North Carolina SB 1081: Constitutional Right to Farm.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA 
SESSION 2025 
S 2 
SENATE BILL 1081 
Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee Substitute Adopted 5/18/26 
 
Short Title: Constitutional Right to Farm. (Public) 
Sponsors:  
Referred to:  
May 18, 2026 
*S1081-v-2* 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 
AN  ACT  TO  AMEND  THE NORTH  CAROLINA  CONSTITUTION  TO  PROTECT  THE 2 
RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN FARMING AND FORESTRY. 3 
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4 
SECTION 1.  Article I of the North Carolina Constitution is amended by adding a 5 
new section to read: 6 
"Sec. 39. Right to engage in farming and forestry. 7 
The  right  of  the  people  to engage  in  the cultivation  of  crops,  the  raising  of  livestock  and 8 
poultry, the production of dairy and apiary products, the harvesting of timber, and other practices 9 
for the production of agricultural and forestry commodities is a valued and essential part of the 10 
State's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good, subject only to laws enacted 11 
by  the  General  Assembly  and  rules  adopted  pursuant  to  authority  granted  by  the  General 12 
Assembly." 13 
SECTION 2.  The amendment set out in Section 1 of this act shall be submitted to 14 
the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on November 3, 2026, 15 
which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing elections at that time. 16 
The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 17 
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 18 
Constitutional amendment protecting the right of the people to engage in farming and 19 
forestry." 20 
SECTION 3.  The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the referendum 21 
conducted under Section 2 of this act. If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 22 
the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, the Secretary of State shall enroll the amendment 23 
among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of votes cast on the question are against 24 
the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, the amendment shall have no effect. 25 
SECTION 4.  If the certification from the State Board of Elections under Section 3 26 
of this act reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment set 27 
out  in  Section  1  of  this  act,  the  amendment  set  out  in  Section  1  of  this  act  is  effective  upon 28 
certification. 29 
SECTION  5.  Except  as  otherwise  provided,  this  act  is  effective  when  it  becomes 30 
law. 31