(a)        Fund Established. – The Tobacco Trust Fund is established in the Office of the State Treasurer. The Fund shall be used for the purposes provided in this Article.

(b)        Fund Earnings, Assets, and Balances. – The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separate and apart from all other moneys, funds, and accounts. The State Treasurer is the custodian of the Fund and shall invest the assets in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 147-69.2 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 147-69.3 Investment earnings credited to the Fund become part of the Fund. Any balance remaining in the Fund at the end of any fiscal year is carried forward in the Fund for the next succeeding fiscal year. Payments from the Fund shall be made on the warrant of the chair of the Commission, pursuant to the directives of the Commission.

(c)        Priority Use of Funds. – As soon as practicable after the beginning of each fiscal year, the State Treasurer must certify in writing to the chair of the Commission the estimated amount of debt service anticipated to be paid during the fiscal year for special indebtedness authorized by the State Capital Facilities Act of 2004, Part 1 of S.L. 2004-179. The chair of the Commission must issue a warrant from the Fund to the General Fund for the lesser of (i) one-half of the amount certified by the Treasurer and (ii) the applicable percentage of the Fund’s receipts for the current fiscal year. For fiscal years beginning before July 1, 2007, the applicable percentage is thirty percent (30%). For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2007, the applicable percentage is sixty-five percent (65%). (2000-147, s. 3; 2004-179, s. 1.4.)