GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S D
SENATE BILL DRS35191-MH-75
Short Title: DNCR Agency Bill.-AB (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Johnson (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to:
*DRS35191 -MH-75*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE STATUTES GOVERNING THE 2
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, AS RECOMMENDED 3
BY THE DEPARTMENT. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM DATA CONFIDENTIALITY 7
SECTION 1.(a) The Nature Preserves Act, Part 42 of Article 2 of Chapter 143B of 8
the General Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to read: 9
"§ 143B-135.275. Confidentiality of rare species and sensitive natural habitat information. 10
Information concerning the nature and location of any (i) rare species of plants or animals or 11
(ii) sensitive natural habitats may be made available to the public under Chapter 132 of the 12
General Statutes or under any other provision of law, regardless of whether the rare species or 13
sensitive natural habitats are located on public or private property, unless the Department of 14
Natural and Cultural Resources determines that the disclosures would create a risk of harm, theft, 15
or destruction to those species or habitats." 16
SECTION 1.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 17
18
STANDARDS FOR VISITOR CONDUCT EXEMPTED FROM RULE MAKING 19
SECTION 2. G.S. 150B-1(d) reads as rewritten: 20
"(d) Exemptions from Rule Making. – Article 2A of this Chapter does not apply to the 21
following: 22
… 23
(27a) The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in developing standards 24
and rules of conduct governing visitors to sites owned or managed by the 25
Department. 26
…." 27
28
EXTENDED LEASE TERMS FOR STATE RECREATION AREAS 29
SECTION 3. Pursuant to G.S. 146-29(b), the General Assembly authorizes the 30
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to enter into leases for a period greater than 30 31
years, but no more than 50 years, of lands owned by the federal government and managed by the 32
Department as the Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Kerr Lake State Recreation Areas. 33
34
MODERNIZE HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS STATUTE 35
SECTION 4. G.S. 121-6 reads as rewritten: 36
FILED SENATE
Mar 25, 2025
S.B. 477
PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 DRS35191-MH-75
"§ 121-6. Historical publications. 1
… 2
(b) Editing and Publishing of Official Messages and Other Papers of Governor. – During 3
the term of office of each Governor of this State, a copy of all official messages delivered to the 4
General Assembly, addresses, speeches, statements, news releases, proclamations, executive 5
orders, weekly calendars, articles, transcripts of news conferences, lists of appointments, and 6
other official releases and papers of the Governor shall be kept in the Governor's office for 7
delivery to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources at the end of each quarter during 8
the Governor's administration. These papers shall be compiled and a selection made therefrom 9
by a skilled and competent editor. The editor shall edit, according to acceptable scholarly 10
standards, the selected materials which shall be published in a documentary volume as soon as 11
practicable after the conclusion of the term of office of each Governor. If, for any reason, a 12
Governor serves less than a full term, a documentary volume shall be edited and published for 13
such portion of a term as he shall have served. If a Governor serves more than one term, a 14
documentary volume shall be edited and published for each term served. Funds for editorial 15
assistance, printing, binding, and distribution shall may be paid from the Contingency and 16
Emergency Fund. The number of copies of each volume to be printed shall be determined by the 17
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in consultation with the Governor whose papers 18
are being published. 19
(c) It shall be the duty and the responsibility for the Department of Natural and Cultural 20
Resources to edit and publish a second or new series of the most significant records of colonial 21
North Carolina. From records which have been compiled in the North Carolina State Archives 22
concerning the colonial period of North Carolina, a selection of the most significant documents 23
shall be made therefrom by a skilled and competent editor. The editor shall edit, according to 24
acceptable scholarly standards, the selected materials which shall be published in documentary 25
volumes not to exceed approximately 700 pages each in length until full and representative 26
published colonial records of North Carolina shall have been achieved. The number of copies of 27
each volume to be so printed shall be determined by the Department of Natural and Cultural 28
Resources, and such determination shall be based on the number of copies the Department can 29
reasonably expect to sell in a period of 10 years from the date of publication. In any year during 30
which the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has completed a volume and has it 31
ready for publication, the Department may include in its base budget for that year sufficient funds 32
to pay the estimated costs of publishing the volume. In the event that the volume is not published 33
during that year, the appropriation made, or any unencumbered balance, shall revert to the general 34
fund.General Fund." 35
36
SYMPHONY STATUTORY REVISIONS 37
SECTION 5.(a) G.S. 126-5(c11) reads as rewritten: 38
