Subdivision 1. Requirement; issuance; presumption. (a) A person must obtain a license from the commissioner before growing industrial hemp for commercial purposes. A person must apply to the commissioner in the form prescribed by the commissioner and must pay the annual registration and inspection fee established by the commissioner in accordance with section 16A.1285, subdivision 2. The license application must include the name and address of the applicant and the legal description of the land area or areas where industrial hemp will be grown by the applicant.

(b) When an applicant has paid the fee and completed the application process to the satisfaction of the commissioner, the commissioner must issue a license which is valid until December 31 of the year of application.

(c) A person licensed under this section is presumed to be growing industrial hemp for commercial purposes.

Subd. 2. Background check; data classification. The commissioner must require each first-time applicant for a license to submit to a background investigation conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as a condition of licensure. As part of the background investigation, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension must conduct criminal history checks of Minnesota records and is authorized to exchange fingerprints with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of a criminal background check of the national files. The cost of the investigation must be paid by the applicant. Criminal history records provided to the commissioner under this section must be treated as private data on individuals, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12.

Subd. 3. Federal requirements. The applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commissioner that the applicant has complied with all applicable federal requirements pertaining to the production, distribution, and sale of industrial hemp.

History: 1Sp2015 c 4 art 2 s 41