S.F. No. 2741 Summary

• Appropriates $85.7 million (FY2024) and $77.4 million (FY2025) to the Department of Agriculture for protection services, agricultural marketing, research, and administration programs including soil health, livestock/crop damage compensation, and emerging farmer support.

• Establishes the Emerging Farmers Office to coordinate support for women, veterans, minorities, and other underrepresented farmers; creates beginning farmer equipment and infrastructure grant programs with preference for emerging farmers.

• Creates a grain indemnity account financed by producer premiums (up to 0.2% of grain sale proceeds) to compensate farmers for losses from grain buyer failures, with claim limits ranging from $250,000 to $750,000 depending on contract type and timing.

• Modifies nursery stock certification requirements by introducing "live plant dealer" terminology and adjusting fee schedules based on acreage and purchase volume; extends pollinator research account funding through 2027 and increases bee kill incident compensation caps to $10,000 per incident.

• Appropriates $163 million (FY2024) and $138 million (FY2025) to the Office of Broadband Development and border-to-border broadband fund for rural broadband infrastructure projects.