Section 1.

Sets forth the General Assembly’s findings pertaining to healthy soils, including that they are a limited natural resource and fundamental for healthy and sustainable food production. Improving soil health means increasing soil's organic matter and diversifying its microbial activity to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental resilience. 

Section 2.

Enacts Article 7, the Healthy Soils Task Force (Task Force), in GS Chapter 139. Establishes a 13-member Task Force within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) for budgetary purposes only in GS 139-70. Provides for eleven voting members, appointed as specified. Directs that the chairs of the House and Senate standing committees with responsibility for agriculture issues are nonvoting members of the Task Force. Provides additional requirements for the members appointed by the government, including that one be a farmer farming less than 180 acres and another be a farmer farming between 180 and 500 acres. Provides for quarterly meetings, quorum, terms and vacancies, staff from DACS to assist the Task Force in its work, and reimbursement of the Task Force and its staff for travel and subsistence expenses as specified. Sets forth six duties of the Task Force in GS 139-71 including: (1) developing a comprehensive healthy soils initiative for the state that will be implemented in a manner that supports local economic growth; (2) developing a comprehensive action plan to coordinate efforts to carry out healthy soils initiatives using standards for organic matter, biological activity, biological diversity, and soil structure as measures to assess improved soil health; (3) developing recommendations for the use of plants that preserve soil health; and (4) identifying opportunities to leverage state, local, or private funds under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of the United States Department of Agriculture and other conservation programs for the purposes of the healthy soils initiative. Authorizes, in GS 139-72, the Task Force to consult with other agencies or organizations in carrying out its duties including the five specified entities. Directs the Task Force to submit the comprehensive action plan and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the specified NCGA committees on or before January 31, 2027. Specifies that the act expires on the earlier of December 31, 2029, or the date of submission of the final report of the Task Force.