North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S63 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 63
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35032-NE-2
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Board of Motor Vehicles/Authority Study. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Rabon, Sawyer, and Lazzara (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~February 10, 2025~~
11		-	~~S63-v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35032 -NE-2
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE BOARD OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND TO STUDY THE 2
14	15		CREATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY . 3
15	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
16	17		5
17	18		PART I. ESTABLISH BOARD OF MOTOR VEHICLES 6
18	19		SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 20-2(a) reads as rewritten: 7
19	20		"(a) Commissioner and Assistants. – The Division of Motor Vehicles shall be 8
20	21		administered by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, who shall be appointed by and serve at 9
21	22		the pleasure of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Board of Motor Vehicles. The 10
22	23		Commissioner shall be paid an annual salary to be fixed by the Governor and allowed traveling 11
23	24		expenses as allowed by law. 12
24	25		In any action, proceeding, or matter of any kind, to which the Commissioner of Motor 13
25	26		Vehicles is a party or in which he may have an interest, all pleadings, legal notices, proof of 14
26	27		claim, warrants for collection, certificates of tax liability, executions, and other legal documents, 15
27	28		may be signed and verified on behalf of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles by the Assistant 16
28	29		Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or by any director or assistant director of any section of the 17
29	30		Division of Motor Vehicles or by any other agent or employee of the Division so authorized by 18
30	31		the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles." 19
31	32		SECTION 1.(b) Article 1 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by 20
32	33		adding a new section to read: 21
33	34		"§ 20-2.1. Board of Motor Vehicles. 22
34	35		(a) There is hereby created a Board of Motor Vehicles. The Board is responsible for 23
35	36		appointing the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and overseeing the organization and 24
36	37		administration of the Division of Motor Vehicles by the Commissioner. 25
37	38		(b) The Board consists of nine voting members as follows: 26
38	39		(1) The Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's designee. 27
39	40		(2) The Secretary of the Department of Information Technology or the Secretary's 28
40	41		designee. 29
41	42		(3) The Commander of the State Highway Patrol or the Commander's designee. 30
42	43		(4) Two members appointed by the Governor. 31
43	44		(5) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 32
44	45		the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 33
45	46		(6) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 34
46		-	the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 63-First Edition
	47	+	the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 35
	48	+	FILED SENATE
	49	+	Feb 6, 2025
	50	+	S.B. 63
	51	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRS35032-NE-2
48	53		(c) The terms of one member of the Board each appointed under subdivisions (4), (5), 1
49	54		and (6) of subsection (b) of this section shall begin on July 1, 2025, and expire on June 30, 2027. 2
50	55		The terms of one member of the Board each appointed under subdivisions (4), (5), and (6) of 3
51	56		subsection (b) of this section shall begin on July 1, 2025, and expire on June 30, 2029. Thereafter, 4
52	57		all Board members appointed under subdivisions (4) through (6) of subsection (b) of this section 5
53	58		shall be appointed for four-year terms beginning on July 1 of the year that the previous term 6
54	59		expired. 7
55	60		(d) Board members appointed under subdivisions (4) through (6) of subsection (b) of this 8
56	61		section shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. The appointing authority may 9
57	62		appoint a member to serve out the unexpired term of a Board member appointed by that 10
58	63		appointing authority. The appointing authority may remove a member of the Board appointed by 11
59	64		that appointing authority for any cause the appointing authority finds sufficient. 12
60	65		(e) The Board shall meet at least quarterly and may meet at any time at the call of the 13
61	66		chairperson or any three members of the Board. All clerical and other services required by the 14
62	67		Board shall be supplied by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation. 15
63	68		(f) The Board shall select a chairperson and may select other officers from among its 16
64	69		membership. The Board shall have the power to adopt and enforce rules and regulations for the 17
65	70		government of its business and proceedings. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum 18
66	71		for the transaction of business. Board members shall receive per diem and necessary travel and 19
67	72		subsistence expenses in accordance with G.S. 138-5 and G.S. 138-6, as appropriate." 20
68	73		SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 20-3 reads as rewritten: 21
69	74		"§ 20-3. Organization of Division. 22
70	75		The Commissioner, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Department of 23
71	76		Transportation, shall organize and administer the Division in such manner as he the 24
72	77		Commissioner may deem necessary to conduct the work of the Division." 25
73	78		26
74	79		PART II. STUDY CREATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY 27
75	80		SECTION 2.(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to consider the creation of 28
76	81		the Motor Vehicle Authority as a successor agency to the Division of Motor Vehicles of the 29
77	82		North Carolina Department of Transportation. The proposed Authority would assume the legal 30
78	83		authority currently exercised by the Division and, at minimum, meet all of the following criteria: 31
79	84		(1) Be composed of a nine-member board, with five members appointed by the 32
80	85		General Assembly and four members appointed by the Governor. 33
81	86		(2) Appoint a chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer. 34
82	87		(3) Be responsible for (i) hiring the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and (ii) 35
83	88		setting the Commissioner's salary. 36
84	89		(4) Have the authority to replace the Commissioner. 37
85	90		SECTION 2.(b) The Department of Transportation, in consultation with the 38
86	91		Department of Information Technology and the State Highway Patrol, shall study and provide a 39
87	92		plan for implementing the creation of the Motor Vehicle Authority described in subsection (a) of 40
88	93		this section. The study and plan shall address (i) the feasibility of creating the Authority, (ii) all 41
89	94		statutory changes necessary to create the Authority and transfer the Division's responsibilities to 42
90	95		the Authority, (iii) an estimated time line for the creation of the Authority as a successor agency, 43
91	96		including steps required to facilitate the succession, and (iv) any other issue deemed relevant to 44
92	97		the study and implementation plan. 45
93	98		SECTION 2.(c) The Department of Transportation shall report the findings of the 46
94	99		study required by this section, including the proposed implementation plan and any associated 47
95	100		legislative recommendations, to the North Carolina General Assembly, the chairs of the Joint 48
96	101		Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division no later than 49
97	102		January 1, 2026. 50
98	103		51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 63-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS35032-NE-2 Page 3
100	105		PART III. EFFECTIVE DATE 1
101	106		SECTION 3. Part I of this act becomes effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of this 2
102	107		act is effective when it becomes law. 3