A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to support the construction and operation of a new Field Honey Bee Laboratory for the north carolina state university Honey Bee Research program.
Whereas, honey bees are an essential component of North Carolina's $84 billion agriculture industry; and
Whereas, there are approximately 500 species of bees in North Carolina, with the honey bee designated as our State insect because of it being the primary managed pollinator species and workhorse for state agriculture; and
Whereas, the 2.5 million colonies of honey bees in the nation are only half the number of colonies that existed in 1950; and
Whereas, North Carolina lost over 50% of its honey bees last year and losses have been consistently above sustainable levels for over a decade; and
Whereas, farmers rely on bees to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide most of the world's fruits, vegetables, and nuts; and
Whereas, the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Honey Bee Research program is engaged in important research relating to the reproduction of honey bees, particularly queen bees; and
Whereas, NCSU is in desperate need of funding for a replacement facility for the Field Honey Bee Laboratory; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to be allocated to North Carolina State University (NCSU) (i) for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year, the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for equipment costs and construction of a new Field Honey Bee Laboratory for the NCSU Honey Bee Research program and (ii) for the 2020‑2021 fiscal year, the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) in recurring funds to support the operations of the Field Honey Bee Laboratory. These funds shall be used by the NCSU Honey Bee Research program to address the challenges posed by declining honey bee colonies.
SECTION 2.  To further support the operations of the NCSU Field Honey Bee Laboratory, the funds appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture for honey bee pest control shall be reduced by fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in recurring funds for the 2020‑2021 fiscal year. Instead, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors the sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in recurring funds for the 2020‑2021 fiscal year to be allocated to the entomology department at NCSU.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2019.