House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Removes defined proposed new terms insect-protein food product, manufactured-protein food product, and plant-protein food product from GS 106-549.15 and GS 106-549.51. Modifies definition of qualifying term in those statutes to now mean a word, compound word, or phrase that would clearly disclose to a reasonable purchaser of meat food products that a food product is a cell-cultured meat product; this includes the following terms: "cell-cultured," "fake," "lab-grown," or "grown in a lab" (was, a word, compound word, or phrase that would clearly disclose to a reasonable purchaser of meat products that a food product is not a meat product; included the terms "cell-cultured," "fake," "grown in a lab," "insect," "insect-based," "insect-protein," “lab-created," "lab-grown," "meat free," "meatless," "plant," "plant-based," "vegan," "vegetable," "vegetarian," or "veggie.") Replaces references to “manufactured-protein food products” in GS 106-549.28A (labeling of manufactured-protein food products) and GS 106-549.55 (labeling standards), including in statutes’ titles, to “cell-cultured food products.”

Amends GS 115C-12 requiring the State Board of Education to prohibit public schools from purchasing cell-cultured food products (was, purchase of a food product that is misbranded as a meat or poultry product as prohibited in Articles 48B and 49D of GS Chapter 106 or is a cell-cultured food product). Amends the ban in the same way for local boards of education (GS 115C-264.6), charter schools (GS 115C-218.75), regional schools (GS 115C-238.66), laboratory schools (GS 116-239.8), State Board of Community Colleges (GS 115D-20) and the UNC constituent institutions (GS 116-43.26). Effective October 1, 2025, and applies beginning with the 2026-27 school and academic years.

Removes proposed new Article 5K of GS Chapter 105, concerning the animal agriculture and analogues environmental investment assessment.

Adds the following new content.

Creates the Western North Carolina Farm Relief Fund (Fund) in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Department), and requires the Department to award grants from the Fund to farms located in the affected area with verifiable crop losses or damage to farm infrastructure due to Hurricane Helene to assist with six listed priority areas, including reshaping and protecting eroded banks, repairing damaged levees and structures, and repair conservation practices. Requires the Department to work with the North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation (Foundation) to develop a plan by which retailers may voluntarily offer consumers the option to round up the amount of their purchase or make a greater contribution, to the Fund. Expires June 30, 2030. Requires any funds remaining in the Fund on that date to revert to the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund.

Appropriates $1.5 million for 2025-26 from the General Fund to the Department for the Department, in consultation with NC State, NC A&T State University, and NC Cooperative Extension, in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to map damage to agricultural and forestry operations in Western NC using drone and satellite date to determine the efficiency of the State’s response to Hurricane Helene. Requires the baseline data to be established as soon as possible in 2025-26. Requires the baseline data to be compared to data collected as soon as possible after the beginning of 2026-27. Requires the Department to report to the specified NCGA committee by February 1, 2027. Specifies that these funds remain available for purposes consistent with this act until the project is complete.

Amends the act’s long title.