program

This law changes rules for hunters who want to donate deer meat they have hunted to food banks and other charities.

What This Bill Does

• Allows hunters to give deer meat they legally hunt to licensed meat processors for distribution to charitable food assistance programs.
• Requires hunters to provide the processor with their DNR number when donating a deer.
• Specifies that hunters must give the entire deer carcass, including the hide, to the processor.
• Permits processors to keep and process some of the deer for the hunter if the hunter pays for it.

Who It Names or Affects

• Hunters who want to donate deer meat they have hunted.
• Licensed meat processors who handle donated deer meat.
• Charitable food assistance programs that receive the donated venison.

Terms To Know

DNR number

A unique identification number given by the Department of Natural Resources to hunters and other individuals involved in hunting activities.

Charitable food assistance programs

Organizations that provide food aid to people in need, such as food banks or soup kitchens.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the donated deer meat will be distributed.
• It is unclear what happens if a hunter cannot afford to pay for any portion of the deer they want processed by the processor.

Official Summary Text

Hunter-harvested venison donation program modified.

Current Bill Text

A bill for an act

relating to game and fish; modifying hunter-harvested venison donation program;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97B.303.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97B.303, is amended to read:

97B.303 VENISON DONATIONS.

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(a)
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An individual who legally takes a deer may donate the deer, for distribution to

charitable food assistance programs, to a meat processor that is licensed under chapter 28A.

An individual donating a deer must supply the processor with the licensee's DNR number

under which the deer was taken.

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(b) An individual must supply the processor with the entire deer carcass with the hide

attached.

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(c) The processor may process a portion of the deer carcass for the donator's use if the

donator requests a portion and the donator pays the cost to process the portion that the

donator requests.

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