Subdivision 1. Reimbursement. A meat processor holding a license under chapter 28A may apply to the commissioner of agriculture for reimbursement of $150 towards the processor's reasonable and documented cost of processing donated deer, as determined by the commissioner within the limits of available funding. The meat processor shall deliver the deer, processed into cuts or ground meat, to a charitable organization that is registered under chapter 309 and with the commissioner of agriculture and that operates a food assistance program. To request reimbursement, the processor shall submit an application, on a form prescribed by the commissioner of agriculture, the tag number under which the deer was taken, and a receipt for the deer from the charitable organization.

Subd. 2. Distribution. (a) The commissioner of agriculture shall ensure the equitable statewide distribution of processed deer by requiring the charitable organization to allocate and distribute processed deer according to the allocation formula used in the distribution of United States Department of Agriculture commodities under the federal emergency food assistance program. The charitable organization must submit quarterly reports to the commissioner on forms prescribed by the commissioner. The reports must include, but are not limited to, information on the amount of processed deer received and the organizations to which the meat was distributed.

(b) The commissioner of agriculture may adopt rules to implement this section.

History: 2007 c 57 art 1 s 13; 1Sp2019 c 4 art 3 s 2