Bill > SF3083

This bill expands Minnesota's pesticide management and monitoring requirements to include pesticides from treated seeds, with a comprehensive approach to preventing and tracking potential contamination in groundwater, surface water, and air. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to develop an enhanced pesticide management plan that now explicitly includes pesticides from treated seeds, and broadens coordination efforts to include local governments, public health agencies, and other stakeholders. It establishes new provisions for monitoring and preventing contamination, including sampling private water wells and public waters with consent, and requires specific labeling for seeds treated with neonicotinoid pesticides that warns about potential impacts on pollinator health. The bill also creates a new program to regulate systemic pesticide-treated seeds, which will track the quantity and location of such seeds, ensure regulatory restrictions to protect human health and environmental ecosystems, and require formal verification of need before use. Additionally, the bill establishes a new account to fund research into non-chemical pest prevention alternatives and appropriates funding to support the development and implementation of these new pesticide management strategies. The goal is to provide more comprehensive oversight and understanding of pesticide-treated seeds' environmental and health impacts while promoting more sustainable agricultural practices.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3083&ssn=0&y=2025