NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1008

SENATE BILL 327

 

 

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THIS PROGRAM.

 

Whereas, North Carolina is a State of strong local communities; and

Whereas, these communities have demonstrated their concern for the quality of life in this State by organizing 75 arts councils and 600 other arts groups whose programs have contributed greatly to the well-being of our people; and

Whereas, these communities have raised considerable private funds but are still not able to meet the growing needs of the people of this State; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  The Department of Cultural Resources shall establish a program to be known as the Grassroots Arts Program, by which funds shall be distributed among the counties of this State for the purpose of assisting the counties in the development of community arts programs. The Grassroots Arts Program shall be established within the "Community Art Development Section" (North Carolina Arts Council) of the Division of the Arts.

Sec. 2.  Funds available under the Grassroots Arts Program shall be distributed among the counties on a per capita basis.

Sec. 3.  The Department of Cultural Resources shall be authorized to adopt rules and procedures necessary to implement this program and shall adopt standards which must be met by organizations within the counties in order to qualify for funds under the Grassroots Arts Program. The standards adopted shall include, but not be limited to the following:

(1)        The organization must show that it exists primarily to aid the arts and that it aids the arts in all its forms including the performing, visual and literary.

(2)        The organization must show that its programs are open to the entire community.

(3)        The organization must show that it is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation, governed by a citizen board which is not self-perpetuating, and that it has been in existence and active for at least one full year.

(4)        The organization must show that it can match funds available under the Grassroots Arts Program with public or private funds from within the county in which it is located at a ratio of one-to-one.

Sec. 4.  Guided by the standards set out in Section 3 of this act, the board of county commissioners of each county shall designate to the Department of Cultural Resources an organization to serve as its distributing agent for Grassroots Arts Program funds. Upon the approval of the Department of Cultural Resources, the designated organization shall become the official distributing agent for that county and shall remain so until such time as it no longer meets the necessary standards. To receive its per capita funds, the official distributing agent must annually submit to the Department of Cultural Resources for its approval a plan for the expenditure of the funds allotted to that county and must account for the funds after they have been expended. Funds may be used for programming, administrative and operating expenses, and should assist in the total development of the arts within that county.

Sec. 5.  Funds for counties without organizations which meet the necessary standards set by the Department of Cultural Resources shall be retained by the department and used for arts programming within these counties. Where feasible, the department shall maintain the same per capita rate for the distribution of funds to these counties and shall require the same matching ratio. No State funds appropriated for the programs set forth in this act shall be used to pay for personnel positions.

Sec. 6.  To implement this program, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Cultural Resources the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for fiscal year 1977-78 and the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for fiscal year 1978-79. No more than five percent (5%) of the funds appropriated herein shall be used for the costs of administration of the Grassroots Arts Program.

Sec. 7.  This act shall become effective on July 1, 1977.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1977.