Prior agriculture provisions modification

A bill for an act

relating to agriculture; modifying prior agriculture provisions; appropriating money;

amending Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivisions 1, 2.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Total Appropriation

$

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58,957,000

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59,306,000

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$

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56,052,000

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56,072,000

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Appropriations by Fund

2026

2027

General

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58,558,000

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58,907,000

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55,653,000

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55,673,000

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Remediation

399,000

399,000

The amounts that may be spent for each

purpose are specified in the following

subdivisions. Notwithstanding Minnesota

Statutes, section
16B.98, subdivision 14
,

unless otherwise specified in this section, the

commissioner of agriculture may use up to 7.5

percent of money appropriated for costs

incurred to administer the Department of

Agriculture's grant and financial assistance

programs.

Sec. 2.

Laws 2025, chapter 34, article 1, section 2, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Protection Services

Appropriations by Fund

General

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20,828,000

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21,177,000

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21,207,000

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21,227,000

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Remediation

399,000

399,000

(a) $399,000 the first year and $399,000 the

second year are from the remediation fund for

administrative funding of the voluntary

cleanup program.

(b) $639,000 the first year and $639,000 the

second year are for the soil health financial

assistance program under Minnesota Statutes,

section
17.134
. The commissioner may award

no more than $50,000 of the appropriation

each year to a single recipient.

Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section

16B.98, subdivision 14
, the commissioner may

use up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for

costs incurred to administer the program. Any

unencumbered balance does not cancel at the

end of the first year and is available in the

second year. Appropriations encumbered

under contract on or before June 30, 2027, for

soil health financial assistance grants are

available until June 30, 2029.

(c)
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$275,000
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$485,000
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the first year and
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$250,000
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$270,000
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the second year are for

compensation for livestock destroyed or

crippled by a wolf under Minnesota Statutes,

section
3.737
. The first year appropriation may

be spent to compensate for livestock that were

destroyed or crippled during fiscal year 2025.

If the amount in the first year is insufficient,

the amount in the second year is available in

the first year. The commissioner may use up

to $5,000 each year to reimburse expenses

incurred by university extension educators to

provide fair market values of destroyed or

crippled livestock. If the commissioner

receives federal money to pay claims for

destroyed or crippled livestock, an equivalent

amount of this appropriation may be used to

reimburse nonlethal prevention methods

performed by federal wildlife services staff.

The base for this appropriation is $175,000 in

fiscal year 2028 and each year thereafter.

(d)
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$255,000
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$394,000
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the first year and

$230,000 the second year are for compensation

for crop or fence damage caused by elk under

Minnesota Statutes, section
3.7371
. If the

amount in the first year is insufficient, the

amount in the second year is available in the

first year. The commissioner may use up to

$10,000 of the appropriation each year to

reimburse expenses incurred by the

commissioner or the commissioner's approved

agent to investigate and resolve claims, as well

as for costs associated with training for

approved agents. The commissioner may use

up to $40,000 of the appropriation each year

for grants to producers for measures to protect

stored crops from elk damage. If the

commissioner determines that claims made

under Minnesota Statutes, section
3.737
or

3.7371
, are unusually high, amounts

appropriated for either program may be

transferred to the appropriation for the other

program. The base for this appropriation is

$155,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each year

thereafter.

(e) $825,000 the first year and $825,000 the

second year are to replace capital equipment

in the Department of Agriculture's analytical

laboratory.

(f) $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the

second year are for additional meat and poultry

inspection services. The commissioner is

encouraged to seek inspection waivers, match

federal money, and offer more online

inspections for the purposes of this paragraph.

This is a onetime appropriation.

(g) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the

second year are for grants to counties to

support county agricultural inspectors. The

commissioner may use up to three percent of

the appropriation each year for administration.

This is a onetime appropriation. County

agricultural inspectors and county-designated

employees must annually submit an

application, on a form approved by the

commissioner, to be eligible for funding

during a given year. The commissioner must

equally divide available grant money among

eligible counties. To be eligible for grants

under this section, a county must employ a

county agricultural inspector or a

county-designated employee who:

(1) has attended training for new county

agricultural inspectors offered by the

commissioner;

(2) coordinates with the commissioner to

review applicable laws and enforcement

procedures;

(3) compiles and submits to the commissioner

local weed inspector annual report data;

(4) conducts an annual meeting and training

for local weed inspectors; and

(5) assists the commissioner with control

programs and other agricultural programs

when requested under Minnesota Statutes,

section
18.81, subdivision 1b
, as directed by

the county board.

(h) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the

second year are appropriated to establish and

administer the biofertilizer innovation and

efficiency program under Minnesota Statutes,

section
18C.113
. The commissioner may use

up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for costs

incurred to administer the program.

Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section

16A.28
, any unencumbered balance at the end

of fiscal year 2026 does not cancel and is

available until June 30, 2027. This is a onetime

appropriation.

(j) $75,000 the first year is to conduct an

evaluation of the practice performance and

economic performance of the Olmsted County

groundwater protection and soil health

initiative, including the cover crop program,

alternative crops program, and haying,

grazing, and pasture enhancement program.

The evaluation must look at environmental

outcomes, include a cost-benefit analysis, and

be submitted to the chairs and ranking

minority members of the legislative

committees and divisions with jurisdiction

over agriculture policy and finance by June 1,

2027. The commissioner may contract with

an independent third party to conduct the

evaluation.

(k) $420,000 the first year and $924,000 the

second year are to support current services.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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