MN HF3280

Commissioner must determine ineligibility of candidates for council member positions based on current or recent employment with or board service on commodity growers associations that have service contracts with the council.

Commissioner shall not place ineligible candidates on ballots for council member positions.

Each agricultural commodity council must post on its website annual reports, financial statements, promotional orders, contact information for members and employees, election information, meeting details, and previous meeting minutes.

Councils must obtain written commissioner approval before contracting with any person, firm, corporation, or association for market development, education, publicity, promotion, research, transportation, or advertising; violations can result in fines up to a specified percentage of previous fiscal year checkoff fee revenue.

Canola Council promotional order must be amended to allow checkoff fee refunds, and corn producers may request partial refunds with assignment of payment to the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.