Senate Bill 665 - Omnibus Rural Investment Act

• Appropriates $200,000 in recurring funds annually for fiscal years 2019-2021 from the Highway Fund to provide mobile DMV services in tier one counties without fixed DMV offices.

• Directs the Department of Information Technology to develop a comprehensive State broadband plan by May 1, 2020, addressing access, affordability, deployment status, and applications in healthcare, education, economic development, and public safety.

• Modifies the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund allocation to implement tiered matching requirements for local park projects, reducing local match requirements from 50% to 10-25% in tier one counties for land acquisition and site improvements.

• Grants the Windsor Township Development Commission authority to acquire property and incur debt for constructing affordable rental housing for teachers and employees in Bertie County, with $340,000 appropriated for a pilot program reimbursing school districts for locally sourced farm products.

• Appropriates $1,500,000 to the Golden L.E.A.F. Foundation for grants funding public-private partnerships providing water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure to underserved rural counties; bill becomes effective July 1, 2019.