A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to make a change to the membership of the north carolina agricultural development and farmland preservation trust fund advisory committee, and to make technical changes.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 106‑744(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	There is established a "North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" to be administered by the Commissioner of Agriculture. The Trust Fund shall consist of all monies received for the purpose of purchasing agricultural conservation easements or funding programs that promote the development and sustainability of farming and assist in the transition of existing farms to new farm families, or monies transferred from counties or private sources. The Trust Fund shall be invested as provided in G.S. 147‑69.2 and G.S. 147‑69.3. The Commissioner shall use Trust Fund monies for any of the following purposes:
(1)	For the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, including transaction costs.
(2)	For the costs of public and private enterprise programs that will promote profitable and sustainable family farms through assistance to farmers in developing and implementing plans for the production of food, fiber, and value‑added products, agritourism activities, marketing and sales of agricultural products produced on the farm, and other agriculturally related business activities.
(3)	To fund conservation agreements to bring into or maintain farmland in active production of food, fiber, and other agricultural products.
(4)	For the costs of administering the program under this Article, including the cost of staff and staff support."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 106‑744(c1) reads as rewritten:
"(c1)	The Commissioner shall distribute Trust Fund monies for only the purposes under subsection (c) of this section, including transaction costs, as follows:
(1)	To a private nonprofit conservation organization that matches thirty percent (30%) of the Trust Fund monies it receives with funds from sources other than the Trust Fund.
(2)	To counties according to the match requirements under subsection (c2) of this section."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 106‑744(g)(11) reads as rewritten:
"(11)	The Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA or the Executive Director's designee."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and the change in membership of the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund Advisory Committee under G.S. 106‑744, as amended by Section 3 of this act, shall occur prior to the next quarterly meeting of the Advisory Committee that occurs on or after that date.