UPDATED: THROUGH 10/5/2015
David Owens
School of Government
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The following is a list of bills related to planning, land use regulation, environment, transportation, and similar matters addressed in 2015.
The General Assembly convened on January 14, 2015 and adjourned on September 30, 2015. The General Assembly will reconvene on April 25, 2016. Bills elibible for consideration in 2016 inclde budget adjustments, bills that passed the house of introduction by April 2015 crossover deadline, and recommendations from study committees.
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 was reported out of a committee with a favorable recommendation, but no floor action has been taken.
- "Passed" indicates the bill has passed third reading in the indicated house.
- "Conf." indicates a conference committee was appointed to reconcile differences in House and Senate versions of adopted bills, but no conference report has been adopted.
- "Ratif." indicates final General Assembly approval, pending action by Governor. While the legislature is still in session, the Governor has ten days to after presentment of ratified bills to sign or veto them; they become law if no action is taken in that time.
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 | Title/Short Description | Identical | House Action | Senate Action | Session Law |
H. 3 | Referendum on 5/3/16 to amend state constitution to limit eminent domain to public uses | S. 74 | Passed |
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H. 44 | Local government regulatory reform, including: Authorize cities to provide annual notice to chronic violators or overgrown vegetation ordinances; abate uninhabitable houses on beach more than 120 days; prohibit requiring compliance with state voluntary rule; enforcement of ordinance in ETJ provision; exempt fence wraps as signs at construction sites; apply choice of regulation rule to zoning permits; require density credits for dedicated rights of way; limit local riparian buffers; limit regulation of beehives; prohibit definition of dwelling units that exceed state statute or rule; remove size and term limits on development agreements | S.53 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-246 |
H. 51 | Abolish municipal extraterritorial planning and development regulation jurisdiction | ||||
H. 73 | Annex specified area into Cary | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-77 | |
H. 74 | Study role of MPO and RPO in transportation planning | Passed | |||
H. 89 | Restore various economic development tax credits and incentives | ||||
H. 97 | 2015-17 state budget | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-241 | |
H. 99 | Deannex specified area from Polkton | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-78 | |
H. 131 | Deannex specified area from Maggie Valley | Passed | |||
H. 141 | Authorize high population cities to undertake flood damage reduction measures within stormwater programs | Passed | |||
H. 152 | Historic preservation tax credit | Passed | |||
H. 156 | Clarify web posting by newspapers of published notices | S. 129 | Passed | ||
H. 172 | Require EMC to develop rules re fracking emissions | ||||
H. 183 | Repeal official map act | Passed | |||
H. 186 | Study Cape Fear River basin water availability | ||||
H. 201 | Replace zoning protest petition with written citizen comment; remove affirmative vote provision regarding abstentions on zoning amendments; effective 8/1/15 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-160 | |
H. 217 | Clayton deannexation and annexation | S. 265 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-83 |
H. 218 | Clayton annexation | S. 264 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-79 |
H. 219 | Allow Carrboro to apply 2012 conservation building code | S. 179 | |||
H. 234 | Reinstate Mountain Island Marine Commission | Comm. fav. | |||
H. 255 | Revise building permit inspections, fees, reviews | S. 324 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-145 |
H. 259 | Technical corrections to various statutes | Passed | Passed | Ratififed | |
H. 266 | Annex specified area into Lenoir | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-129 | |
H. 304 | Revise outdoor advertising permitting and fees | S. 320 | |||
H. 307 | Amend Zebulon exactions/fees charter provisions | ||||
H. 322 | Allow Morrisville to require multifamily developments to provide funds for recreation lands | S. 249 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-130 |
H. 343 | Extend Clayton ETJ to specified area; delete area of Wallace ETJ | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-171 | |
H. 346 | Clarify that counties can enforce ordinances within ocean beach public trust areas | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-70 | |
H. 353 | Allow Wilson Mills satellite annexation in excess of 10% city area | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-80 | |
H. 362 | Allow cities to require business registration and allow reasonable fee | ||||
H. 363 | Allow High Point to annex doughnut hole areas | ||||
H. 386 | Relax Hope Mills and Spring Lake satellite annexation restrictions | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-172 | |
H. 400 | Annex specified area into Mint Hill | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-131 | |
H. 411 | Deannex specified area from Angier | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-139 | |
H. 412 | Annex specified areas into Dunn and Holly Ridge | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-175 | |
H. 418 | Create property tax relief for nonconforming residential structures | ||||
H. 426 | Deannex specified area from Weldon | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-132 | |
H. 444 | Deannex specified area from Shallotte | ||||
H. 464 | Revise regional transportation authorities | ||||
H. 483 | Apply choice of new/existing rules to zoning applications; revised scope of vesting with site specific development plans; revise provisions on judicial review of land use decisions | Passed | |||
H. 491 | Annex areas into Charlotte | ||||
H. 493 | Lake Lure deannexation, subject to referendum | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-140 | |
H. 526 | Transfer specifeied area from Locust to Stanfield annexation | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-257 | |
H. 530 | Revise building inspection laws | S. 442 | Comm. fav. | ||
H. 544 | Allow requirement that signs required by county ordinance in city parks comply with city sign ordinances | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-166 | |
H. 548 | Study proposed Ch. 160D to reorganize and modernize planning and development statutes, report to 2016 legislative session | Passed | |||
H. 553 | Prohibit city and county ordinances that set standards of care for farm animals | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-192 | |
H. 583 | Require state building code to be posted online | ||||
