GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 159
Short Title: Orphan Roads Maintenance Program Grant. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Winslow, Tyson, and Cairns (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
February 24, 2025
*H159 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ORPHAN ROADS MAI NTENANCE PROGRAM GRA NT. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the "Orphan Roads Maintenance Program 4
Grant." 5
SECTION 2. The Orphan Roads Maintenance Program Grant Fund is established as 6
a special fund within the Department of Transportation to be administered by the Department. 7
SECTION 3. The purpose of this act is to award funds for the improvement of 8
subdivision streets located within a county or a municipality that do not meet Department of 9
Transportation minimum construction requirements for addition to the State highway system or 10
municipal street system for maintenance. 11
SECTION 4. There is appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of 12
Transportation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of seventy-five million dollars 13
($75,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to the Orphan Roads Maintenance Program 14
Grant Fund established in Section 2 of this act. Subject to Section 5 of this act, unexpended funds 15
shall not revert. 16
SECTION 5. The Secretary of Transportation shall establish procedures and criteria 17
and adopt rules for awarding funds under this act to a county or a municipality for the 18
improvement of a subdivision street in accordance with all of the following requirements: 19
(1) Once an orphan road meets Department standards, ownership shall be 20
conveyed to the Department or to a local municipality. 21
(2) The total aggregate amount of funds awarded to a subdivision shall not exceed 22
two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). 23
(3) The required local share of matching funds by the county shall be twenty-five 24
cents (25ยข) for every one dollar ($1.00) awarded. A county may satisfy this 25
condition by financing the local share in accordance with G.S. 153A-205. 26
(4) An award of funds under this act shall not be distributed to a county or a 27
municipality until the Department or a municipality accepts the subdivision 28
street to the State highway system or municipal street system for maintenance. 29
SECTION 6. This act is repealed effective June 30, 2030. The Department shall 30
close the Orphan Roads Maintenance Program Grant Fund after transferring any remaining 31
balance to the Highway Fund for subsequent appropriation by the General Assembly. 32
SECTION 7. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 33