Create Agricultural Drought And Climate Resilience Office

The act creates in the department of agriculture the agricultural drought and climate resilience office (office). The office may provide voluntary technical assistance, nonregulatory programs, and incentives that increase the ability to anticipate, prepare for, mitigate, adapt to, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to drought or the climate. The commissioner of agriculture shall appoint the head of the office and may adopt rules necessary for the office's administration after convening a stakeholder group.

Except for a program or support administered by the office to address immediate needs as a result of disaster, including wildfire and drought, or a program that was in existence on January 1, 2021:

• A program administered by the office must be designed to benefit bona fide agricultural producers actively engaged in agriculture;
• Grants awarded by the office must pay for implementation of practices to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change or drought or to provide direct adaptation support for impacted agricultural communities; and
• Grants must receive final approval by the state agricultural commission before a final award can be issued.

The act:

• Annually transfers $500,000 from the severance tax operational fund to the agriculture value-added cash fund until July 1, 2029; and
• Appropriates $101,333 from that fund to the department of agriculture to implement the act.
  (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)