H. 591 | Clarify city authority to regulate uninhabitable structures located on ocean beaches (incorporated in H. 44) | Passed | Comm. fav. | ||
H. 613 | Clarify that cities can enforce state law on political signs on state highways within the city | Passed | Comm. fav. | ||
H. 630 | Alternative water quality protection for Falls Lake | Passed | |||
H. 634 | Clarify stormwater built-upon areas | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2014-149 | |
H. 635 | Require specific information before building permits issued for water, sewer, and stormwater pipes and require post-construction drawings | ||||
H. 638 | Encourage wetland mitigation practices supportive of public recreation and hunting | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-194 | |
H. 705 | Broaden septic systems that may serve as repair areas | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-147 | |
H. 706 | Exempt open air rustic cabins from state building code | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-19 | |
H. 708 | Cities and counties notify state agencies of heritage trees | Passed | |||
H. 721 | Modify performance guarantee provisions of subdivision statute, limit withholding building permits due to completion of separate permit of compliance with land use regulations | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-187 | |
H. 760 | Regulatory reform -- require zoning density credits for ROW severable development rights; delegation of riparian buffer; stakeholder group to address flood elevations and building heights; limit definitions of dwelling units/bedrooms different from state standard; allow greater development agreement flexibility; limit riparian buffers | Passed | |||
H. 765 | Regulatory reform for state environmental regulations, including water, air, and stormwater programs | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-286 | |
H. 763 | Establish joint legislative task force on regulatory reform | Passed | |||
H. 795 | Amend state environmental policy act | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-90 | |
H. 799 | Allow property owners to request removal from historic district, allow agreements on extended time for COA reviews | Comm. fav. | |||
H. 836 | Local government regulatory reform | ||||
H. 874 | Allow requirement of municipal availability charges where water and sewer lines available | Comm. fav. | |||
H. 875 | Require county approval for municipal eminent domain outside city limits in Ashe and Watauga counties | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-240 | |
H. 904 | Study drainage needs | Passed | |||
H. 922 | Regulate and tax video sweepstakes | ||||
H. 938 | Establish gaming commission, regulate and tax electronic sweepstakes | ||||
S.25 | Limit design requirements in zoning for single family homes and duplexes | H. 36 | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-86 |
S. 53 | Authorize cities to provide annual notice to chronic violators or overgrown vegetation ordinances (incorporarted in H. 44) | H. 44 | Passed | Comm. fav. | |
S.58 | Make satellite annexation for Yanceyville and allow ETJ from it | ||||
S. 74 | Referendum on 5/3/16 to amend state constitution to limit eminent domain to public uses | H.3 | |||
S. 93 | Annex specified area into Yanceyville | ||||
S. 106 | Provide that funds appropriated to acquire military buffers are nonreverting | ||||
S. 119 | Technical corrections, including revision of preemption of local ordinances affecting fracking | Passed | Passed | Ratif. | |
S. 122 | Annex specified area to Glen Alpine | ||||
S. 129 | Clarify web posting by newspapers of published notices | H. 156 | |||
S. 130 | Delineate coastal wetlands/riparian buffers for Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers | ||||
S. 141 | Annex specified Lake Junaluska area into Waynesville, subject to referendum | Comm. fav. | Passed | ||
S. 155 | Ease income requirements for entry of land into agricultural land use value taxation | ||||
S. 179 | Allow Carrboro to apply 2012 energy conservation code in building code | ||||
S. 180 | Allow expanded housing discrimination ordinance in Carrboro | ||||
S. 202 | Reenact historic preservation rehab tax credits | ||||
S. 210 | Allow electronic notice for published hearing notices | ||||
S. 214 | Deannex specified area from Wesley Chapel | ||||
S. 218 | Remove specified satellite annexation restrictions for Franklin and Archdale; deannex specified area from Murphy | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-81 | |
S. 249 | Allow Morrisville to require multifamily developments to provide funds for recreation lands | Passed | |||
S. 255 | Allow Durham to notice and hold public hearings on zoning pending annexation | Comm. fav. | Passed | ||
S. 256 | Allow Durham annexation of adjacent streets | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-82 | |
S. 282 | Improve state-owned submerged lands inventory | ||||
S. 285 | Amend zoning protest petition to 2/3 vote and 15% of side to qualify | ||||
S. 285 | Create new historic preservation tax credit | ||||
S. 292 | Study procedure for municipal incorporation | ||||
S. 300 | Repeal zoning protest petition | ||||
S. 315 | Authorize local school boards to make school playgrounds available for other public recreational use | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-64 | |
S. 320 | Revise outdoor advertising permitting and fees | H.304 | |||
S. 324 | Revise building permit inspections, fees, reviews | H. 255 | |||
S. 364 | Revise official map act re ROW protection | ||||
S. 373 | Repeal official map act | ||||
S. 396 | Limit MPO and RPO studies to project for which sufficient funding is available | ||||
S. 442 | Revise building inspection laws | ||||
S. 446 | Authorize Brunswick Co. to regulate navigable waters within county | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-232 | |
S. 453 | Various regulatory reform provisions, including relaxing restrictions on temporary erosion control structures, shift sedimentation control to EMC | ||||
S. 472 | Authorize incentives for historic preservation rehabilitation | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-277 | |
S. 513 | Amend various agriculture statutes, including use value taxation and modification of conservation agreements | Passed | |||
S. 518 | Modify newspapers that can publish legal notices | ||||
S. 552 | Revise civil penalty provisions for sedimentation control violations | ||||
S. 572 | Require DENR to study regulatory barriers to agricultural drainage impacted by sea level rise | ||||
S. 581 | Direct DOT to study process for accepting subdivision roads and to adopt policy for traffic calming on subdivision roads if supported by 60% affected property owners | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-217 | |
S. 617 | Local government regulatory reform | ||||
S. 645 | Establish urban/rural growth and development task force | ||||
S. 654 | Amend official map act to hold Wilmington MPO harmless for claims arising under the act | Passed | Passed | S.L. 2015-151 | |