Legislative Update 6/22/23

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Legislative Updates

• The legislature remains in a post-crossover period, the date by which bills must pass their originating chamber to remain eligible for the remainder of session. This does not apply to appropriations or finance bills. We have included a detailed list of engineering-related bills below that met the crossover deadline or remain otherwise eligible. You can read the full list of bills that met crossover from Legislative Services here (does not include finance or appropriations bills).

• As budget negotiations continue, each chamber is holding many of the other’s bills from committees and floor votes in order to gain leverage in the negotiation process. 

• This week, the Senate is likely to vote on two bills which would alter state and local boards of elections as well as various voting procedures. Read more here.

  • SB 747: Elections Law Changes.

    • Eliminates three-day grace period for absentee ballots 

    • Bans private money from election administration

    • Adds additional security measures to elections

  • SB 749: No Partisan Advantage in Elections. 

    • Restructures the State Board of Elections to be evenly-split between Republicans and Democrats

    • Gives appointment privileges to legislators rather than the Governor 

• On Tuesday of this week, the Senate overrode four of Governor Cooper’s vetoes. Read more here. 

  • SB 364: Nondiscrim & Dignity in State Work.

    • Prohibits “compelled speech” and promoting certain concepts in the workplace and in hiring

  • SB 331: Consumer Finance Act Amendments. 

    • Increases fees by the licensee to the buyer from $15 to $18

    • Requires a licensee to notify the Commissioner of any change in the name and address of the licensee or of the president, secretary, or agent of a corporation, or in the membership of a partnership, but does not outline when that notice must be filed

    • Increases the monetary threshold of loan contracts from $15,000 or less to $25,000

  • SB 329: Retail Installment Sales Act Amendments. 

    • Modifies the maximum finance charge rates that may be applied to consumer credit installment sale contracts and would increase from $15 to $18 the default charge for past due installment payments 

  • SB 299: Reimburse Late Audit Costs with Sales Tax Rev.

    • Allows penalties to be assessed to local governments that are to file audits by withholding sales tax revenue from them

    • State Auditor, Beth Wood, and State Treasurer, Dale Folwell, both issued a joint statement supporting an override of this bill, because it incentivizes local governments to be more timely and organized with their audits

• The Army Corps of Engineers has issued an “emergency exception” to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), for Wrightsville Beach to use sand from Masonboro Inlet to help ease its erosion problem. Read more here. 

• Months after its passing in the Senate, the House took up SB 58, which would impose harsher penalties on damaging electrical substations and other energy facilities and critical infrastructure, making it a Class C felony to do so. This bill is a big step towards further protecting the state’s infrastructure and assets and has now become law.