Tennessee Code and Constitution
Title 49 Education
Chapter 50 Miscellaneous
PART 1
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES
49-50-101. Purpose.
The purpose of this part is to extend practical demonstration instruction in
agriculture, home economics and marketing to boys, girls, men and women in
rural communities in a greater number of counties, and make such instruction
more permanent in the several counties through increased financial support and
correspondingly reduced county appropriations, to carry on the work. [Acts 1929,
ch. 81, § 1; mod. Code 1932, § 2541; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 49-3401.]
49-50-102. Nature of work.
This work shall be known as the "cooperative extension work," carried on in
cooperation with the United States department of agriculture, provided for in the
Smith-Lever Act of congress (Act May 8, 1914, ch. 79, § 1, 38 Stat. 372), as
amended, and in accordance with the regulations provided for in that act for the
conduct of this work, and which provide that this work shall include practical
demonstration instruction in agriculture and home economics; conducting 4-H
boys' and girls' clubs for teaching farm and home practices; introduce new crops
and new systems of farming in various areas of the state, as development in
industry necessitates changes in existing crops and systems of farming; develop
improved methods of marketing farm products; and, in general, improve rural
life, with the object of making farming more prosperous and farm life more
desirable and attractive. [Acts 1929, ch. 81, § 2; mod. Code 1932, § 2542;
modified; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 49-3402.]
49-50-103. Funding.
(a) In order to cooperate with the United States department of agriculture and the
University of Tennessee in making available to boys, girls, men and women in the
rural communities practical and useful instruction in agriculture, home economics
and marketing as referred to in § 49-50-102, there is appropriated from moneys in
the general treasury, not otherwise appropriated, for each fiscal year one hundred
sixty thousand dollars ($160,000) to be used to match and supplement allotments
of federal appropriations available to the state for carrying on this work under the
act of congress, and made conditional on similar sums of money being
appropriated by the state.
(b) The moneys so appropriated shall be paid each year in semiannual payments
and applied and disbursed as provided below, and in accordance with the plans
and under the direction of the United States department of agriculture and the
board of trustees of the University of Tennessee. On July 1 and January 1 of each
year, the commissioner of finance and administration is authorized and directed to
issue warrants in favor of the treasurer of the University of Tennessee for the
amount due on the aforementioned date.
(c) The entire amount of this appropriation shall be known as the "cooperative
agricultural extension fund," and a separate accounting for its expenditure shall be
made by the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee in the biennial
report to the governor and the general assembly. Full and complete vouchers of
all such expenditures shall be kept for auditing by proper national and state
officials.
(d) If there should remain in any year a balance of the state appropriation after so
matching the federal allotments, it, together with interest earned on unexpended
balance, shall be added to the amount available for the ensuing year.
[Acts 1929, ch. 81, §§ 3, 6, 7; mod. Code 1932, §§ 2543, 2546, 2547; impl. am.
Acts 1937, ch. 33, §§ 24, 29; impl. am. Acts 1959, ch. 9, § 3; impl. am. Acts
1961, ch. 93, § 3; modified; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 49-3403 - 49-3405.]
49-50-104. County agricultural extension committee.
(a) All counties cooperating with the state agricultural extension service by
making an appropriation for extension work shall elect an agricultural extension
committee composed of seven (7) members. The committee shall be elected by
the county legislative body.
(b) Three (3) of such members shall be elected from the membership of the
county legislative body. There shall be elected to the committee four (4) members
who are not members of the county legislative body. Two (2) shall be farmers and
two (2) shall be farm women, residing in different civil districts.
(c) The members shall be elected for terms of two (2) years, except that if there
are fewer than four (4) civil districts in a county at least one (1) member shall
come from each civil district. Two (2) of the members representing the county
legislative body, one (1) farmer and one (1) farm woman, shall be elected in
even-numbered years; the other members shall be elected in odd-numbered
years. The elections shall be held at the first meeting of the county legislative
body of each calendar year. No member may be elected for more than three (3)
successive terms. In the event that there is a vacancy on the committee, the
county legislative body shall fill such vacancy at its next regular meeting after
the vacancy occurs, and the committee member filling the vacancy shall serve
during the unexpired term of the member's predecessor.
