North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S574 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 574
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS15249-MH-57
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Soil Health Task Force. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senator Murdock (Primary Sponsor).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 26, 2025~~
11		-	~~S574 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS15249 -MH-57
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO CREATE THE HEALTHY SOILS TASK FORCE. 2
14	15		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
15	16		SECTION 1.(a) Findings. – The General Assembly finds that healthy soils are a 4
16	17		limited natural resource and fundamental for healthy and sustainable food production. Improving 5
17	18		soil health means increasing soil's organic matter and diversifying its microbial activity to 6
18	19		enhance agricultural productivity and environmental resilience. 7
19	20		SECTION 1.(b) Additional findings. – The General Assembly finds further all of 8
20	21		the following: 9
21	22		(1) That North Carolina is a leading agricultural state with productive soils and 10
22	23		abundant water supplies, and therefore a commitment to maintain healthy and 11
23	24		productive soils and clean water is critical as population and food production 12
24	25		demands rise. However, much of the State's soil has been depleted of organic 13
25	26		matter and trace minerals, making the soil less fertile, requiring more inputs, 14
26	27		and resulting in a degradation of the soil structure that builds resilience and 15
27	28		helps to maintain clean water. 16
28	29		(2) There is a real and pressing opportunity for the state's farmers to capitalize on 17
29	30		the economic and production benefits of improved soil health, while 18
30	31		simultaneously improving surface and ground water quality. Improving the 19
31	32		health of the state's soil is the most effective way for agricultural producers to 20
32	33		increase crop and forage productivity and profitability while also protecting 21
33	34		the environment. 22
34	35		(3) Appropriate planning and coordination is needed to accelerate and coordinate 23
35	36		the adoption of conservation practices that: (i) rebuild and protect soil carbon 24
36	37		to increase water holding capacity and enhance the vitality of the subsurface 25
37	38		microbiome for landowners to capitalize on the economic and production 26
38	39		benefits of soil health; (ii) enhance water quality; (iii) capture carbon; (iv) 27
39	40		build resilience to drought and pests; (v) reduce grenhouse gas emissions; (vi) 28
40	41		expand pollinator and other wildlife habitats; and (vii) protect fragile 29
41	42		ecosystems for a more sustainable future. 30
42	43		SECTION 2. Chapter 139 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 31
43	44		Article to read: 32
44	45		"Article 7. 33
45	46		"Healthy Soils Task Force. 34
46		-	"§ 139-70. North Carolina Healthy Soils Task Force. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 574-First Edition
	47	+	"§ 139-70. North Carolina Healthy Soils Task Force. 35
	48	+	FILED SENATE
	49	+	Mar 25, 2025
	50	+	S.B. 574
	51	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRS15249-MH-57
48	53		(a) Task Force Established. – The North Carolina Healthy Soils Task Force (Task Force) 1
49	54		is established within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for budgetary 2
50	55		purposes only. 3
51	56		(b) Membership. – The Task Force shall consist of the chairs of the House and Senate 4
52	57		standing committees with responsibility for agriculture issues as nonvoting members and the 5
53	58		following 11 voting members: 6
54	59		(1) The Commissioner of Agriculture or the Commissioner's designee. 7
55	60		(2) The Chair of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission, or the Chair's 8
56	61		designee. 9
57	62		(3) The Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina 10
58	63		State University, or the Dean's designee. 11
59	64		(4) The Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North 12
60	65		Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, or the Dean's designee. 13
61	66		(5) The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Soil Health Institute, or the 14
62	67		President's designee. 15
63	68		(6) The President of the North Carolina Farm Bureau or the President's designee. 16
64	69		(7) The Executive Director of the North Carolina Composting Council or the 17
65	70		Executive Director's designee. 18
66	71		(8) Two members appointed by the Governor who are farmers primarily engaged 19
67	72		in the production of row crops. 20
68	73		(9) Two members appointed by the Governor who are farmers primarily engaged 21
69	74		in the production of specialty crops. 22
70	75		(c) Additional Requirements for Governor's Appointments. – Of the four members 23
71	76		appointed by the Governor under subsection (b) of this section, one shall be a farmer farming 24
72	77		less than 180 acres, and one a farmer farming between 180 and 500 acres. The Governor shall 25
73	78		also make best efforts to appoint members engaged in healthy soils practices, as defined by the 26
74	79		Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. 27
75	80		(d) Meetings and Quorum. – The Task Force shall meet quarterly and at other times at 28
76	81		the call of the chair. A majority of voting members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum. 29
