North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S447 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 447
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS45244-MHa-30
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Reliable Water & Sewer Infrastructure Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Everitt and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 25, 2025~~
11		-	~~S447 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS45244 -MHa-30
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE SEWER REPAIR TASK FORCE , AND TO APPROPRIATE 2
14	15		FUNDS TO THE SOUTH GRANVILLE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY . 3
15	16		Whereas, the development of wastewater infrastructure is essential to economic 4
16	17		growth in North Carolina, particularly rural areas and rapidly developing suburban counties of 5
17	18		the State; and 6
18	19		Whereas, the State Water Infrastructure Authority estimated in 2017 that there was 7
19	20		$11 billion in unmet wastewater infrastructure capital needs across the State; and 8
20	21		Whereas, it is in the interest of the State's environment and citizens to have access to 9
21	22		modern, functional wastewater infrastructure; Now, therefore, 10
22	23		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 11
23	24		SECTION 1.(a) Establishment; Purpose. – The Sewer Repair Task Force (Task 12
24	25		Force) is established. The purpose of the Task Force is (i) to review and assess the current state 13
25	26		of wastewater infrastructure in the State, (ii) to develop strategies and plans for the effective 14
26	27		implementation of wastewater treatment projects, for addressing existing challenges and barriers 15
27	28		to project financing and construction, and for addressing future needs within the State, and (iii) 16
28	29		to identify funding mechanisms, including potential contributions from industrial wastewater 17
29	30		discharges, to support wastewater infrastructure development. 18
30	31		SECTION 1.(b) Task Force. – The Task Force shall consist of 18 members, 19
31	32		appointed as follows: 20
32	33		(1) Four members of the House of Representatives upon the recommendation of 21
33	34		the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a member 22
34	35		of the minority party. 23
35	36		(2) Four members of the Senate upon the recommendation of the President Pro 24
36	37		Tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be a member of the minority party. 25
37	38		(3) The Director of the Division of Water Infrastructure of the Department of 26
38	39		Environmental Quality or the Director's designee, ex officio and nonvoting. 27
39	40		(4) The Director of the Local Government Commission or the Director's designee, 28
40	41		ex officio and nonvoting. 29
41	42		(5) Four county commissioners, who are advisory and nonvoting, one of whom is 30
42	43		appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of 31
43	44		Representatives, one of whom is appointed upon the recommendation of the 32
44	45		Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom is appointed 33
45	46		upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and 34
46	47		one of whom is appointed upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader 35
47		-	of the Senate. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 447-First Edition
	48	+	of the Senate. 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 24, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 447
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS45244-MHa-30
49	54		(6) Four representatives of a local government wastewater entity, who are 1
50	55		advisory and nonvoting, one of whom is appointed upon the recommendation 2
51	56		of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is appointed 3
52	57		upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the House of 4
53	58		Representatives, one of whom is appointed upon the recommendation of the 5
54	59		President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and one of whom is appointed upon the 6
55	60		recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate. For purposes of this 7
56	61		act, a local government wastewater entity is any of the following: 8
57	62		a. A water and sewer authority created pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 9
58	63		162A of the General Statutes. 10
59	64		b. A metropolitan sewerage district created pursuant to Article 5 of 11
60	65		Chapter 162A of the General Statutes. 12
61	66		c. A metropolitan water and sewerage district created pursuant to Article 13
62	67		5A of Chapter 162A of the General Statutes. 14
63	68		d. A county water and sewer district created pursuant to Article 6 of 15
64	69		Chapter 162A of the General Statutes. 16
65	70		e. A sanitary district created pursuant to Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 17
66	71		130A of the General Statutes that is providing wastewater collection 18
67	72		or treatment services. 19
68	73		f. A joint agency created pursuant to Part 1 or Part 5 of Article 20 of 20
69	74		Chapter 160A of the General Statutes that is providing wastewater 21
70	75		collection or treatment services. 22
71	76		SECTION 1.(c) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the 23
72	77		House of Representatives shall each appoint a cochair of the Task Force from among its 24
73	78		membership. 25
74	79		SECTION 1.(d) The Task Force shall meet upon the call of its cochairs. A quorum 26
75	80		of the Task Force is a majority of its members. No action may be taken except by a majority vote 27
76	81		at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The Task Force, while in the discharge of its official 28
77	82		duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120-19 through G.S. 120-19.4. The Task 29
78	83		Force may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services, as provided by 30
79	84		G.S. 120-32.02. If the Task Force hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee 31
80	85		or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services. Members of the Task 32
81	86		Force shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances as provided in G.S. 120-3.1. The 33
82	87		expenses of the Task Force shall be considered expenses incurred for the joint operation of the 34
83	88		General Assembly. 35
84	89		SECTION 1.(e) In conducting this study, the Task Force shall consult with 36
85	90		representatives of the Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of 37
86	91		North Carolina, the Utilities Commission, and the Golden LEAF Foundation. 38
87	92		SECTION 1.(f) The Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and 39
88	93		clerical staff to assist the Task Force in its work. The Director of Legislative Assistants of the 40
89	94		House of Representatives and the Director of Legislative Assistants of the Senate shall assign 41
90	95		clerical support to the Task Force. 42
91	96		SECTION 1.(g) Meetings of the Task Force are authorized to begin on or after July 43
92	97		1, 2025. The Task Force shall submit a final report on the results of its study, including proposed 44
93	98		legislation, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and 45
94	99		Economic Resources on or before December 1, 2026, by filing a copy of the report with the 46
95	100		Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Office of the Speaker of the House of 47
96	101		Representatives, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and 48
97	102		Economic Resources, and the Legislative Library. The Task Force shall terminate on December 49
98	103		1, 2026, or upon the filing of its final report, whichever comes first. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 447-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS45244-MHa-30 Page 3
100	105		SECTION 2. The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) in nonrecurring funds 1
101	106		for the 2025-2026 fiscal year is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 2
102	107		Environmental Quality to provide a grant to the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority to 3
103	108		be allocated as follows: 4
104	109		(1) Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for expansion of wastewater facilities 5
105	110		serving Creedmoor and Butner. 6
106	111		(2) Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) to upgrade wastewater treatment 7
107	112		facilities to meet new federal standards for PFAS. 8
108	113		(3) Ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for water meter modernization. 9
109	114		(4) Five million dollars ($5,000,000) for replacement of lead pipes to comply with 10
110	115		new federal requirements. 11
111	116		SECTION 3. Section 2 of this act is effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of this act 12
112	117		is effective when it becomes law. 13