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The General Assembly
The 2024 short session convened on April 24, just under two weeks after holding a two-day
skeleton session that was a continuation from the 2023 session. Although the legislators adjourned
the session on June 28 without adopting a budget bill, legislators once again scheduled monthly
sessions through the end of the year and adjourned sine die on December 13. The Governor vetoed
ten bills and allowed only one bill to go into law without his signature.
This chapter provides an overview of the 2024 session, including major legislation enacted.
Please note that School of Government (SOG) faculty members and experts are writing summaries
of selected legislation of interest to State and local government officials. These summaries are
available on the SOG’s Legislative Reporting Service website. The summaries are available directly
at: https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/lrs/legsumms/2024; the site will be updated as new summaries are
available.
Overview of the 2024 Regular Session
Article II, Section 11, of the North Carolina Constitution provides for a biennial session of the
General Assembly that convenes in every odd-numbered year. Until 1973, the General Assembly
held a single regular session, convening in each odd-numbered year, meeting several months, and
then adjourning sine die. Prior to 1974, legislative sessions in even-numbered years of the biennium
were extra sessions and they were rare and of short duration.
Beginning with the 1973-74 biennium, the General Assembly began holding annual sessions.
The General Assembly convenes in January of odd-numbered years. In these “long sessions,” which
generally run through midsummer, a biennial budget is adopted and any legislative business may be
considered. In even-numbered years the General Assembly convenes for a “short session,” which
generally runs from May through July or August. In the short session the General Assembly
considers budget adjustments for the second year of the biennium and generally deals with bills that
have passed one house and a limited number of additional noncontroversial matters. Legally, the
short session is a continuation of the long session.
The 2024 short session convened earlier than usual, with a start date of April 24, and completed
the bulk of its work by June 28, at which time they adjourned and planned to return monthly, starting
July 10 and continuing with monthly sessions of varying lengths through December. As discussed
later in this document, under Ch. Res. 2024-2 (SJR 916), which was later amended by Ch. Res.
2024-5 (SJR 919), the issues that could be considered during those continuation sessions were
limited in scope. A more thorough discussion of what was done during each of these sessions can
be found near the end of this document.
The 2023 adjournment resolution, (Ch. Res. 2023-11; SJR 760), limited the matters that may
be considered during the 2024 short session to the following: (1) Bills directly and primarily
affecting the State budget, including (i) the budget of an occupational licensing board for fiscal year
2024-2025 and (ii) bills authorizing a fee for a unit of State government or political subdivision of
the State, provided that the bill must be submitted to the Bill Drafting Division of the Legislative
Services Office no later than 4:00 P.M. Monday, April 15, and must be introduced in the House of
Representatives or filed for introduction in the Senate no later than 4:00 P.M. Thursday, May 2,
2024. (2) Bills: a. Proposing an amendment or amendments to the North Carolina Constitution and
2 The General Assembly 2024
containing no other matter. b. Proposing an amendment or amendments to the North Carolina
Constitution and containing no other matter other than statutory conforming changes to implement
such bills. c. Solely making statutory and transitional changes to implement bills under sub-
subdivision a. of this subdivision. (3) Bills and resolutions introduced in 2023 (i) that passed third
reading in 2023 in the house in which introduced, were received in the other house in accordance
with Senate Rule 41 or House Rule 31.1(h), as appropriate, and not disposed of in the other house
by tabling, unfavorable committee report, indefinite postponement, or failure to pass any reading,
and which do not violate the rules of the receiving house or (ii) not subject to the deadline set forth
in Senate Rule 41 or House Rule 31.1(h), as appropriate. (4) Bills and resolutions implementing the
recommendations of: a. Study commissions, authorities, and statutory commissions authorized or
directed to report to the 2023 Regular Session. b. The General Statutes Commission, the Courts
Commission, or any commission created under Chapter 120 of the General Statutes that is
authorized or directed to report to the General Assembly. c. The House Ethics Committee. d. Select
committees. e. The Joint Legislative Ethics Committee or its Advisory Subcommittee. A bill
authorized by this subdivision must be submitted to the Bill Drafting Division of the Legislative
Services Office no later than 4:00 P.M. Monday, April 15, 2024, and must be filed for introduction
in the Senate or introduced in the House of Representatives no later than 4:00 P.M. Wednesday,
May 1, 2024. (5) Any local bill that has been submitted to the Bill Drafting Division of the
Legislative Services Office by 4:00 P.M. Monday, April 15, 2024, is introduced in the House of
Representatives, or filed for introduction in the Senate by 4:00 P.M. Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (6) Bills
providing for the selection, appointment, or confirmation as required by law, including the filling of
vacancies of positions for which the appointees were elected by the General Assembly upon
recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, or a minority leader of a chamber of the General Assembly. (7) Bills
providing for action on gubernatorial nominations or appointments. (8) Any matter authorized by
joint resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the House of Representatives
present and voting and by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Senate present and voting. A
bill or resolution filed in either house under the provisions of this subdivision shall have a copy of
the ratified enabling resolution attached to the jacket before filing for introduction in the Senate or
introduction in the House of Representatives. (9) A joint resolution authorizing the introduction of
a bill pursuant to subdivision (8) of this section. (10) Any bills primarily affecting any State or local
pension or retirement system, provided that the bill has been submitted to the Bill Drafting Division
of the Legislative Services Office no later than 4:00 P.M. Monday, April 15, 2024, and is introduced
in the House of Representatives or filed for introduction in the Senate no later than 4:00 P.M.
