SF0109

Creates the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund as a permanent trust fund with investment earnings designated for agricultural education, workforce development, and production agriculture initiatives in Wyoming.

• Establishes the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund as a permanent or perpetual trust fund to be invested by the state treasurer according to law, with investment earnings continuously appropriated for specified purposes. (W.S. 11-53-101(b), W.S. 11-53-101(c))
• Authorizes the committee to accept contributions, grants, gifts, transfers, bequests, and donations to the fund, which shall be used according to donor restrictions if any are imposed. (W.S. 11-53-101(d))
• Specifies eight eligible uses for fund earnings, including production agriculture programs at the University of Wyoming, workforce development, K-12 agricultural education, agriculture-focused high school classes with concurrent college credit, value-added agricultural projects, business education for agriculture, new technologies and practices, and other productivity and sustainability initiatives. (W.S. 11-53-101(e))
• Requires grants to be awarded to Wyoming government entities, educational institutions, or qualified public entities incorporated in Wyoming, with a matching requirement of at least one dollar of nonstate funds for every dollar of trust funds awarded. (W.S. 11-53-101(f))
• Mandates that grant recipients report to the committee at least annually on their use of awarded funds. (W.S. 11-53-101(f)(iii))
• Creates the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund Committee with nine members, including the agriculture department director, University of Wyoming agriculture dean, Wyoming Business Council CEO, community college commission representative, high school vocational educator representative, nonprofit agriculture education representative, and three production agriculture practitioners. (W.S. 11-53-102(a))
• Establishes committee duties including developing a grant application process, overseeing grant expenditure compliance, and reporting to the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee annually from October 2027 through October 2032.