1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to agriculture; establishing a beef cattle diagnostic team pilot project in 
1.3 	nine counties; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. BEEF CATTLE DIAGNOSTIC TEAM PILOT PROJECT; 
1.6 	APPROPRIATION.
 1.7 	$245,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture 
1.8 	for a contract with the Northland Community and Technical College for a pilot one-on-one 
1.9 	educational delivery team system to provide appropriate technologies to enhance the 
1.10 	financial success and long-term sustainability of beef cattle farms. The nine pilot 
1.11 	counties for the program are Beltrami, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, 
1.12 	Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau. The teams must consist of farm business 
1.13 	management instructors, beef cattle extension specialists, and beef industry partners to 
1.14 	deliver the informational and technological services. As a part of the pilot program, the 
1.15 	delivery teams shall coordinate animal identification and disease testing activities with 
1.16 	the Board of Animal Health and the University of Minnesota beef team. Delivery teams 
1.17 	established under this appropriation must provide quarterly reports to the commissioner on 
1.18 	the teams' activities and services provided to beef cattle farms in the pilot counties. Not 
1.19 	later than February 1, 2007, the commissioner shall provide a report on the progress and 
1.20 	effectiveness of the pilot program to the senate and house committees having jurisdiction 
1.21 	over agricultural policy and finance.