A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to expand entrepreneurship as a vital economic development strategy in north carolina by appropriating funds to the rural economic development center, INc., to provide training to local leaders, grants to local governments in rural areas, and coordination of statewide entrepreneurship efforts.
Whereas, North Carolina is a state of small businesses with 95% of the state's 220,000 establishments employing fewer than 50 people, and 75% employing fewer than 10 employees; and
Whereas, small businesses in rural North Carolina provide jobs for over 600,000 people; and
Whereas, entrepreneurship is recognized as a vital part of local and regional economies, especially in rural areas; and
Whereas, since 2004, the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship has trained over 150 rural leaders in "Energizing Entrepreneurship" in their communities and conducted demonstrations of support systems for entrepreneurs in rural regions; and
Whereas, State‑funded organizations that help entrepreneurs have organized the North Carolina Business Resource Alliance, coordinating efforts since its initial convening by the Rural Center in late 2003, but with no administrative support; and
Whereas, the Rural Center and the Business Resource Alliance have held two successful Entrepreneurship Summits in 2006 and 2007, with the expectation for the summit to become an annual event that brings together rural and urban entrepreneurship leaders to discuss actions for improving the State's entrepreneurial climate; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated to the Rural Economic Development Center, Inc., the sum of three hundred seventy thousand five hundred dollars ($370,500) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the sum of five hundred forty‑nine thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($549,250) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to be used as follows:
(1)	To continue Energizing Entrepreneurship and other entrepreneurship training and strategy development sessions for community and elected leaders.
(2)	To provide competitive grants to fund entrepreneurship director positions in distressed communities or multicounty regions.
(3)	To expand and improve coordination of the Business Resource Alliance, including, but not limited to, Web‑based tracking of the impact of entrepreneurial support activities.
(4)	To plan and deliver North Carolina Entrepreneurship Summits in 2008 and 2009.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.