Section 1. new text begin MEAT CUTTING GRANTS; APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin (a) $375,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of agriculture to provide grants to secondary career and technical education programs for
the purpose of offering instruction in meat cutting and butchery. This is a onetime
appropriation. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, any unencumbered
balance does not cancel at the end of fiscal year 2024 and is available in fiscal year 2025.
Grants may be used for costs, including but not limited to:
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new text begin (1) equipment required for a meat cutting program;
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new text begin (2) facility renovation to accommodate meat cutting; and
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new text begin (3) training faculty to teach the fundamentals of meat processing.
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new text begin (b) A grant recipient may be awarded a grant of up to $75,000 and may use up to ten
percent of the grant for faculty training.
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new text begin (c) Priority may be given to applicants who are coordinating with meat cutting and
butchery programs at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions or with local
industry partners.
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new text begin (d) By January 15, 2025, the commissioner must report to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance and
education finance by listing the grants made under this paragraph by county and noting the
number and amount of grant requests not fulfilled. The report may include additional
information as determined by the commissioner, including but not limited to information
regarding the outcomes produced by these grants. If additional grants are awarded under
this section that were not covered in the report due by January 15, 2025, the commissioner
must submit an additional report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance and education finance regarding all
grants issued under this paragraph by November 1, 2025.
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