"(c11) The following are exempt from (i) the classification and compensation rules 39
established by the State Human Resources Commission pursuant to G.S. 126-4(1) through (4); 40
(ii) G.S. 126-4(5) only as it applies to hours and days of work, vacation, and sick leave; (iii) 41
G.S. 126-4(6) only as it applies to promotion and transfer; (iv) G.S. 126-4(10) only as it applies 42
to the prohibition of the establishment of incentive pay programs; and (v) Article 2 of Chapter 43
126 of the General Statutes, except for G.S. 126-7.1: 44
(1) The Office of the Commissioner of Banks and its employees. 45
(2) The following employees of the Department of Natural and Cultural 46
Resources: 47
a. Director and Associate Directors of the North Carolina Museum of 48
History. 49
b. Program Chiefs and Curators. 50
c. Regional History Museum Administrators and Curators. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
DRS35191-MH-75 Page 3
d. Employees assigned to assist the North Carolina 1
Symphony.Symphony, Incorporated. 2
e. Director, Associate Directors, and Curators of Tryon Palace. 3
f. Director, Associate Directors, and Curators of Transportation 4
Museum. 5
g. Director and Associate Directors of the North Carolina Arts Council. 6
h. Director, Assistant Directors, and Curators of the Division of State 7
Historic Sites. 8
…." 9
SECTION 5.(b) G.S. 143B-94 reads as rewritten: 10
"§ 143B-94. North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. 11
The North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, Incorporated, is not a State agency 12
within the meaning of this Chapter and is exempt from all provisions of this Chapter other than 13
this section. The North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, shall continue to be under 14
eligible to receive the patronage of the State as provided in Article 2 of Chapter 140 of the 15
General Statutes of North Carolina. The governing body of the North Carolina Symphony 16
Society, Incorporated, shall be a board of trustees consisting of not less than 16 members of 17
which the Governor of the State and the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be ex officio 18
members and four other members shall be named by the Governor. The remaining trustees shall 19
be chosen by members of the North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, in such manner 20
and for such terms as that body shall determine. The initial members named by the Governor 21
shall be appointed from the members of the existing board of trustees of the North Carolina State 22
Symphony Society, Incorporated, for the balance of their existing terms. Subsequent 23
appointments shall be made for terms of four years each." 24
25
EXPAND AND CODIFY FREE SCHOOL GROUP ADMISSION 26
SECTION 6.(a) Article 2 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by 27
adding a new section to read: 28
"§ 143B-53.15 Free admission for school groups. 29
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources may not impose fees on school groups 30
visiting sites owned or managed by the Department. For purposes of this section, "fees" refers to 31
any regular admission charge and does not include activity fees or a separate admission charge 32
for special or temporary exhibitions." 33
SECTION 6.(b) Section 14.11(g) of S.L. 2015-241 is repealed. 34
35
REPEAL OBSOLETE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 36
SECTION 7.(a) G.S. 121-12.1 is repealed. 37
SECTION 7.(b) G.S. 143-406 reads as rewritten: 38
"§ 143-406. Duties of Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 39
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources shall take action to carry out the following 40
purposes as funds and staff permit: 41
(1) Study, collect, maintain, and otherwise disseminate factual data and pertinent 42
information relative to the arts; 43
(2) Assist local organizations and the community at large with needs, resources 44
and opportunities in the arts; 45
(3) Serve as an agency through which various public and nonpublic organizations 46
concerned with the arts can exchange information, coordinate programs and 47
stimulate joint endeavors; 48
(4) Identify research needs, encourage research and assist in obtaining funds for 49
research; 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 DRS35191-MH-75
(5) Assist in bringing the highest obtainable quality in the arts to the State; 1
promote the maximum opportunity for the people to experience, enjoy, and 2
profit from those arts. 3
By February 15 of each odd-numbered year, the Department of Natural and Cultural 4
Resources shall, in addition to such other recommendations, studies, and plans as it may submit 5
from time to time, submit a biennial report of progress to the Governor, the Joint Legislative 6
Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the chairs of the 7
Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources, the chairs 8
of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Agriculture and Natural and 9
Economic Resources, and the Fiscal Research Division." 10
11
STATE NATURE AND HISTORIC PRESERVE ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS 12
SECTION 8. It is the intent of the General Assembly to enact the following deletions 13
from the State Nature and Historic Preserve set forth in G.S. 143-260.10: 14
(1) A portion of Mayo River State Park. 15
(2) A portion of Chimney Rock State Park. 16
(3) An easement at Raven Rock State Park. 17
(4) A portion of the Fonta Flora State Trail. 18
(5) A portion of Wilderness Gateway State Trail. 19
(6) A portion of New River State Park. 20
21
EFFECTIVE DATE 22
SECTION 9. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 23
law. 24