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Committee lays over funding for farm mental‑health outreach and safety programs
Summary
The committee laid over House File 1702, a bill that would appropriate $100,000 in FY2026 and $100,000 in FY2027 to the Department of Agriculture for farm and rural mental health outreach and safety programs; an A1 amendment clarifying coverage for farm workers was adopted.
Chair Anderson presented House File 1702, which would appropriate $100,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $100,000 in fiscal year 2027 to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for outreach and support for farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers on mental health and farm safety.
Tom Peterson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, told the committee that the state has historically used the funding to support programs including tractor rollover protection outreach, grain‑bin safety and the Farm and Rural Helpline. Peterson said the department supports continued investment and noted that the program is not currently in the base budget or the governor’s budget.
Gail Donkers, a farmer who testified on behalf of the Minnesota Farmers Union, described using training provided through the MDA, including a SafeTALK workshop and COMET trainings, and said the farm helpline was an important, easily accessible resource she had used personally. Hunter Peterson of the Minnesota Farm Bureau also urged continued funding, saying farm safety grants and mental‑health outreach were critical supports for agricultural families and workers.
Representative Joel Hansen offered an A1 amendment to clarify that the programs covered by the appropriation apply to farm workers and employees; Representative Anderson accepted the amendment as friendly. The committee adopted the A1 amendment and laid the bill over for further consideration.
Ending: The committee laid House File 1702 over; members said continued funding supports proven outreach and safety work for agricultural communities.
