A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to APPROPRIATE funds to the NORTH carolina community college system for the purpose of coordinating and promoting agribusiness job training and promotion programs and tourism job training programs.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Community College System the sum of three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) for the 2003-2004 fiscal year to be used to coordinate, promote, and maintain agribusiness job training and promotion programs and hospitality and tourism job training programs as follows:
(1)	$150,000 for the 2003-2004 fiscal year to fund the following positions and office support: one agribusiness job training and promotion coordinator with one clerical assistant and one hospitality and tourism job training coordinator with one clerical assistant.
(2)	$100,000 for the 2003-2004 fiscal year for grant monies to be distributed by the North Carolina Community College System to member institutions within the University System, Community College System, and Department of Public Instruction for promotion of approved agribusiness job training and promotion programs and approved hospitality and tourism job training programs and related activities.
(3)	$50,000 for the 2003-2004 fiscal year to fund three joint regional conferences to improve articulation between participating institutions within the three educational systems that offer agribusiness and/or hospitality and tourism programs and to establish an Internet listing of all related programs taught by the three systems, made available to the public through the offices of the agribusiness and hospitality and tourism coordinators.
(4)	$50,000 for the 2003-2004 fiscal year to promote agribusiness and hospitality and tourism internationally through the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the North Carolina Community College System.
SECTION 2.  The coordination and promotion of hospitality and tourism job training shall require the support and cooperation of The University of North Carolina System, North Carolina Community College System, and the Department of Public Instruction.  The program shall be considered a joint venture of the educational institutions that are participating members of the Culinary, Hospitality and Tourism Education Alliance (CHTEA), the Department of Commerce, and the travel and tourism industry.
SECTION 3.  The coordination and promotion of agribusiness job training and promotion programs shall require the support and cooperation of The University of North Carolina System, North Carolina Community College System, the Department of Public Instruction, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services working in conjunction with the North Carolina Agribusiness Council, Inc., with emphasis on exporting North Carolina agricultural and agribusiness products abroad.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.