St. Paul – Today the Minnesota Senate passed the Agriculture budget bill to support agriculture, rural development, and rural COVID-19 recovery. The comprehensive legislation is focused on helping Minnesota farmers while spurring innovation in the agriculture industry and provides resources for broadband expansion throughout the state.

“The bill provides much needed investments and broadband expansion that will allow our rural communities to thrive,” said Duckworth. “We can’t forget about our Minnesotans that live in rural areas. By prioritizing the needs of those who live outside the Twins Cities we’re showing that we value the needs of ALL Minnesotans.”

The legislation helps our agricultural community recover from the pandemic by strengthening our Ag sector supply chains and invests in helping more meat processing facilities expand and grow. Ultimately these investments will provide more jobs, improve our processing efficiency, and provide more purchasing options for consumers. The Senate Agriculture Budget gives historic funding to the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant program at $40 million over the next two fiscal years. This funding will develop permanent broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. Additionally, Senator Duckworth’s Senate File 1536, which requires the Office of Broadband to include fixed wireless services in their annual mapping that reflects all broadband delivery options, is included in the legislation.

Furthermore, the bill provides a $3.5 million grant to improve biofuel infrastructure by allowing gas stations to sell higher blends of biofuels. This investment helps Minnesota continue to lead the nation in pioneering clean homegrown fuels, like E-15. Additionally, the budget includes grants for farm safety equipment and allows the creation of a grain storage facility safety curriculum. Mental health outreach on farms and additional mental health services are also included, which continues funding for the existing 24-hour crisis hotline.