Soil health financial assistance program establishment

1.1 A bill for an act​ 1.2 relating to agriculture; establishing a soil health financial assistance program;​ 1.3 modifying a pilot program; appropriating money; amending Laws 2022, chapter​ 1.4 95, article 2, section 29; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,​ 1.5 chapter 17.​ 1.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​ 1.7 Section 1. [17.995] SOIL HEALTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.​ 1.8 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The commissioner must establish and administer a​ 1.9 program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance with this section.​ 1.10 Subd. 2. Eligible projects. The commissioner may award a grant under this section for​ 1.11 any project on agricultural land in Minnesota that will:​ 1.12 (1) increase the quantity of organic carbon in soil through practices, including but not​ 1.13 limited to reduced tillage, cover cropping, manure management, precision agriculture, crop​ 1.14 rotations, and changes in grazing management;​ 1.15 (2) integrate perennial vegetation into the management of agricultural lands;​ 1.16 (3) reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions through changes to livestock, soil​ 1.17 management, or nutrient optimization;​ 1.18 (4) increase the usage of precision agricultural practices;​ 1.19 (5) enable the development of site-specific management plans; or​ 1.20 (6) enable the purchase of equipment, parts and materials, technology, subscriptions,​ 1.21 technical assistance, seeds, seedlings, or amendments that will further any of the purposes​ 1.22 in clauses (1) to (5).​ 1​Section 1.​ 23-03010 as introduced​01/26/23 REVISOR BD/AK​ SENATE​ STATE OF MINNESOTA​ S.F. No. 1245​NINETY-THIRD SESSION​ (SENATE AUTHORS: GUSTAFSON, Dornink, Kupec, Anderson and Putnam)​ OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​ Introduction and first reading​02/06/2023​ Referred to Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development​ 2.1 Subd. 3. Grant eligibility. Any owner or lessee of farmland may apply for a grant under​ 2.2 this section. Local government units, including cities, towns, counties, soil and water​ 2.3 conservation districts, Tribal Nations, and joint powers boards, are also eligible for a grant.​ 2.4 A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment or technology must make those​ 2.5 purchases available for use by the public.​ 2.6 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2024.​ 2.7 Sec. 2. Laws 2022, chapter 95, article 2, section 29, is amended to read:​ 2.8 Sec. 29. SOIL HEALTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM HEALTHY​ 2.9 SOIL MANAGEMENT PLAN.​ 2.10 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The commissioner of agriculture must establish and​ 2.11 administer a pilot program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance with​ 2.12 this section.​ 2.13 Subd. 2. State healthy soil management plan. The commissioner must develop a​ 2.14 healthy soil management plan in consultation with the University of Minnesota, the United​ 2.15 States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Board of​ 2.16 Water and Soil Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and nongovernmental​ 2.17 environmental and agricultural organizations. By December 31, 2023, and December 31,​ 2.18 2024, the commissioner must report the plan to the governor and to the chairs and ranking​ 2.19 minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and divisions with​ 2.20 jurisdiction over agriculture, the environment, and natural resources. The plan must include​ 2.21 all of the following:​ 2.22 (1) an assessment of the current state of healthy soil management practices statewide;​ 2.23 (2) a statewide five- and ten-year goal for healthy soil management practice​ 2.24 implementation, denominated in acres;​ 2.25 (3) an explanation of how the commissioner will make grant award decisions based on​ 2.26 the eligibility categories described in subdivision 3;​ 2.27 (4) an explanation of how the commissioner will ensure a geographically fair distribution​ 2.28 of funding across a broad group of crop types, soil management practices, and farm sizes;​ 2.29 (5) a strategy for leveraging other public and private sources of money to expand healthy​ 2.30 soil management practices in the state;​ 2​Sec. 2.​ 23-03010 as introduced​01/26/23 REVISOR BD/AK​ 3.1 (6) a summary of the operations of the program, including a summary of state, federal,​ 3.2 and private money spent, the total number of projects and acres, and an estimate of carbon​ 3.3 sequestered or carbon emissions reduced during that period; and​ 3.4 (7) any other matter that the commissioner deems relevant.​ 3.5 Subd. 3. Eligible projects. The commissioner may award a grant under this section for​ 3.6 any project on agricultural land in Minnesota that will:​ 3.7 (1) increase the quantity of organic carbon in soil through practices, including but not​ 3.8 limited to reduced tillage, cover cropping, manure management, precision agriculture, crop​ 3.9 rotations, and changes in grazing management;​ 3.10 (2) integrate perennial vegetation into the management of agricultural lands;​ 3.11 (3) reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions through changes to livestock, soil​ 3.12 management, or nutrient optimization;​ 3.13 (4) increase the usage of precision agricultural practices;​ 3.14 (5) enable the development of site-specific management plans; or​ 3.15 (6) enable the purchase of equipment, parts and materials, technology, subscriptions,​ 3.16 technical assistance, seeds, seedlings, or amendments that will further any of the purposes​ 3.17 in clauses (1) to (5).​ 3.18 Subd. 4. Grant eligibility. Any owner or lessee of farmland may apply for a grant under​ 3.19 this section. Local government units, including cities, towns, counties, soil and water​ 3.20 conservation districts, Tribal nations, and joint powers boards, are also eligible for a grant.​ 3.21 A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment or technology must make those​ 3.22 purchases available for use by the public.​ 3.23 Subd. 5. Funding limitations. Every appropriation for the soil health financial assistance​ 3.24 pilot program is subject to the following limitations:​ 3.25 (1) the commissioner may award no more than ten percent of the appropriation to a​ 3.26 single recipient; and​ 3.27 (2) the commissioner may use no more than five percent of the appropriation to cover​ 3.28 the costs of administering the program.​ 3.29 Subd. 6. Expiration. This section expires June 30 December 31, 2024.​ 3.30 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2024.​ 3​Sec. 2.​ 23-03010 as introduced​01/26/23 REVISOR BD/AK​ 4.1 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.​ 4.2 $....... in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of​ 4.3 agriculture for purposes of the soil health financial assistance program. The commissioner​ 4.4 may award no more than ten percent of the appropriation to a single recipient. The​ 4.5 commissioner may use up to five percent of the appropriation for administration. This is a​ 4.6 onetime appropriation.​ 4​Sec. 3.​ 23-03010 as introduced​01/26/23 REVISOR BD/AK​