GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 244

Short Title:  Environmental Education Trust Fund.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Mitchell; Weatherly, Nichols, and Mosley.

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Referred to:  Appropriations.

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February 17, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRUST FUND TO ASSURE THE FUNDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THAT FUND, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMISSION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Part 4B of Article 7 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 143-285.26.  Environmental Education Trust Fund.
(a)	Fund Established. – There is established under the control and direction of the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the Environmental Education Trust Fund.  This Fund shall be a nonreverting fund consisting of any monies appropriated to it by the General Assembly or available to it from contributions or grants from public or private sources.  This Fund is a special trust fund and shall be credited with interest by the State Treasurer pursuant to  G.S. 147-69.2 and G.S. 147-69.3.  This Fund shall be used to finance grants and awards made under the provisions and for the purposes of this Part.
(b)	Report. – The Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources shall report annually no later than September 1 to the Environmental Review Commission as to the condition of the Environmental Education Trust Fund and as to the use of all funds allocated from the Environmental Education Trust Fund.”
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Environmental Education Trust Fund, created in Section 1 of this act, the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the purposes set forth in G.S. 143B-285.26, as enacted in Section 1 of this act.
Section 3.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective July 1, 1997.  The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.