UPDATED TO: 3/10/22
The 2021 session of the North Carolina General Assembly convened on January 13, 2021 and adjourned on March 11, 2022. This is the "long session" of the 2021-22 General Assembly. The 2022 short session convenses on April 4, 2022.
The following is a list of bills related to planning, land use regulation, environment, transportation, and similar matters. Where substantially similar or identical bills were filed in both houses and only one was adopted or passed the house of introduction, only that bill is listed. Most individual appropriation bills are not listed, as those to be enacted are incorporated into the overall budget act.
House bills are listed first, followed by Senate bills. The last action taken in each house is indicated. For bills that have become law, a session law chapter number is included in the last column. Abbreviations used in the table are:
- "Comm. fav." indicates the bill has been reported out of a committee with a favorable recommendation, but no floor action has been taken.
- "Passed" indicates the bill passed third reading in the indicated house ("Passed 2d" indicates it has passed second reading but not third reading)
- "Conf." indicates a conference committee has been appointed to reconcile differences in House and Senate versions of adopted bills.
- "Ratif." indicates final General Assembly approval, pending action by Governor
Quick links to the bill texts are provided for some bills. Clicking on the underlined Bill Numbers in the far left column will take you to the General Assembly's detailed information on that bill (including sponsors, bill history, and votes). That site also has a link for the latest text of the bill. Clicking on the underlined Session Law numbers in the far right column will take you to a copy of the bill as enacted. Copies of the texts of all bills, and a detailed legislative history for each bill, can be obtained through the General Assembly's Bill Information web site.
| Bill Number | Title/Short Description | House Action | Senate Action | Session Law |
| H. 19 | Remove cap on satellite annexation for North Wilkesboro, Norwood, and Oakboro | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2020-101 |
| H. 24 | Transfer property between Chimney Rock Village and Town of Lake Lure | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-152 |
| H. 35 | Allow specified counties to publish hearing notices electronically rather than in newspapers | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 44 | Provide that terminal groin is not an erosion control device for purposes of G.S. 113A-115.1 | |||
| H. 50 | Add specified territory to Calypso | Passed | Passed | S.L.2021-98 |
| H. 51 | Allow specified eastern counties to publish hearing notices electronically rather than in newspapers | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 67 | Technical corrections bill (GSC), including Ch. 160D corrections/edits | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-88 |
| H. 70 | Enhance tax credit for renovation of historic schools that are used for educational purposes | Passed | ||
| H. 85 | Provide that inclusion of property in an unfunded comprehensive transportation plan is not a material fact that must be disclosed in real estate transactions | |||
| H. 110 | Increase building permit exemption threshold from $15,000 to $20,000 over a five year period | Passed | ||
| H. 161 | Modify statutes regarding clean-up of abandoned and derelict vessels | Passed | ||
| H. 164 | Deannex specified property from Greensboro, remove cap on satellite annexations for Rockwell | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-17 |
| H. 184 | Provide that inclusion of property in an unfunded comprehensive transportation plan is not a material fact that must be disclosed in real estate transactions | |||
| H. 218 | Limit application of stormwater rules for redevelopment of existing developed property under specified conditions | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-164 |
| H. 220 | Prohibit local governments from limiting choice of energy supply | Passed | Passed | Vetoed |
| H. 231 | Allow Durham school system to provide affordable housing to teachers and employees | |||
| H. 232 | Direct Legislative Research Commission to conduct study on affordable housing | Passed | ||
| H. 236 | Amend Orange/Chatham County boundary | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-67 |
| H. 250 | Allow Winston-Salem to convey city-owned property for affordable housing | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 243 | Budget technical corrections -- Authorize Lake Lure to regulate placement, location, condition, and removal of pilings for docks and piers in Lake Lure | Passed | Passed | |
| H. 263 | Allow High Point to delegate rezonings to planning board | Passed | ||
| H. 271 | Prohibit use of eminent domain except for public uses | Passed | ||
| H. 291 | Require plans for commercial and multifamily building permits to be decided within 21 days, allow DOI pool review if local government review is not timely | Passed | ||
| H. 326 | Update definitions of electronic gaming machines, strengthen prohibitions | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 342 | Require new one and two family homes to have charging station for electric vehicles | |||
| H. 343 | Study commuter rail in NC | |||
| H. 344 | Revise utility system development fees | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-76 |
| H. 357 | Allow Gaston County and its municipalities to use electronic rather than published hearing notices | |||
| H. 366 | Regulatory reform -- Clarify authority for local governments to require manufactured housing be installed in conformance with NCDOI set-up and installation standards, provided no masonry skirt wall may be required; nullify NCDOT amendments to billboard rules; provide for remote building inspections | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-117 |
