The bill establishes a budget for various agricultural and broadband development agencies in Minnesota, including the Department of Agriculture and the Board of Animal Health, with appropriations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It allocates significant funding for programs such as soil health financial assistance, livestock compensation, crop damage compensation, and meat processing support, including $20,082,000 each year for the agricultural growth, research, and innovation program. The bill also emphasizes mental health outreach for agricultural professionals and includes provisions for grants to support county agricultural inspectors and enhance meat and poultry inspection services.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new Biofertilizer Innovation and Efficiency Program to incentivize improved nitrogen management among farmers and mandates biennial reviews of its effectiveness. It amends existing statutes to enhance eligibility criteria for advanced biofuel production facilities and outlines requirements for county agricultural inspectors to qualify for grants. In terms of telecommunications infrastructure, the bill revises installation requirements by removing the necessity for two safety-qualified installers during directional drilling and reduces certification instructional hours from 40 to 10, while maintaining a four-hour refresher course requirement every three years. The effective date for these changes is set for the day following final enactment.

Statutes affected:
1st Engrossment: 17.133, 18C.005, 41A.16, 326B.198