A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to reinvest in rural North carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Quality the nonrecurring sum of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for water and sewer infrastructure grants to units of local government. The Department shall (i) develop guidelines for an application process by units of local government and the allocation of funds granted pursuant to this section and (ii) prioritize projects based on severity of need, efficiency of use of funding, and number of persons served.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety the nonrecurring sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for grants to municipal and county sheriff and police departments and municipal, county, and volunteer fire departments for needed equipment. The Department shall (i) develop guidelines for an application process by units of local government and eligible departments and for the allocation of funds granted pursuant to this section and (ii) prioritize awarding funds based on age of equipment, severity of need, efficiency of use of funding, and number of persons served by the recipient department.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Commerce the nonrecurring sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for grants to units of local government for land acquisition of sites suitable for economic development uses. The Department shall (i) develop guidelines for an application process by units of local government and for the allocation of funds granted pursuant to this section and (ii) prioritize awarding funds based on likelihood of attracting companies to the site, the development area tier ranking applicable to the unit of local government seeking the award, and the availability of alternative sites developed or ready for development.
SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the nonrecurring sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be allocated as a directed grant to the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation to be used to further the placement of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners in underserved areas throughout North Carolina to improve access to care for all citizens of our State.
SECTION 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services the nonrecurring sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for purposes consistent with the Fund.
SECTION 6.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the nonrecurring sum of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for grants to local school administrative units in rural areas for new construction and capital improvement needs. The Department shall (i) develop guidelines for an application process by local school administrative units for the allocation of funds granted pursuant to this section and (ii) prioritize awarding funds based on age and condition of school facilities, use of facilities, anticipated life of facilities to be funded, severity of need, efficiency of use of funding, and number of students using the facilities to be funded.
SECTION 7.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Information Technology the nonrecurring sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used as additional, supplemental funding for broadband expansion programs administered by the Department.
SECTION 8.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education, the nonrecurring sum of one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used as additional, supplemental funding for early learning opportunities and programs administered by the Department.
SECTION 9.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.