| H. 375 | Remove cap on satellite annexation for Franklinville, Liberty, and Ramseur, delete area from Roxboro | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-86 |
| H. 401 | Require that all residential zoning districts allow duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, townhouses, and accessory dwelling units; limit additional information requests for pending development approval applications; prohibit delay in accepting or processing local development approval pending application for or issuance of state regulatory permits (and same for state permit processing pending local permitting); expand vested rights for uses discontinued for less than 24 months; prohibit down-zoning unless there is a change in circumstances that substantially affects public health, safety, or welfare; prohibit a ban of non-industrial uses other than public nuisances or those with a serious threat to public health, safety, or welfare; prohibit requiring particular land uses or structures above a specified size or number of dwelling units from being allowed only by conditional zoning; allow attorney fees and applicant choice of zoning to be applied if violation of these limits; limit intervention in civil actions appealing quasi-judicial decisions made after trial court decision; provide that approval by NCDOT of traffic impact analysis is conclusive evidence of no adverse traffic impact; prohibit appeals of quasi-judicial approvals if development is substantially commenced prior to a court injunction stopping work under the approval | |||
| H. 425 | Amend GS 160D-204 regarding parcels subject to multiple jurisdictions; allow developer to choose controlling jurisdiction if no mutual agreement between the local governments | Passed | ||
| H. 456 | Repeal authority for municipal extraterritorial planning and development regulation and transfer existing ETJ area to county jurisdiction | |||
| H. 477 | Allow local regulation of temporary event spaces for cities with over 100,00 population, alllow as accessory use in all zoning districts; ban SUP requirement; allow one per lot; set process for approval | Passed | ||
| H. 489 | Specify how intersection sight lines are calculated; limit fees for reinspections related to building code; modify erosion and sedimentation control provisions, set 90 day timeline for NCDOT acceptance of subdivision roads that meet minimum standards | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2020-121 |
| H. 496 | Prohibit local tree ordinances unless expressly authorized by General Assembly | Passed | ||
| H. 500 | Disaster Relief and Mitigation Act -- Make NCORR permanent, allocate mitigation and relief funding | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 632 | Enhance protection of riparian buffers | |||
| H. 635 | Ban hydraulic fracking | |||
| H. 640 | Modify rules for interbasin water transfer | |||
| H. 684 | Study development exactions | Passed | ||
| H. 687 | Allow sub-basin water transfers within a river basin | |||
| H. 712 | Limit standards that can be applied in conditional zoning of development that includes affordable housing | Passed | ||
| H. 720 | Required timely release of subdivision performance guarantees once transportation improvements are accepted | |||
| H. 783 | Create building code technician certifications | |||
| H. 784 | Require consideration of environmental justice concerns in environmental permitting | |||
| H. 794 | Require that schools be a permitted use in all zoning districts and exempt from local development regulations | Passed | ||
| H. 806 | Study state water and sewer infrastructure | |||
| H. 821 | Require award of attorney fees if local government does not prevail in action initiated by the local government, prohibit use of impact fees, community benefit agreements, affordable housing set asides, traffic impact analysis, or greenway mandates, limit impact fees with conditional zoning, require provision of water and sewer in ETJ if capacity is available for property added to ETJ after 10/1/21 | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 829 | Amend Ch. 160D provision on periodic inspections to revert to pre-2020 language | Passed | ||
| H. 831 | Limit interlocal agreements conditioning provision of water and sewer upon annexation | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 842 | Clarify limits on restrictive covenants regarding solar collectors | Passed | ||
| H. 854 | Clarifying amendments to Ch. 160D | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-168 |
| H. 853 | Set statutory requirements for development approval permit applications; set limits relative to certificates of occupancy for commercial buildings, require administrative review of local development approvals within 30 days | Comm. fav. | ||
| H. 911 | Regulatory reform, including limit on regulation of residential rentals, limit requirements for sprinklers in one and two family dwellings with limited fire access roads | Passed | ||
| S. 26 | Provide that a terminal groin is not an erosion control device for purposes of G.S. 113A-115.1 | |||
| S. 29 | Reduce length of time political signs can be displayed in public road ROW | |||
| S. 41 | Remove cap on satellite annexation for Franklnville, Liberty, Kings Mountain, Ramseur, Shelby, Stanley, and Vass | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-87 |
| S. 105 | 2021-23 state budget, includes limit on "harmony" requirement for affordable housing, limit local regulation of broadband service facilities in manner similar to small cell rules, allow relocation of some outdoor advertising signs | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-180 |
| S. 120 | Remove cap on satellite annexation for Vass | |||
