It is the finding of the Legislature that, despite the fact that agriculture has been and continues to be the backbone of the economy of the State of Alabama, increasing numbers of the state's farmers and agricultural businessmen are losing their livelihood due to conditions beyond their control caused by the current economic situation in agriculture and certain structural changes that are occurring in the economy of both the state and the United States. A crisis has developed in the state's agricultural sector that is not and cannot be met with existing programs and resources, with the result that more and more Alabama farmers and agricultural businessmen are being forced to leave farming or to seek supplemental employment, but without the provision of any coordinated program of assistance to help them retrain and make the adjustment to other forms of economic livelihood or to acquire the needed supplemental skills. The Legislature thus deems it in the best interest of the health and welfare of the people of the State of Alabama, and in order to avoid duplication and to increase efficiency, to provide programs under which individuals within the agricultural sector of the State of Alabama who have contributed greatly to the financial base of the state, but who are now experiencing difficulties in their farming operations due to causes beyond their control, may receive assistance from qualified professionals to provide needed career and technically oriented educational training and counseling services at reasonable cost and to provide for the delivery of those services to persons requiring such assistance during periods of adjustment, periods of transition from farming to other activities or during that period of time needed for them to acquire supplemental nonfarming skills. It is the intent of the Legislature that all agencies of state government and state educational institutions and agencies thereof at all levels cooperate with and to the extent possible coordinate with the commission and channel efforts along the lines set out herein through the commission.

There is hereby established the Farm Crisis and Transition Program of the State of Alabama (herein called 'the program') which shall come into existence upon April 29, 1986, and shall continue for a period ending on September 30, 1991, unless earlier terminated by action of the Legislature. The program shall be under the direction and control of the Farm Crisis and Transition Program Commission (herein called 'the commission'), which shall consist of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries of the state, the Chairman of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee of the Senate of Alabama, the Chairman of the Agriculture and Forestry Committee of the House of Representatives of Alabama, the Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the President of the Alabama Farm Bureau Federation, three full-time farmers, one each to be appointed by the Governor, the Speaker, and the Lieutenant Governor, all of whom shall serve ex officio and without compensation. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries shall be the chairman of the commission and shall be responsible for convening such meetings of the commission as shall be necessary for the commission to carry out its functions under this chapter, which shall include the power to provide policies and guidelines for use in carrying out this chapter. The commission shall have the power, acting through its chairman, to conduct such programs and activities and shall be authorized under this chapter and that are useful and desirable in providing retraining and adjustment programs for dislocated and economically distressed farmers in Alabama. The commission shall also have the power, acting through its chairman, to contract for such services and the use of such facilities as may be necessary to carry out its purposes hereunder and to function as an agency of the State of Alabama throughout the state both directly and through regional offices established as provided herein. The commission shall have the power to employ and provide for the compensation of a program coordinator and necessary staff. To the extent available, physical facilities of the Department of Agriculture and Industries and other agencies of the state shall be made available to the commission on a rent-free basis for its use in carrying out the program. The commission shall have the power to develop all necessary rules respecting eligibility for participation by farmers in the program, and such other rules and regulations as may be necessary in the circumstances. The commission shall further have the power in its discretion to appoint an advisory committee made up of such interested and informed citizens of the state as shall be chosen by the commission to advise the commission on the effectiveness of its proposed or ongoing programs.

The commission shall employ a program coordinator who shall be an employee of the commission but who may be on loan to the commission from any other department of the state. The program coordinator shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the commission, and shall receive compensation set by the commission out of funds appropriated by the Legislature to implement the program. The program coordinator shall report to the chairman of the commission or his designee and shall coordinate the activities and provide professional assistance with respect to all of the operations of the program. The program coordinator shall be responsible to the commission for all funds provided by the Legislature and through other sources for the various services to be made available to farmers under this chapter, shall develop a system of reporting on a regular and timely basis to the commission, shall develop training courses and seminars with the guidance of the commission and issue in the name of the commission certificates of training which would qualify various professionals and other providers of services for referral by the commission or any regional offices established by the commission, and shall establish and maintain in the name of the commission liaison and assistance to all agencies of state and federal government, academic institutions and private organizations providing services similar to those provided by the commission. Upon the direction of the chairman of the commission, the program coordinator shall work in conjunction with and under the supervision of such personnel of the Department of Agriculture and Industries as the chairman shall deem appropriate and as shall be approved by the commission, which personnel may include an operational director of the program. The operational director shall be responsible for arranging for availability to the program coordinator of specialists in the fields of farm finance, law, career counseling, technical vocational training and farm extension services for use in meeting its objectives of the program.

The commission shall take such steps as shall be necessary to divide the state into so many regional districts as the commission shall determine to be needed for purposes of effective and efficient application of the program. A regional office shall be established in each of the designated districts, which office shall be staffed by a regional coordinator, to be selected by the program coordinator with the approval of the commission, and such support personnel as the commission deems appropriate. Where possible, the regional office shall locate its headquarters in facilities presently being utilized by other state agencies or institutions of higher education, the governing boards of all of which are directed to cooperate with the commission in the establishment of such regional offices.

It shall be the duty of the regional coordinator of each regional office to locate within his region qualified professionals to provide professional services to farmers participating in the program, including but not limited to professionals in the fields of agriculture, finance and accounting, law, farm planning, vocational training and social services. The regional coordinator shall certify to the commission that the professionals selected for providing services under the program had agreed or would agree with the commission to provide services to farmers participating in the program on a noncost basis or at a reduced cost from that normally prevailing. These professionals shall be compensated by the commission for their services at such levels of compensation and rates as shall be recommended by the program coordinator and approved by the commission. The regional coordinator shall make available to any farmer or farm family member seeking assistance under the program the names of qualified and certified professionals who have agreed to provide services with respect to the program in order to assist these individuals with the management of their individual financial and career situation. Where requested, the regional coordinator shall assist each individual farmer or farm family and the professionals consulted in order to provide a comprehensive review of each participant's case in an attempt to evolve a solution to each farmer's particular problems. The regional coordinator shall also maintain a publicity program in the district so that farmers and farm families needing assistance under the program will know how and where to obtain it, shall prepare referrals and the requisite reports for the commission and file all reports as required and requested by the program coordinator of the commission. In addition, the regional coordinator shall maintain liaison and contacts with all agriculture-related state and federal agencies and organizations within his district and attempt to implement coordinated assistance programs wherever possible.

The Governor is hereby authorized to accept and receive, on behalf of the state for the account of the commission, contributions made by private corporations, individuals and other persons for the benefit of the program. Moneys so received by the Governor from such private contributions shall be earmarked for and shall be used by the commission in administering and carrying out the program.