AN ACT TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO PRODUCE PROGRAMMING FOR THE PUBLIC AFTER BEING NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE COVID‑19 PANDEMIC.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly finds that the COVID‑19 emergency has resulted in serious and substantial impacts on nonprofit community arts organizations across the State. These organizations find innovative ways to serve their local communities and build local economies, but nearly all lack the financial reserves to resume providing arts programming to their communities after utilizing available resources to withstand the impacts of the pandemic on their operations, events, and other programming. The General Assembly further finds that a financial allocation to these organizations is necessary for them to resume arts programming for the public and continue their many good works for the citizens of this State.

SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, North Carolina Arts Council, the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) for the 2021‑2022 fiscal year and the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to nonprofit arts organizations to use for expenses related to producing arts and cultural programming for the public.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.