77	82		(e) Terms and Vacancies. –Terms shall be for a period of two years. The members shall 30
78	83		elect a chair, who shall preside for the duration of the chair's term as a member. In the event a 31
79	84		vacancy occurs in the chair before the expiration of the chair's term, the members shall elect an 32
80	85		acting chair to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Vacancies in appointed members 33
81	86		will be filled by the Governor to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. 34
82	87		(f) Staff; Funding. – The Department of Agriculture shall provide staff to assist the Task 35
83	88		Force in its work. The Task Force may use funds allocated to it to contract with consultants and 36
84	89		other professionals to assist the Task Force in the completion of its duties, and may request 37
85	90		additional assistance from appropriate federal and state agencies or programs. 38
86	91		(g) Compensation. – Members of the Task Force, staff, and consultants shall receive 39
87	92		necessary travel and subsistence expenses while on official business of the Task Force in 40
88	93		accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-5 or G.S. 138-6, as applicable, paid from funds 41
89	94		allocated to support the work of the Task Force and within the limits of those funds. 42
90	95		"§ 139.71. Healthy Soils Task Force – duties. 43
91	96		The Task Force shall have the following duties: 44
92	97		(1) Develop a comprehensive healthy soils initiative for the State that will be 45
93	98		implemented in a manner that supports local economic growth. 46
94	99		(2) Develop a comprehensive action plan to coordinate efforts to carry out 47
95	100		healthy soils initiatives using standards for organic matter, biological activity, 48
96	101		biological diversity, and soil structure as measures to assess improved soil 49
97	102		health. The action plan shall include goals, timelines for task completion, and 50
98	103		a comprehensive assessment and listing of resources required and available 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 574-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS15249-MH-57 Page 3
100	105		resources. In developing the action plan, the Task Force shall examine all of 1
101	106		the following: 2
102	107		a. Issues related to providing farmers and ranchers with research, 3
103	108		education, technical assistance, and demonstration projects. 4
104	109		b. Options for financial incentives to improve soil health. 5
105	110		c. The contribution of livestock to soil health. 6
106	111		(3) Develop recommendations for the use of plants that preserve soil health. 7
107	112		(4) Identify realistic and achievable goals and timelines for improvement of soil 8
108	113		health in the State through voluntary partnerships among agricultural 9
109	114		producers and relevant state and local agencies and other public and private 10
110	115		entities. 11
111	116		(5) Identify actions and activities to increase the generation and use of compost 12
112	117		to increase soil health. 13
113	118		(6) Review provisions of the federal "Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018," 14
114	119		Pub. L. No. 115-334, and any implementing rules, regulations, and guidelines 15
115	120		of the United States Department of Agriculture and identify opportunities to 16
116	121		leverage state, local, or private funds under the Regional Conservation 17
117	122		Partnership Program of the United States Department of Agriculture and other 18
118	123		conservation programs for the purposes of the healthy soils initiative. The 19
119	124		Task Force shall include information obtained from the review in the report 20
120	125		required by G.S. 139-72(b). 21
121	126		"§ 139-72. Healthy Soils Task Force – Consultation; Report; Expiration. 22
122	127		(a) Consultation. –In carrying out the duties set forth in G.S.139-71, the Task Force may 23
123	128		consult with other agencies or organizations, including all of the following: 24
124	129		(1) The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State 25
125	130		University, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North 26
126	131		Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, NC State Extension, 27
127	132		and North Carolina A&T Cooperative Extension. 28
128	133		(2) The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, and 29
129	134		the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of 30
130	135		Agriculture. 31
131	136		(3) The Soil Health Institute. 32
132	137		(4) The Soil Health Partnership 33
133	138		(5) Any other state and federal agencies or public or private entities with 34
134	139		responsibility or expertise in research, demonstration, education, advising, 35
135	140		funding, or promotion relating to agronomic and other agricultural land 36
136	141		management practices consistent with the purpose of the Task Force. 37
137	142		(b) Report. – or before January 31, 2027, the Task Force shall submit the comprehensive 38
138	143		action plan and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the committees 39
139	144		of the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate responsible for 40
140	145		agricultural issues." 41
141	146		SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law, and expires on the earlier of 42
142	147		December 31, 2029 or the date of submission of final report of the Healthy Soils Task Force, as 43
143	148		created in G.S. 139-70, as enacted in Section 2 of this act. 44