| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to agriculture; appropriating money for county agricultural inspector grants. |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 Section 1. APPROPRIATION; COUNTY AGRICULTURAL INSPECTOR GRANTS. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 (a) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for grants to counties to support |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7county agricultural inspectors. The commissioner of agriculture may use up to three percent |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8of the appropriation each year for administration. |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (b) To be eligible for grants under this section, a county must employ a county agricultural |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10inspector or a county-designated employee who: |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (1) has attended training for new county agricultural inspectors offered by the |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12commissioner of agriculture; |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13 (2) coordinates with the commissioner of agriculture to review applicable laws and |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14enforcement procedures; |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15 (3) compiles and submits to the commissioner of agriculture local weed inspector annual |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16report data; |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17 (4) conducts an annual meeting and training for local weed inspectors; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (5) assists the commissioner of agriculture with control programs and other agricultural |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19programs when requested under Minnesota Statutes, section 18.81, subdivision 1b, as |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20directed by the county board. |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 22 | 22 | | 25-02745 as introduced01/27/25 REVISOR BD/BM |
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| 23 | 23 | | SENATE |
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| 24 | 24 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
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| 25 | 25 | | S.F. No. 1831NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 26 | 26 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: KUPEC, Dahms, Putnam, Dornink and Gustafson) |
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| 27 | 27 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
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| 28 | 28 | | Introduction and first reading02/24/2025 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Referred to Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development 2.1 (c) County agricultural inspectors and county-designated employees must annually |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2.2submit an application, on a form approved by the commissioner of agriculture, to be eligible |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.3for funding during a given year. The commissioner of agriculture must equally divide |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.4available grant money among eligible counties. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 25-02745 as introduced01/27/25 REVISOR BD/BM |
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