Ways and Means approves omnibus agriculture bill with broadband provisions, sends it to general register

The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee on April 16 adopted amendments and voted to send House File 2446, the omnibus agriculture and broadband appropriations bill, to the general register.

The committee approved three amendments — labeled A4, A6 and A5 — that nonpartisan staff described as technical or clarifying; the A5 amendment, offered by Chair Hansen, clarified that a broadband study grant would be awarded through a competitive request-for-proposals process. After adoption of the amendments, committee members voted by voice to place the bill on the general register.

The bill, presented by Chair Anderson and co-author Chair Hansen, carries a committee general‑fund target of $17 million and funds a mix of program increases, one‑time projects and transfers. Highlights identified by sponsors and nonpartisan analysts include full funding for the Board of Animal Health amid concerns about H5N1 avian influenza; prohibition in the bill on agency fee increases for areas such as food handler fees and grain inspection; $3,100,000 as a one‑time appropriation to assist the First District Association in Litchfield with dairy processing wastewater upgrades to meet MPCA requirements; increases for farm‑to‑school programs; continued E15 fuel expansion grants; and a new Biofertilizer Innovation and Efficiency Program that would pay producers roughly $5 to $10 per acre to use biologic products to reduce commercial nitrogen fertilizer application.

Nonpartisan fiscal staff outlined line‑by‑line changes in the agency operating budgets and program appropriations. Among the items called out: a $1.7 million per biennium increase for meat inspection; a $150,000 one‑time appropriation for restricted‑use pesticide plan updates; $2 million per biennium for local food purchasing assistance; AgriWorks and Agri Support competitive grant program appropriations; a $4,000,000 one‑time transfer to the agricultural emergency account; and a variety of smaller technical transfers and base adjustments across Department of Agriculture programs.

Representative Gomez raised concerns over a $3.1 million direct appropriation to the First District Association for the Litchfield wastewater work, asking why the allocation was not routed through a competitive grant process. Gomez said the appropriation was “a large chunk of money going to a private entity about which we know nothing.” Chair Anderson and Chair Hansen said the item resulted from negotiation and argued the facility serves producers across many counties and that the appropriation responds to an urgent regulatory compliance issue; nonpartisan counsel later noted agencies still must follow pre‑award financial risk assessment and grants‑management requirements under chapter 16B and may refuse to award funds if concerns arise.

Committee chairs said they made no policy changes in the bill beyond necessary fiscal language, and that the co‑chairs worked to split a fixed target between caucuses and to convert some previous direct appropriations into competitive grant programs. The committee’s motion permitting nonpartisan staff to make technical changes was granted prior to the voice vote that advanced the bill.

The committee record shows the amendments were adopted and the bill was passed out of Ways and Means by voice vote and placed on the general register; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Committee staff and chairs said they expect additional changes as the bill moves to conference with the Senate.