1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; allowing alternative uses for 
  1.3             certain feedlot penalty orders; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 116.072, subdivision 
  1.5             13. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.8   116.072, subdivision 13, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 13.  [FEEDLOT ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY ORDERS.] (a) 
  1.10  Prior to the commissioner proposing an administrative penalty 
  1.11  order to a feedlot operator for a violation of feedlot laws or 
  1.12  rules, the agency staff who will determine if a penalty is 
  1.13  appropriate and who will determine the size of the penalty shall 
  1.14  offer to meet with the feedlot operator to discuss the 
  1.15  violation, and to allow the feedlot operator to present any 
  1.16  information that may affect any agency decisions on the 
  1.17  administrative penalty order. 
  1.18     (b) Notwithstanding subdivision 5, for serious feedlot law 
  1.19  or rule violations for which an administrative penalty order is 
  1.20  issued under this section, not less than 75 percent of the 
  1.21  penalty may must be forgiven if: 
  1.22     (1) the abated penalty is used for approved measures to 
  1.23  mitigate the violation for which the administrative penalty 
  1.24  order was issued or for environmental improvements to the farm; 
  1.25  and 
  2.1      (2) the commissioner determines that the violation has been 
  2.2   corrected or that appropriate steps are being taken to correct 
  2.3   the action. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.5      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.