Thursday, May 2, 2024. (11) Joint resolutions and simple resolutions authorized for introduction
under Senate Rule 40.1 or House Rule 31. (12) Bills returned by the Governor with objections under
Section 22 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution, but solely for the purpose of considering
overriding of the veto upon reconsideration of the bill. (13) Bills responding to actions related to
litigation concerning the districts for Congressional, State House, State Senate, judicial, municipal,
county, and other elected officials' actions and any other litigation challenging the legality of
legislative enactments. (14) Any bills relating to election laws, including bills concerning the
districts for Congressional, State House, State Senate, judicial, municipal, county, and other elected
officials. (15) Bills to disapprove rules under G.S. 150B-21.3. (16) Bills providing for impeachment
pursuant to Article IV of the North Carolina Constitution or Chapter 123 of the General Statutes.
(17) A joint resolution further adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, amending a joint resolution
adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, or adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, sine die. A list of the
bills that made it through the crossover deadline can be found here on the North Carolina General
Assembly’s website: https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewDocSiteFile/79110.
Ch. Res. 2023-11 also allowed the Speaker of the House or the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate to authorize appropriate committees or subcommittees of their respective houses to meet
during the interims between sessions to: (1) review matters related to the State budget for the 2023-
25 fiscal biennium; (2) prepare reports, including revised budgets; or (3) consider any other matters
deemed appropriate. Allows a conference committee to meet in the interim upon approval by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Conference
3 The General Assembly 2024
committees are also allowed to meet in the interim with approval by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives or the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Statistical Comparison
The 2024 short session convened on April 24 and once again included a continuation of session
via monthly sessions that took place through the end of the year. While work, including veto
overrides, was done during these sessions, the sessions in the late fall were primarily spent on
disaster relief following damage caused to Western North Carolina by Hurricane Helene. The need
for this work, including an additional October session, led to legislators being in session more days
than we have seen since the 2014 short session. We continue to see a decline in the number of bills
that became law. Only 58 bills, or 17% of the bills that were introduced, became law. A greater
number of these bills were vetoed during this short session compared to the 2022 short session,
putting it more in line with sessions in 2018 and 2020; as discussed in detail below, all 10 of the
Governor’s vetoes were overridden.
Table 1 compares the 2024 session with other even-year sessions of the past ten years.
Table 1. Statistical Comparisons of Recent Even-Year Sessions
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022*
2024*
Date convened
May 14
April 25
May 16
April 28
May 18
April 24
Date adjourned
August
20
July 1
June 29
September
3
December
31
December
13
Senate
legislative days
56
44
28
44
44
53
House
legislative days
55
41
30
42
43
55
Senate
bills introduced
157
181
109
170
169
159
House
bills introduced
253
206
175
204
197
185
Total bills introduced
410
387
284
374
366
344
Session Laws Enacted
122
144
132
102
72
58
Vetoes
1
1
12
11
4
10
* Includes sessions convened through the end of the year.
The Legislative Institution
Membership Changes
Several legislators resigned their positions during the summer following the 2024 session.
Representative Jason Saine, who served 6.5 terms in the House and represented District 97, resigned
August 12; Heather H. Rhyne was named as his replacement. Representative Ashton Wheeler
Clemmons, who represented District 57 and served three terms, resigned August 5; Tracy Boyer
Clark was named as her replacement. There were also resignations among legislators who were not
running for re-election. Representative John Faircloth, who represented District 62 and served seven
terms in the House, resigned effective September 6; John M. Blust, who has previously served as
both a State Representative and Senator, was named as his replacement. Representative Jeffrey
4 The General Assembly 2024
Elmore who represented District 94 and served six terms, resigned effective September 13; Blair
Eddins was named as his replacement.
