1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to economic development; providing for a 
  1.3             grant program to promote modernization of dairy 
  1.4             equipment; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes, chapter 116J.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [116J.407] [DAIRY MODERNIZATION GRANTS.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [GENERALLY.] The commissioner shall make 
  1.9   funds available to eligible regional or statewide development 
  1.10  organizations defined under section 116J.8731 to be used for the 
  1.11  purposes of this section. 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES.] Grant funds may be used 
  1.13  for the acquisition, construction, or improvement of buildings 
  1.14  or facilities, or the acquisition of equipment, for dairy animal 
  1.15  housing, confinement, animal feeding, milk production, and waste 
  1.16  management, including the following, if related to dairy animals:
  1.17     (1) freestall barns; 
  1.18     (2) fences; 
  1.19     (3) watering facilities; 
  1.20     (4) feed storage and handling equipment; 
  1.21     (5) milking parlors; 
  1.22     (6) robotic equipment; 
  1.23     (7) scales; 
  1.24     (8) milk storage and cooling facilities; 
  1.25     (9) bulk tanks; 
  2.1      (10) manure pumping and storage facilities; 
  2.2      (11) digesters; and 
  2.3      (12) equipment used to produce energy. 
  2.4      Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] The commissioner of 
  2.5   agriculture and the commissioner of employment and economic 
  2.6   development shall establish a process by which an eligible dairy 
  2.7   producer may make application for assistance under this section 
  2.8   to the county in which the producer is located.  The application 
  2.9   must require the producer and county to provide information 
  2.10  regarding the producer's existing business, the intended use of 
  2.11  the requested funds, and other information the commissioners 
  2.12  find necessary to evaluate the feasibility, likely success, and 
  2.13  economic return of the project, and to ensure that grant funds 
  2.14  can be provided consistent with other state and federal laws.