North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S477 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 477
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35191-MH-75
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: DNCR Agency Bill.-AB (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senator Johnson (Primary Sponsor).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 26, 2025~~
11		-	~~S477 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35191 -MH-75
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE STATUTES GOVERNING THE 2
14	15		DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, AS RECOMMENDED 3
15	16		BY THE DEPARTMENT. 4
16	17		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
17	18		6
18	19		NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM DATA CONFIDENTIALITY 7
19	20		SECTION 1.(a) The Nature Preserves Act, Part 42 of Article 2 of Chapter 143B of 8
20	21		the General Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to read: 9
21	22		"§ 143B-135.275. Confidentiality of rare species and sensitive natural habitat information. 10
22	23		Information concerning the nature and location of any (i) rare species of plants or animals or 11
23	24		(ii) sensitive natural habitats may be made available to the public under Chapter 132 of the 12
24	25		General Statutes or under any other provision of law, regardless of whether the rare species or 13
25	26		sensitive natural habitats are located on public or private property, unless the Department of 14
26	27		Natural and Cultural Resources determines that the disclosures would create a risk of harm, theft, 15
27	28		or destruction to those species or habitats." 16
28	29		SECTION 1.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 17
29	30		18
30	31		STANDARDS FOR VISITOR CONDUCT EXEMPTED FROM RULE MAKING 19
31	32		SECTION 2. G.S. 150B-1(d) reads as rewritten: 20
32	33		"(d) Exemptions from Rule Making. – Article 2A of this Chapter does not apply to the 21
33	34		following: 22
34	35		… 23
35	36		(27a) The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in developing standards 24
36	37		and rules of conduct governing visitors to sites owned or managed by the 25
37	38		Department. 26
38	39		…." 27
39	40		28
40	41		EXTENDED LEASE TERMS FOR STATE RECREATION AREAS 29
41	42		SECTION 3. Pursuant to G.S. 146-29(b), the General Assembly authorizes the 30
42	43		Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to enter into leases for a period greater than 30 31
43	44		years, but no more than 50 years, of lands owned by the federal government and managed by the 32
44	45		Department as the Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Kerr Lake State Recreation Areas. 33
45	46		34
46	47		MODERNIZE HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS STATUTE 35
47		-	SECTION 4. G.S. 121-6 reads as rewritten: 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 477-First Edition
	48	+	SECTION 4. G.S. 121-6 reads as rewritten: 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 25, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 477
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS35191-MH-75
49	54		"§ 121-6. Historical publications. 1
50	55		… 2
51	56		(b) Editing and Publishing of Official Messages and Other Papers of Governor. – During 3
52	57		the term of office of each Governor of this State, a copy of all official messages delivered to the 4
53	58		General Assembly, addresses, speeches, statements, news releases, proclamations, executive 5
54	59		orders, weekly calendars, articles, transcripts of news conferences, lists of appointments, and 6
55	60		other official releases and papers of the Governor shall be kept in the Governor's office for 7
56	61		delivery to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources at the end of each quarter during 8
57	62		the Governor's administration. These papers shall be compiled and a selection made therefrom 9
58	63		by a skilled and competent editor. The editor shall edit, according to acceptable scholarly 10
59	64		standards, the selected materials which shall be published in a documentary volume as soon as 11
60	65		practicable after the conclusion of the term of office of each Governor. If, for any reason, a 12
61	66		Governor serves less than a full term, a documentary volume shall be edited and published for 13
62	67		such portion of a term as he shall have served. If a Governor serves more than one term, a 14
63	68		documentary volume shall be edited and published for each term served. Funds for editorial 15
64	69		assistance, printing, binding, and distribution shall may be paid from the Contingency and 16
65	70		Emergency Fund. The number of copies of each volume to be printed shall be determined by the 17
66	71		Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in consultation with the Governor whose papers 18
67	72		are being published. 19
68	73		(c) It shall be the duty and the responsibility for the Department of Natural and Cultural 20
69	74		Resources to edit and publish a second or new series of the most significant records of colonial 21
70	75		North Carolina. From records which have been compiled in the North Carolina State Archives 22
71	76		concerning the colonial period of North Carolina, a selection of the most significant documents 23
72	77		shall be made therefrom by a skilled and competent editor. The editor shall edit, according to 24
73	78		acceptable scholarly standards, the selected materials which shall be published in documentary 25
74	79		volumes not to exceed approximately 700 pages each in length until full and representative 26
75	80		published colonial records of North Carolina shall have been achieved. The number of copies of 27
76	81		each volume to be so printed shall be determined by the Department of Natural and Cultural 28
77	82		Resources, and such determination shall be based on the number of copies the Department can 29
78	83		reasonably expect to sell in a period of 10 years from the date of publication. In any year during 30
79	84		which the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has completed a volume and has it 31
80	85		ready for publication, the Department may include in its base budget for that year sufficient funds 32
81	86		to pay the estimated costs of publishing the volume. In the event that the volume is not published 33
82	87		during that year, the appropriation made, or any unencumbered balance, shall revert to the general 34
83	88		fund.General Fund." 35
84	89		36
85	90		SYMPHONY STATUTORY REVISIONS 37
86	91		SECTION 5.(a) G.S. 126-5(c11) reads as rewritten: 38
