| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO INTRODUCE GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY INTO 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | THE BUDGET PROCESS BY AMENDING THE STATE BUDGET ACT TO INCREASE 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | PUBLIC NOTICE AND PARTICIPATION AND BY REMOVING LEGISLATIVE 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | CONFIDENTIALITY FOR CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS TO OR FROM 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | LEGISLATORS REQUESTING BUDGET PROVISIONS OR FUNDS MADE . 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | SECTION 1. Article 5 of Chapter 143C of the General Statutes is amended by adding 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | a new section to read: 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | "§ 143C-5-1A. Rules for adoption of the Current Operations Appropriations Act. 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | (a) To facilitate public participation in the appropriations process, prior to placing on the 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | calendar a vote on (i) second reading on each house's version of the Current Operations 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | Appropriations Act (Act) or (ii) adoption of a conference report that includes a conference 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | committee substitute for the Act (collectively, "budget adoption votes"), each house of the 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | General Assembly shall comply with all of the following requirements: 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | (1) Provide for a period of at least one week in which the public may provide 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | comments virtually on the Act. The Legislative Services Officer shall provide 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | for a public comment portal through the General Assembly's website. 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | (2) During the public notice period required by subdivision (1) of this subsection, 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | hold at least one public hearing with opportunity for comments from the 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | public in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | (3) During the public notice period required by subdivision (1) of this subsection, 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | hold at least three nonvoting committee meetings for consideration and debate 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | on the Act. These meetings may be held by the full Appropriations 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | Committees of each house, the Appropriations subcommittees or area 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | committees, or any other standing committees with areas of responsibility 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | germane to provisions in the Act. 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | (4) Provide a copy of the Act and the Committee Report described in 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | G.S. 143C-5-5 to all legislators at least five legislative days prior to any 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | budget adoption votes. 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | (b) This section shall be considered and treated as a rule of procedure in the Senate and 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | the House of Representatives unless provided otherwise by a rule of either house of the General 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | Assembly." 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Article 17 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | a new section to read: 35 |
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| 49 | 54 | | (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all documents received from State 1 |
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| 50 | 55 | | agencies and from individual legislators to legislative employees or to other legislators 2 |
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| 51 | 56 | | documenting requests for provisions or funding in the Current Operations Appropriations Act, 3 |
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| 52 | 57 | | as defined in G.S. 143C-1-1(d), are no longer confidential and become public records when the 4 |
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| 53 | 58 | | Current Operations Appropriations Act becomes law. 5 |
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| 54 | 59 | | (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a waiver of the common law 6 |
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| 55 | 60 | | attorney-client privilege nor of the common law work product doctrine with respect to legislators, 7 |
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| 56 | 61 | | as defined in G.S. 120-129." 8 |
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| 57 | 62 | | SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to the adoption 9 |
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| 58 | 63 | | of the Current Operations Appropriations Act for the fiscal year beginning on or after that date. 10 |
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