3-109.04. Agriculture and water innovation fund pilot program; fund; grants; requirements; annual report; definitions

(Rpld. 1/1/29)

A. The agriculture and water innovation fund pilot program is established to provide grants and collect data for water-focused innovation in agriculture. The department shall administer the pilot program.

B. The agriculture and water innovation fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations, grants from federal agencies and monies appropriated by any other lawful source. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.  The department shall administer the fund and may use not more than ten percent of the monies in the fund annually for the costs of administering the fund and the agriculture and water innovation fund pilot program.

C. The department may grant monies from the fund to qualified applicants to acquire or contract for implementing innovative technology that improves water use efficiency by improving soil health.

D. As a condition of the grant, the department shall require the qualified applicant to:

1. Certify the installation of the new innovative technology.

2. Report on the individual fields that receive the benefit of the grant monies to demonstrate increased water use efficiency on the affected fields.

E. On or before December 31 of each year, the department shall submit a written report to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives describing the activities of the department for the preceding fiscal year related to the agriculture and water innovation fund and shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state.  The report shall include an accounting of expenditures from the fund and how the monies were used to improve water efficiency and soil health.

F. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Innovative technology" means products or services that improve water use efficiency by improving soil health in agriculture without requiring nonnative soil amendments or improvements to irrigation infrastructure.

2. "Qualified applicant" means either of the following:

(a) An agricultural landowner, beneficial owner of trust land or lessee of agricultural land that has actively farmed the land or committed the land to intentional water conservation in three of the five calendar years immediately preceding the date of the application.

(b) An irrigation district established pursuant to title 48, chapter 19 that applies for the benefit of members of the irrigation district.