87	92		"(c11) The following are exempt from (i) the classification and compensation rules 39
88	93		established by the State Human Resources Commission pursuant to G.S. 126-4(1) through (4); 40
89	94		(ii) G.S. 126-4(5) only as it applies to hours and days of work, vacation, and sick leave; (iii) 41
90	95		G.S. 126-4(6) only as it applies to promotion and transfer; (iv) G.S. 126-4(10) only as it applies 42
91	96		to the prohibition of the establishment of incentive pay programs; and (v) Article 2 of Chapter 43
92	97		126 of the General Statutes, except for G.S. 126-7.1: 44
93	98		(1) The Office of the Commissioner of Banks and its employees. 45
94	99		(2) The following employees of the Department of Natural and Cultural 46
95	100		Resources: 47
96	101		a. Director and Associate Directors of the North Carolina Museum of 48
97	102		History. 49
98	103		b. Program Chiefs and Curators. 50
99	104		c. Regional History Museum Administrators and Curators. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
100		-	~~Senate Bill 477-First Edition~~ Page 3
	105	+	DRS35191-MH-75 Page 3
101	106		d. Employees assigned to assist the North Carolina 1
102	107		Symphony.Symphony, Incorporated. 2
103	108		e. Director, Associate Directors, and Curators of Tryon Palace. 3
104	109		f. Director, Associate Directors, and Curators of Transportation 4
105	110		Museum. 5
106	111		g. Director and Associate Directors of the North Carolina Arts Council. 6
107	112		h. Director, Assistant Directors, and Curators of the Division of State 7
108	113		Historic Sites. 8
109	114		…." 9
110	115		SECTION 5.(b) G.S. 143B-94 reads as rewritten: 10
111	116		"§ 143B-94. North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. 11
112	117		The North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, Incorporated, is not a State agency 12
113	118		within the meaning of this Chapter and is exempt from all provisions of this Chapter other than 13
114	119		this section. The North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, shall continue to be under 14
115	120		eligible to receive the patronage of the State as provided in Article 2 of Chapter 140 of the 15
116	121		General Statutes of North Carolina. The governing body of the North Carolina Symphony 16
117	122		Society, Incorporated, shall be a board of trustees consisting of not less than 16 members of 17
118	123		which the Governor of the State and the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be ex officio 18
119	124		members and four other members shall be named by the Governor. The remaining trustees shall 19
120	125		be chosen by members of the North Carolina Symphony Society, Incorporated, in such manner 20
121	126		and for such terms as that body shall determine. The initial members named by the Governor 21
122	127		shall be appointed from the members of the existing board of trustees of the North Carolina State 22
123	128		Symphony Society, Incorporated, for the balance of their existing terms. Subsequent 23
124	129		appointments shall be made for terms of four years each." 24
125	130		25
126	131		EXPAND AND CODIFY FREE SCHOOL GROUP ADMISSION 26
127	132		SECTION 6.(a) Article 2 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by 27
128	133		adding a new section to read: 28
129	134		"§ 143B-53.15 Free admission for school groups. 29
130	135		The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources may not impose fees on school groups 30
131	136		visiting sites owned or managed by the Department. For purposes of this section, "fees" refers to 31
132	137		any regular admission charge and does not include activity fees or a separate admission charge 32
133	138		for special or temporary exhibitions." 33
134	139		SECTION 6.(b) Section 14.11(g) of S.L. 2015-241 is repealed. 34
135	140		35
136	141		REPEAL OBSOLETE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 36
137	142		SECTION 7.(a) G.S. 121-12.1 is repealed. 37
138	143		SECTION 7.(b) G.S. 143-406 reads as rewritten: 38
139	144		"§ 143-406. Duties of Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 39
140	145		The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources shall take action to carry out the following 40
141	146		purposes as funds and staff permit: 41
142	147		(1) Study, collect, maintain, and otherwise disseminate factual data and pertinent 42
143	148		information relative to the arts; 43
144	149		(2) Assist local organizations and the community at large with needs, resources 44
145	150		and opportunities in the arts; 45
146	151		(3) Serve as an agency through which various public and nonpublic organizations 46
147	152		concerned with the arts can exchange information, coordinate programs and 47
148	153		stimulate joint endeavors; 48
149	154		(4) Identify research needs, encourage research and assist in obtaining funds for 49
150	155		research; 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
151		-	Page 4 ~~Senate Bill 477-First Edition~~
	156	+	Page 4 DRS35191-MH-75
152	157		(5) Assist in bringing the highest obtainable quality in the arts to the State; 1
153	158		promote the maximum opportunity for the people to experience, enjoy, and 2
154	159		profit from those arts. 3
155	160		By February 15 of each odd-numbered year, the Department of Natural and Cultural 4
156	161		Resources shall, in addition to such other recommendations, studies, and plans as it may submit 5
157	162		from time to time, submit a biennial report of progress to the Governor, the Joint Legislative 6
158	163		Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the chairs of the 7
159	164		Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources, the chairs 8
160	165		of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Agriculture and Natural and 9
161	166		Economic Resources, and the Fiscal Research Division." 10
162	167		11
163	168		STATE NATURE AND HISTORIC PRESERVE ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS 12
164	169		SECTION 8. It is the intent of the General Assembly to enact the following deletions 13
165	170		from the State Nature and Historic Preserve set forth in G.S. 143-260.10: 14
166	171		(1) A portion of Mayo River State Park. 15
167	172		(2) A portion of Chimney Rock State Park. 16
168	173		(3) An easement at Raven Rock State Park. 17
169	174		(4) A portion of the Fonta Flora State Trail. 18
170	175		(5) A portion of Wilderness Gateway State Trail. 19
171	176		(6) A portion of New River State Park. 20
172	177		21
173	178		EFFECTIVE DATE 22
174	179		SECTION 9. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 23
175	180		law. 24