The Senate saw fewer membership changes, beginning with the resignation of Senator Jim
Perry, who served two terms in the Senate representing District 2 and was running for re-election,
on July 2; Bob Brinson has been named as his replacement. Senator Joyce Krawiec, who did not run
for re-election, resigned her seat on November 21; her replacement, Dana Jones, was appointed a
few days later on November 24.
Study Committees and Commissions
The 2024 session did not include a comprehensive study bill, but several bills were passed that
required pilot programs or studies to be performed by already existing committees, commissions, or
departments.
S.L. 2024-45 (Senate Bill 607) requires the Legislative Library to request documentation and
confirmation of activity to all boards, committees, and commissions that have not expired or been
repealed, including current membership, last reported minutes, and current bylaws. The Legislative
Library is required to give the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee
(APO Committee) a list of those entities that (1) fail to respond to the request within 120 days, or
(2) respond but have not met within the previous 12 months. The APO Committee must recommend
legislation to the 2025 Regular Session of the 2025 General Assembly to repeal the boards,
committees, and commissions that are on the list.
S.L. 2024-32 (Senate Bill 355) requires the Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study
Commission to study communication lines that fall below the minimum height requirement and
create a public safety hazard, particularly to agricultural operations. A report is required before the
convening of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
In late 2024, Speaker Moore also authorized the creation of the House Select Committee on
Helene Recovery, which met in December. While the Committee didn’t have much time to act
before the end of the biennium, they expressed interest in obtaining permission to continue their
work into 2025.
Major Legislation Enacted in 2024
The 2024 General Assembly enacted a number of significant pieces of legislation, a few of
which are discussed below. Please note that additional legislation passed by the General Assembly
is discussed in the Governor’s Veto section of this document.
DMV Studies
S.L. 2024-30 (House Bill 199) requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to study and develop a
plan for implementing mobile drivers licenses and mobile special identification cards. The study is
required to include nine different topics, including (1) anticipated drivers license and special
identification card issuance and renewal process changes, (2) anticipated changes to staffing needs
for the Division for implementation of mobile drivers licenses and mobile special identification
cards, (3) estimated one-time and annual costs to the Division or any other State agency resulting
from implementation, and (4) concerns of State and local law enforcement agencies within North
Carolina, including examining means by which to prevent unintended violations of an individual's
constitutional rights. The act also requires the DMV, in consultation with the Department of Adult
Correction, to study the use of alternative materials in the manufacture of registration plates. Reports
on these studies are due January 1, 2025. Lastly, the act requires the DMV to study how to modernize
and improve dealer license plates, including the process for issuance and the format and design of
the plates. A report is due on this study by December 31, 2024.
5 The General Assembly 2024
Criminal Law
Several bills were enacted during the 2024 short session that amend or add to criminal offenses
in North Carolina. One of the most high-profile changes was to the exceptions to the State’s ban on
wearing masks (S.L. 2024-16; House Bill 237). Other legislation made changes impacting juvenile
delinquency, created the offense of money laundering, made changes to the littering laws, and made
changes to the regulation of various tobacco products. All of these bills, and more are explored in
more detail in the following document written by faculty member Brittany Bromell:
https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/2024-criminal-legislative-summaries/.
S.L. 2024-17 (House Bill 834) made a number of changes impacting juvenile delinquency,
including changes to jurisdiction over juveniles who commit certain felonies. These changes, and
other made in the act, are discussed in detail in the following blog posts written by faculty member
Jacquelyn Greene: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/change-to-the-law-of-juvenile-jurisdiction-
and-juvenile-transfer-to-superior-court/; https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/changes-coming-to-
delinquency-law/#more-19051; and https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/considerations-when-
processing-arrests-of-16-and-17-year-olds-under-criminal-jurisdiction/.
Constitutional Amendments
When voters went to the polls in November, they were presented with a possible change to
North Carolina’s Constitution. Under S.L. 2024-18 (House Bill 1074), voters voted on an
amendment to the State’s Constitution during the 2024 general election to amend Section 1 to allow
only a citizen of the United States (instead of every person born in the United States and every
person who has been naturalized) to vote. The amendment was approved by voters.
During the December session, legislators passed another proposed amendment to the North
Carolina Constitution that will go before voters during the 2026 election. S.L. 2024-58 (Senate Bill
921) would require that all voters, not just those voting in person, to present photo identification.
