The Minnesota House of Representatives has passed its omnibus agriculture and finance bill, legislation that will fund the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and other state programs and initiatives during the 2026-27 biennium.
Sponsored by Reps. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) and Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul), HF2446 passed the House last Thursday by a 130-3 vote. Its Senate companion, SF2458 is sponsored by Sen. Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud) and will be heard by the full Senate tomorrow. After its passage, legislative leaders will appoint a conference committee to iron out differences between the two bills. But before the conference committee can come to agreement, legislative leaders and the administration will need to agree to a global budget framework with spending levels for each budget area.
HF2446 would allocate $172.3 million to MDA and other ag programming during the 2026-27 biennium. That would be a $17 million increase in funding for agriculture compared to the 2024-25 biennium.