38.02 AID, DISTRIBUTION.
    Subdivision 1. Pro rata distribution; conditions. (a) Money appropriated to aid county and
district agricultural societies and associations shall be distributed among all county and district
agricultural societies or associations in the state pro rata, upon condition that each of them has
complied with the conditions specified in paragraph (b).
(b) To be eligible to participate in the distribution of aid, each agricultural society or
association shall have:
(1) held an annual fair for each of the three years last past, unless prevented from doing so
because of a calamity or an epidemic declared by the Board of Health as defined in section
145A.02, subdivision 2, the state commissioner of health, or the Board of Animal Health to exist;
(2) an annual membership of 15 or more;
(3) paid out to exhibitors for premiums awarded at the last fair held a sum not less than the
amount to be received from the state;
(4) published and distributed, or made available on an Internet Web site, not less than three
weeks before the opening day of the fair a premium list, listing all items or articles on which
premiums are offered and the amounts of such premiums and shall have paid premiums pursuant
to the amount shown for each article or item to be exhibited; provided that premiums for school
exhibits may be advertised in the published premium list by reference to a school premium
list prepared and circulated during the preceding school year; and shall have collected all fees
charged for entering an exhibit at the time the entry was made and in accordance with schedule
of entry fees to be charged as published in the premium list;
(5) paid not more than one premium on each article or item exhibited, excluding
championship or sweepstake awards, and excluding the payment of open class premium awards
to 4H Club exhibits which at this same fair had won a first prize award in regular 4H Club
competition; and
(6) submitted to the commissioner of agriculture on or before the first day of November of
the year in which the fair was held its annual report of premiums paid.
(c) All payments authorized under the provisions of this chapter shall be made only upon
the presentation by the commissioner of agriculture with the commissioner of finance of a
statement of premium allocations. As used herein the term premium shall mean the cash award
paid to an exhibitor for the merit of an exhibit of livestock, livestock products, grains, fruits,
flowers, vegetables, articles of domestic science, handicrafts, hobbies, fine arts, other products
of a creative nature, and articles made by school pupils, or the cash award paid to the merit
winner of events such as 4H Club or Future Farmer contest, youth group contests, school spelling
contests and school current events contests, the award corresponding to the amount offered in
the advertised premium list referred to in schedule 2. Payments of awards for horse races, horse
pulls, tractor pulls, demolition derby, automobile or other racing, jackpot premiums, ball games,
musical contests, talent contests, parades, and for amusement features for which admission is
charged, are specifically excluded from consideration as premiums within the meaning of that
term as used herein. The amount shall be computed as follows: On the first $750 premiums
paid by each society or association at the last fair held, the society or association shall receive
100 percent reimbursement; on the second $750 premiums paid, 80 percent; on the third $750
premiums paid, 60 percent; and on any sum in excess of $2,250, 40 percent. The commissioner
of finance shall make payments not later than July 15 of the year following the calendar year in
which the annual fair was held to those agricultural societies or associations entitled to payments
under the provisions of this chapter.
(d) If the total amount of state aid to which the agricultural societies and associations are
entitled under the provisions of this chapter exceeds the amount of the appropriation, the amounts
to which the societies or associations are entitled shall be prorated so that the total payments by
the state will not exceed the appropriation.
    Subd. 1a. Premiums for certain livestock and livestock products. A livestock and livestock
product exhibit for which a premium may be paid pursuant to subdivision 1, paragraph 3, includes,
but is not limited to, livestock exhibited live on the association or society grounds and the carcass
of the same animal exhibited later at a place of slaughter off the association or society grounds.
    Subd. 2.[Repealed, 2004 c 254 s 49]
    Subd. 3. Entitlement for pro rata distribution. A county or district agricultural society
which has held its second annual fair is entitled to share pro rata in the distribution. Payments
shall be based on reports submitted by agricultural societies under subdivision 1, paragraph
(b), clause (6).
    Subd. 4. Poultry association or society; premiums aid. A poultry association or society that
receives aid in payment of premiums at exhibitions of poultry shall not receive an amount greater
than the annual premium paid to exhibitors by it and the amount of aid paid shall not in any case
exceed the sum of $150 to any one county. A society or association to be entitled to its distributive
share of aid to poultry associations shall file annually with the commissioner of agriculture by
the first day of April of each year a sworn statement signed by the president or secretary of the
association or society showing the amount of cash premiums paid during the year to exhibitors.
The amount to be distributed to the society or association from the aid appropriation shall be
based and determined upon the amount of cash premiums paid out as hereinbefore provided.
Except as herein provided, where there is more than one association in a county, the amount
allotted to the county, not exceeding $150, shall be distributed to the societies in equal amounts.
History: (7886) RL s 3098; 1911 c 381 s 6; 1913 c 425 s 1; 1915 c 243 s 1; 1919 c 138 s
1; 1921 c 452 s 1; 1923 c 301 s 1; 1925 c 47 s 1; 1929 c 211 s 1; 1937 c 352 s 2; 1947 c 493 s
1; 1949 c 508 s 1; 1951 c 446 s 1-4; 1953 c 69 s 1; 1955 c 618 s 2-4; 1963 c 195 s 1; 1963 c
408 s 2; 1967 c 513 s 1; 1973 c 492 s 14; 1976 c 163 s 4,5; 1976 c 239 s 14; 1977 c 121 s
2-4; 1977 c 305 s 45; 1983 c 300 s 22,23; 1984 c 654 art 3 s 30; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 309 s 24;
2003 c 128 art 3 s 35,36; 2004 c 254 s 6,7