Soil Health Task Force.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 574

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