Sen. Barnes files bill in North Carolina Senate to amend agricultural laws

A new bill filed by State Sen. Barnes seeks to update agricultural water resource plans and improve management of agricultural impacts and enforcement in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 639 on March 25 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘North Carolina Farm Act of 2025.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill enacts several amendments to North Carolina’s agricultural laws. It mandates an update to the Strategic Plan for Agricultural Water Resources, emphasizing infrastructure and conservation. The creation of a Feral Swine Working Group is authorized to manage and reduce swine damage, while provisions are introduced for vegetative buffers in farm-adjacent developments. The legislation allows the denial of special use permits due to agricultural impact and repeals a violation points system for swine farms. It clarifies animal waste fertilizer conversion eligibility, adjusts Chronic Wasting Disease regulations, and modifies equine/bovine mortality composting rules. Additionally, it provides excused school absences for agricultural events, expands agricultural law enforcement powers, and revises penalties for crop theft. The bill becomes effective upon enactment, with specific provisions activating under defined circumstances, such as July 1, 2025, for certain penalties.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Norman W. Sanderson proposed the most bills (15) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Barnes graduated from Peace College with an AA and again in 1988 from North Carolina State University with a BA.

Barnes, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2021 to represent the state’s 11th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Rick Horner.