Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF3077 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to agriculture; establishing a residency pilot program for certain racehorses;
3	3	1.3 requiring awards and grants; transferring money; appropriating money; proposing
4	4	1.4 coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 17.
5	5	1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
6	6	1.6 Section 1. [17.4595] THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSE RESIDENCY, AFTERCARE,
7	7	1.7AND BENEVOLENCE PILOT PROGRAM.
8	8	1.8 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
9	9	1.9the meanings given.
10	10	1.10 (b) "Account" means the thoroughbred racehorse pilot program account established in
11	11	1.11subdivision 7.
12	12	1.12 (c) "Racetrack" means a class A racetrack that primarily conducts thoroughbred and
13	13	1.13quarter horse racing and is licensed by the Minnesota Racing Commission under chapter
14	14	1.14240.
15	15	1.15 (d) "Racing day" and "racing season" have the meanings given in section 240.01.
16	16	1.16 Subd. 2.Establishment.The commissioner of agriculture must establish and administer
17	17	1.17a thoroughbred racehorse residency, aftercare, and benevolence pilot program to stimulate
18	18	1.18the state's agricultural and equine industries and support the mental health and education
19	19	1.19of racetrack stable workers and their local communities.
20	20	1.20 Subd. 3.Minnesota resident thoroughbred registry.(a) Beginning in calendar year
21	21	1.212025, the commissioner of agriculture must compile and maintain a voluntary registry of
22	22	1.22thoroughbred racehorses that resided at a racetrack for at least 120 days during the previous
23	23	1Section 1.
24	24	25-03972 as introduced02/17/25 REVISOR BD/RC
25	25	SENATE
26	26	STATE OF MINNESOTA
27	27	S.F. No. 3077NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
28	28	(SENATE AUTHORS: PRATT, Putnam and Lieske)
29	29	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
30	30	Introduction and first reading03/27/2025
31	31	Referred to Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development 2.1calendar year. Once registered under this subdivision, a thoroughbred racehorse's registration
32	32	2.2does not expire.
33	33	2.3 (b) No later than February 15 each year, the owner of a thoroughbred racehorse seeking
34	34	2.4initial registration under this section must apply to the commissioner of agriculture in the
35	35	2.5form required by the commissioner. Each applicant must pay a nonrefundable application
36	36	2.6fee of $100 and demonstrate to the commissioner's satisfaction that the thoroughbred
37	37	2.7racehorse satisfied the residency requirement under paragraph (a) during the previous
38	38	2.8calendar year. The commissioner must deposit application fees collected under this
39	39	2.9subdivision in the account.
40	40	2.10 Subd. 4.Residency awards.(a) In calendar years 2026 and 2027, by the end of each
41	41	2.11racing day, a racetrack must award $750 to the current owner of a thoroughbred racehorse
42	42	2.12registered under this section if the registered thoroughbred racehorse started a race at the
43	43	2.13racetrack that racing day.
44	44	2.14 (b) No later than November 15, 2026, and November 15, 2027, the commissioner of
45	45	2.15agriculture must fully reimburse a racetrack for each award issued under paragraph (a)
46	46	2.16during the previous racing season. A racetrack must apply to the commissioner for
47	47	2.17reimbursement in the form required by the commissioner.
48	48	2.18 Subd. 5.Repurposing grants.Beginning in calendar year 2026, the commissioner of
49	49	2.19agriculture must award grants to national thoroughbred accredited organizations,
50	50	2.20organizations approved by the Minnesota Racing Commission, and college and university
51	51	2.21equine programs based in this state to provide retraining or repurposing services for retired
52	52	2.22thoroughbred racehorses registered under this section.
53	53	2.23 Subd. 6.Mental health and education grants.Beginning in calendar year 2026, the
54	54	2.24commissioner of agriculture must award grants to organizations that develop or deliver
55	55	2.25mental health and educational services to the stable workers of a racetrack or to others in
56	56	2.26the racetrack's local community.
57	57	2.27 Subd. 7.Account; appropriation.(a) A thoroughbred racehorse pilot program account
58	58	2.28is established in the agricultural fund.
59	59	2.29 (b) Money in the account, including interest, is appropriated to the commissioner of
60	60	2.30agriculture for grants and residency awards under this section. Of the amount appropriated
61	61	2.31each year, the commissioner of agriculture must allocate at least $500,000 for repurposing
62	62	2.32grants under subdivision 5 and at least $500,000 for mental health and education grants
63	63	2.33under subdivision 6.
64	64	2Section 1.
65	65	25-03972 as introduced02/17/25 REVISOR BD/RC 3.1 (c) Application fee revenue collected by the commissioner of agriculture under
66	66	3.2subdivision 3 and deposited in the account is appropriated to the commissioner of agriculture
67	67	3.3for purposes of administering this section.
68	68	3.4 Subd. 8.Expiration.This section expires July 1, 2028.
69	69	3.5 Sec. 2. TRANSFER.
70	70	3.6 $7,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is transferred from the general fund to the thoroughbred
71	71	3.7racehorse pilot program account in the agricultural fund. This is a onetime transfer.
72	72	3Sec. 2.
73	73	25-03972 as introduced02/17/25 REVISOR BD/RC