Limited Driving Privileges, Ignition Interlock, and Other Changes
S.L. 2024-43 (House Bill 250) makes a number of changes that impact public safety, along with
changes impacting death investigations, the license plate reader pilot program, the Rural
Electrification Authority and fees, use of eminent domain by school boards, leases by the Halifax-
Northampton Regional Airport Authority, and veteran burial residency requirements.
Section 6 of the act adds Tianeptine to the controlled substances schedule as a Schedule II
controlled substance. This change became effective December 1, 2024.
The act also includes a number of changes related to limited driving privileges and who must
use the ignition interlock system upon the restoration of their drivers license. These changes, which
became effective December 1, 2024, are discussed in detail in the following blog post written by
SOG faculty member Shea Denning: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/2024-changes-to-laws-
governing-limited-driving-privileges-and-requiring-ignition-interlock/.
Farm Act
The 2024 session included the passage of the annual Farm Act. S.L. 2024-32 (Senate Bill 355)
made numerous changes to the State’s agricultural and environmental laws. Topics addressed in the
bill include, but are not limited to, adding horse boarding to the definition of agriculture, expansion
of the role of the Sweetpotato Commission and changes to the program that regulates and promotes
North Carolina sweetpotatoes, changes to the prohibition on the transportation of feral swine,
changes to shellfish leases and franchisees, extension of animal waste management system general
permits, expanding the allowable use of funds appropriated to the Bioenergy Research Initiative,
increasing the amount of funding that may be used for sow housing under the swine and dairy
6 The General Assembly 2024
assistance program, exempting property used for bona fide farm purposes from county and city
stormwater utility fees.
The act also created a permanent Prescribed Burning Cost Share Program with the purpose of
supporting prescribed burns on privately owned forestland. The program is to be supervised by the
North Carolina Forest Service and becomes effective July 1, 2025. The act makes a number of
changes to the tax credit allowed for the donation of real property, to now include those that are
useful for forestland or farmland preservation, for fish and wildlife conservation, as a buffer to limit
land use activities that interfere with military training, testing, or operations, for flood plan
protection in counties meeting specified disaster criteria, for historic landscape conservation, or for
public trail or access to those trails. Another notable provision in the act established the third
Saturday of October as North Carolina Great Trails State Day, beginning in 2024.
Regulatory Reform Act
The Regulatory Reform Act of 2024, S.L. 2024-45 (Senate Bill 607), makes a number of
changes impacting occupational licensing; energy, environment, natural resources and utilities;
State government; and other areas of the law. Only a few of those provisions are discussed here.
The act includes a provision amending G.S. 150B-21.21 so that rules submitted to the
Codifier of Rules by the North Carolina State Bar, Building Code Council, and agencies exempt
from the standard APA rulemaking process, become effective the first day of the month following
submission for inclusion in the North Carolina Administrative Code.
Section 9 of the act includes several changes to crimes involving critical infrastructure. The
act amends the offense of contaminating a public water system by creating a separate offense of
injuring a public water system. The act also creates the offense of injuring a wastewater treatment
system. Each of these offenses is a Class C Felony and also includes a fine of $250,000. The
section also increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class C felony the punishment for
willfully injuring a public utility’s property, which has been expanded to include hardware,
software, or other digital infrastructure necessary for the public utility’s operations. Finally, the
section includes the new offense of injuring a manufacturing facility (defined as a facility used for
the lawful projection or manufacturing of goods), punishable as a Class C felony along with a fine
of $250,000. For each of these offenses, a victim whose person or property was injured during one
of these crimes to take civil action for treble damages against any person who committed the
violation and any person who acts as an accessory before or after the fact, aids or abets, solicits,
conspires, or lends material support to the violation. These provisions apply to offenses committed
on or after December 1, 2024.
A new Article 3 of G.S. Chapter 64, Prohibit Adversarial Foreign Government Acquisition of
High Purity Quartz, is established in Section 10 of the act. This new Article prohibits an
adversarial foreign government from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding any interest in: (1)
a quartz mining operation; or (2) land containing commercially valuable amounts of high purity
quartz. The responsibility for determining whether an individual or other entity is subject to the
Article is given to the US Secretary of Commerce and the State of North Carolina.
Under Section 19.2 of the act, the Department of Information Technology is required to
consult with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in issuing a request for proposal to contract
with a third-party to evaluate the DMV’s efforts to modernize its Information Technology (IT)
systems. The evaluation must address seven issues, including an analysis of the DMV’s plan to
implement a cloud-based operating system and any other updates to its IT systems, a proposed
timeline that DMV should reasonably be able to adhere to in modernizing the systems, and an
assessment of the DMV’s intended pricing structure for the provision of online or remote services
after the DMV completes the modernization of its IT systems. A report is due by April 31, 2025,
and by July 1, 2025, the DMV is required to select a vendor to oversee and manage
implementation of the cloud-based operating system.