(d) The functions of the committee shall be to:
(1) Act with duly authorized representatives of the state agricultural extension
service in the employment and/or removal of personnel receiving funds from
county extension appropriations;
(2) Act with duly authorized representatives of the state agricultural extension
service in formulating the county extension budget, and serve as liaison between
the extension service and the county legislative body on financial and other
matters relating to the work;
(3) Act in an advisory capacity on county extension program formulation; and
(4) Act in an advisory capacity on activities performed in connection with
carrying out the program.
(e) In performing the foregoing functions, the committee shall meet with duly
authorized representatives of the extension service on selected dates mutually
agreed to by the chair of the committee and the representatives of the agricultural
extension service during the months of February, May, August and November,
and at such other times as may be deemed desirable by a majority of the members
of the committee. [Acts 1929, ch. 81, § 5; mod. Code 1932, § 2545; Acts 1955,
ch. 212, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 49-3406.]
49-50-105. Intercounty cooperation.
(a) For participation in the benefits of this part, contiguous counties may
cooperate and be regarded as one (1) county in the employment of either a county
agricultural agent, county home demonstration agent, or both; provided, that the
combined area of the counties cooperating does not exceed eight hundred (800)
square miles and that the assessed valuation of one (1) of the counties does not
exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000).
(b) The plans for such cooperation shall be arranged by the county executives of
the respective counties involved, and approved by the director of extension work
of the University of Tennessee. [Acts 1929, ch. 81, § 4; mod. Code 1932, § 2544;
T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 49-3407.]
49-50-106. Conflicts of interest.
It is a Class C misdemeanor for any person employed under this part to engage in
the business of soliciting or selling any fertilizer, seed, farm machinery or any
other merchandise to the people of the county or counties where they are so
employed. [Acts 1929, ch. 81, § 7a; Code 1932, § 2548; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 493408; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 113.]
49-50-107. Agricultural financial and family counseling.
(a) (1) It is hereby declared the intention of the general assembly to establish
services for the well being of farmers and their families who are affected by farm
credit problems and the financial difficulties currently existing in the agricultural
and related business communities.
(2) The general assembly recognizes the economic and emotional stress being
imposed on many of the farm owners and their families by the farm credit crisis
which has been caused by the weakening of farm incomes coupled with the rising
costs of farm operations.
(3) The general assembly finds that there is a need to provide a program for
assisting and advising the individuals within the agricultural community who are
experiencing stress and economic difficulties or dislocation caused by the current
deteriorated market conditions for agricultural products and the resulting loss of
farm income. The general assembly finds and declares that preservation of the
family owned farms and farm-related businesses are in the interest of the health,
safety and general welfare of the state.
(b) (1) The University of Tennessee, acting through its agricultural extension
services, is directed to establish a farm credit counseling program to disseminate
information to farmers concerning farm credit problems and to provide advice
and counseling regarding other financial problems. The University of Tennessee
is also directed to develop and provide a program in stress management and
family counseling for individuals and families with farms and agricultural related
businesses threatened by farm credit and financial problems.
(2) The department of agriculture, and any other department or agency of state
government shall assist the University of Tennessee in establishing and providing
the programs required by this section.
(3) In the development of the programs, the University of Tennessee is requested
to consult with agricultural organizations.
(4) The University of Tennessee shall designate a coordinator of the financial and
family counseling program to implement and manage the program.
[Acts 1986, ch. 848, §§ 2, 3.]
49-50-108. Compensation of University of Tennessee agricultural extension
service employees holding joint appointments.
The University of Tennessee is authorized to provide employees of the University
of Tennessee agricultural extension service holding a joint appointment with the
United States department of agriculture, salary increases and compensation
commensurate with that received by other state employees and teachers employed
by the University of Tennessee. [Acts 1986, ch. 864, § 2.]