| S. 122 | Deannex specified area from Spruce Pines, Weaverville | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-96 |
| S. 145 | Allow Winston-Salem to convey city property for provision of affordable housing | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-44 |
| S. 148 | Extend life of wastewater system permits issued 1/1/00 to 1/1/15 that have not been acted upon to 1/1/24 | Passed | ||
| S. 171 | Remove cap on satellite annexation for Belville and Wingate; deannex areas from Asheboro and Surf City | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-22 |
| S. 192 | Repeal local legislation re Hickory planning board and direct Hickory to use general statute instead | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-41 |
| S. 203 | Allow Durham school system to provide affordable housing to teachers and employees | |||
| S. 221 | Allow Durham County (and potentially five additional local government) BOA to continue quasi-judicial hearing if person with standing objects to remote hearing | Passed | ||
| S. 225 | Annex area into Autryville | |||
| S. 243 | Authorize Davidson to regulate building design on specified portion of Highway 115 | |||
| S. 244 | Modify subdivision exemption for specified historic district in Davidson | |||
| S. 245 | Authorize Davidson tree regulations | |||
| S. 246 | Modify Davidson local act regarding authority to limit demolition of historic structures | |||
| S. 253 | Extend and recodify authority of Cornelius to regulate vacation rental property | |||
| S. 279 | Authorize Bridgeton, New Bern, Oriental, and Trent Woods to regulate navigable waters in their corporate limits and ETJ | Passed | ||
| S. 281 | Repeal provision allowing Guilford County to use e-notice in lieu of published hearing notices | |||
| S. 300 | Omnibus criminal justice reform, including decriminalization of violations of planning and development regulations, tree and sign regulations | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-138 |
| S. 308 | Limit additional fees for reinspections for compliance with one- and two-family building code; prohibit delay in issuance of temporary C/O pending completion of corrections | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-183 |
| S. 319 | Allow local governments to exempt affordable housing projects from utility system development fees | |||
| Exempt small commercial projects from state building code, increase exempt projects threshold to $20,000 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-192 | |
| S. 349 | Require that all residential zoning districts allow duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, townhouses, and accessory dwelling units; limit additional information requests for pending development approval applications; prohibit delay in accepting or processing local development approval pending application for or issuance of state regulatory permits (and same for state permit processing pending local permitting); expand vested rights for uses discontinued for less than 24 months; prohibit down-zoning unless there is a change in circumstances that substantially affects public health, safety, or welfare; prohibit a ban of non-industrial uses other than public nuisances or those with a serious threat to public health, safety, or welfare; prohibit requiring particular land uses or structures above a specified size or number of dwelling units from being allowed only by conditional zoning; allow attorney fees and applicant choice of zoning to be applied if violation of these limits; limit intervention in civil actions appealing quasi-judicial decisions made after trial court decision; provide that approval by NCDOT of traffic impact analysis is conclusive evidence of no adverse traffic impact; prohibit appeals of quasi-judicial approvals if development is substantially commenced prior to a court injunction stopping work under the approval | |||
| S. 378 | Prohibit use of eminent domain except for public uses | |||
| S. 385 | Deannex specified area from Sunset Beach | |||
| S. 389 | Various amendments to DEQ programs, including protection of use of beach accesses by the general public, extend time to review CAMA contested case petitions for review, modify provisions for stormwater permits, modify NOVs for sedimentation violations | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-158 |
| S. 398 | Require state to indemnify Wilmington for potential official map act damages | |||
| S. 426 | Allow inclusionary zoning and fees in lieu | |||
| S. 428 | Allow city and county energy codes for new buildings | |||
| S. 436 | Allow local tree ordinances | |||
| S. 437 | Allow local government impact fees | |||
| S. 458 | Reestablish Mountain Lake Marine Commission | Passed | ||
| S. 478 | Building code and development regulation reforms | |||
| S. 484 | Allow New Bern in lieu fees for sidewalk construction | |||
| S. 519 | Require NCDOT to accept subdivisions roads within 10 days of receipt of certificate of completion | |||
| S. 554 | Promote use of shipping containers (single family on-frame modulars) for affordable housing | Passed | ||
| S. 588 | Reenact low income housing tax credit | |||
| S. 599 | Provide that terminal groin is not an erosion control device for purposes of G.S. 113A-115.1 | |||
| S. 602 | Establish collaborative flood resilience and protection program | |||
| S. 605 | 2021 Farm Bill, including revisions to voluntary agriculture districts | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2021-78 |
| S. 611 | Revise stop work orders for sedimentation violations | |||
| S. 639 | Commuter rail study for Triad area | |||
| S. 707 | Require notice of proposed zoning amendments to airports located within 5 miles of area affected by the amendment | Passed | ||
Public Officials - Local and State Government Roles
Topics - Local and State Government
