Authority: § 23-132.1, Code of Virginia.

A. Out of this appropriation, funds and positions each year are designated for Agriculture and Forestry Research in the amounts that follow: at least $26,944,524 $22,025,487 and 310.45 positions from the general fund and $6,577,498 $5,091,377 and 136.98 positions in nongeneral funds.

B. Appropriations for this agency shall include operating expenses for research and investigations, and the several regional and county agricultural experiment stations under its control, in accordance with law.

C.1. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Cooperative Extension Service give highest priority to programs and services which comprised the original mission of the Extension Service, especially agricultural programs at the local level. The University shall ensure that the service utilizes information technology to the extent possible in the delivery of programs.

2. Out of this appropriation, funds and positions each year are designated for the Cooperative Extension Service in the amounts that follow: at least $31,236,546 $24,573,915 and 503.2 positions from the general fund and $10,722,507 $8,772,251 and 241.49 positions in nongeneral funds. In addition to the appropriated nongeneral funds, $4,300,000 in each year in revenues paid directly by localities are estimated to be available for operations.

3. The budget of this agency shall include and separately account for local payments. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in conjunction with Virginia State University, shall report, by fund source, actual expenditures for each program area and total actual expenditures for the agency, annually, by September 1, to the Department of Planning and Budget and the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees. The report shall include all expenditures from local support funds.

D. The Virginia Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station shall not charge a fee for testing the soil on property used for commercial farming.