North Carolina Farm Act of 2015 (S.B. 513) Summary

• Increases horse industry assessment caps from $2.00 to $4.00 per ton of commercial horse feed and extends assessment duration from 3 to 10 years.

• Exempts H-2A agricultural worker compensation from state income tax withholding when not subject to federal withholding.

• Establishes state policy supporting sound science in agriculture, including science-based practices, technologies, and biological systems that improve productivity, food safety, and environmental stewardship.

• Modifies oversize vehicle permit regulations to allow movement of oversize vehicles between sunrise and sunset Monday through Sunday (with restrictions on 16-foot-wide mobile homes) and reduces holiday travel restrictions from full holiday periods to noon day-before through noon day-after for Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

• Provides multiple agricultural transportation and environmental regulatory reliefs including: allowances for hay bale transport up to 12 feet wide, increased speed limits for agricultural spreader vehicles from 35 to 45 mph, authorization for ATVs/utility vehicles in farming operations, expanded road weight limit exceptions for agricultural products, and exemptions for certain wetlands mitigation activities from sedimentation pollution control requirements.