248.709 Duties of board. The board's duties shall include but not be limited to: (1) Administering the agricultural development fund, except as provided in KRS 248.717(2); (2) Receiving requests and applications for funds and authorizing the distribution of funds. The board may receive applications from institutions of public postsecondary education for financial and technical assistance in conducting alternative crop development research. The board shall assist the applicants in obtaining any necessary federal permits that may be required to conduct alternative crop research. A recipient institution shall report the status and progress of the alternative crop development research to the board, the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture, and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee. The board shall promulgate administrative regulations relating to growing and researching alternative crops at the selected postsecondary institution, and shall adopt any applicable federal regulations; (3) Developing guidelines and criteria for eligibility for and disbursement of funds, the types of direct and indirect economic assistance to be awarded, and procedures for applying for funds and reviewing applications for assistance; (4) Ensuring that each county agricultural development council's plans and county recommendations and applications receive major consideration in decisions on use of a county's funds; (5) Completing a comprehensive plan: (a) The comprehensive plan shall propose short-term and long-term goals, strategies, and investments in Kentucky agriculture that will assist farmers in remaining competitive in existing and new enterprises. The comprehensive plan shall identify a diversified mix of enterprises that are profitable to farmers and shall determine the investments necessary to support the viability of those enterprises. The plan shall be reviewed by the General Assembly and the subcommittee created in KRS 248.723. The subcommittee may issue comment on the plan. However, the board may act without General Assembly approval; (b) As soon as possible following enactment of KRS 248.701 to 248.727, a plan of action shall be devised the Commonwealth's farmers and tobacco impacted communities most adversely affected by tobacco losses. A set of priorities shall be established in the plan of action to implement and fund programs to meet those needs as soon as practical; and immediate needs of to meet the (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 546, immediate funding needs may be addressed and funded before a comprehensive or strategic plan is completed. Proposals from an applicant may be approved by the board if they meet the criteria established in KRS 248.713; (6) Preparing a biennial budget request in accordance with KRS Chapter 48; (7) Working with other governmental agencies to maximize the financial and economic impact that the programs implemented by the board will have and to maximize receipt of federal and other funds the agriculture community in the Commonwealth; to (8) Promulgating administrative regulations relating to carrying out the purposes of KRS 248.701 to 248.727; (9) Hiring a director to carry out the will of the board; (10) Ensuring the necessary mechanisms are in place for the committees created by KRS 248.715 to function effectively; (11) Contracting with other persons or entities if necessary to effectuate the board's purposes and functions; (12) Enacting bylaws concerning the conduct of the board's business and other administrative procedures as the board deems necessary; (13) Developing criteria to evaluate the success of the board's programs and expenditures to applicants. The criteria shall be simple, easily measured, and easily understood. Criteria should include number of families farming, increases in farm income attributable to state programs, the number of diversified operations, and the number of different types of diversified efforts within a county, including the efforts that have failed; (14) Providing reports of each meeting, along with expenditures approved or denied, within thirty (30) days of the meeting, to the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee created by KRS 248.723. These reports shall contain detailed information relating to each expenditure by the board and detailed information on each application for funding a project or initiative by the board and decision by the board regarding each proposal, except information that may violate confidentiality. This information shall be provided by electronic format as prescribed by the Legislative Research Commission; (15) Submitting an annual written report to the Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee, and the Legislative Research Commission regarding the administrative, financial, and programmatic activities of the board; and (16) Making recommendations to the General Assembly through the Legislative Research Commission on possible adjustments to the funding formula for county allocations and the percent allocated to counties as provided in KRS 248.703. Effective: July 15, 2010 History: Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 135, sec. 6, effective July 15, 2010. -- Created 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 530, sec. 5, effective April 26, 2000. 2018-2020 Budget Reference. See State/Executive Branch Budget, 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 169, Pt. I, A, 5, (3) at 1292. 2018-2020 Budget Reference. See State/Executive Branch Budget, 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 169, Pt. X, C, (3) at 1387.