New Article 33, Rail Transportation Corridor Authority, of G.S. Chapter 160, allows for the
creation of a Rail Transportation Corridor Authority, with the purpose of establishing,
constructing, purchasing, maintaining, equipping, and operating any structure, facility, or
improvement to aid commerce, public transportation, and any other rail services associated with
rail corridors. The Article includes the delineation of an Authority’s territorial jurisdiction, the
designation of the rail corridor’s boundary and service area, ways to create and expand an
7 The General Assembly 2024
Authority, oversight of the Authority, listing the Authority’s powers, setting out requirements for
special user project financing agreements, and exempting the Authority’s property from taxes.
Under Section 22 of the act, beginning in 2025, tax collectors are also required to advertise
real property tax liens by posting a notice of the lien in a conspicuous manner at the parcel to be
advertised. A more thorough discussion of this provision can be found in the following blog post
written by SOG faculty member Chris McLaughlin: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/07/new-
advertising-requirement-for-delinquent-tax-liens/.
Section 22.1 of the act enacts new statutes requiring executive branch agencies, county
agencies, and city agencies to send permits it issues to permittees via US mail or a designated
delivery service, or by e-mail, instead of requiring the permittee to pick up the permit in person
(permittees are allowed, however, to opt to receive a permit in person if the agency offers in-
person pickup).
New Part 6 of Article 9 of G.S. Chapter 160D sets out provisions under which local
governments can regulate the siting, installation, modification, maintenance, and removal of
advanced air mobility radar for traffic control of unmanned aircraft systems. These provisions are
effective October 1, 2024.
Section 23.1 of the act enacts a new statute that sets out the conditions under which a legally
erected on-premises advertising sign may be relocated or reconstructed on the same parcel of land.
Under the statute a local government is required to pay the sign owner when it requires a lawfully
erected on-premises advertising sign to be removed. These provisions apply to signs removed on
or after October 1, 2021.
Section 24 of the act enacts a new statute requiring secondary ticket exchanges, ticket issuers,
or resellers of tickets to an entertainment event (defined as a sporting game or contest, concert, or
other entertainment performance with a live presentation election in this State for which
attendance is available to the public through the purchase of a ticket) to meet the following
requirements: (1) when the ticket price is displayed to the purchaser, the listing must clearly and
conspicuously disclose the total price of the ticket, including all mandatory fees and the maximum
order processing fee; (2) the total price of the ticket initially displayed at the beginning of a
ticketing session must not be increased during that ticketing session, except by the addition of the
allowable charges; (3) the listing must clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer the
existence and actual dollar amount of each mandatory fee before the completion of the transaction;
and (4) the following charges are not mandatory fees and may be added to the ticket price and
must be disclosed before the purchase of the ticket: a. actual charges required to deliver a non-
electronic ticket to the address specified by the purchaser by the delivery method designated by
the purchaser, b. taxes or fees imposed on the transaction by any government, and c. a reasonable
fee for processing the order. Violations are considered an unfair trade practice. This applies to
tickets listed for sale or resale on or after January 1, 2025.
Alcoholic Beverage Control
Legislators passed a 42-page ABC law omnibus bill, S.L. 2024-41 (Senate Bill 527). The
numerous changes found in the act include the following.
Section 3 of the act removes the prohibition on ABC stores being open on New Year’s Day, the
Fourth of July, and Labor Day, allowing local boards to decide whether the stores will be closed on
those days.
Under Section 5 of the act, restaurants, eating establishments, hotels, private clubs, bars,
breweries, wineries, and wine producers that hold an on-premises unfortified wine permit, on-
premises fortified wine permit, or mixed beverages permit, to sell single servings of wine or mixed
beverages to be consumed off-premises, including delivery by the permittee or a delivery service
permittee. The beverage is required to be sold with food and packaged in a closed or secure container
that is no larger than 24 ounces.
Section 6 of the act allows mixed beverage permittees to purchase spiritous liquor from an ABC
store that is designated as a mixed beverage ABC store operated by any local board operating in the
same county as the permittee. The section also includes changes to the criteria for which cities can
hold alcoholic beverage elections. Under the amended provisions, a city may hold a malt beverage
or unfortified wine election if the county where the city is located has already held such an election,
8 The General Assembly 2024
the vote was against the sale, and the city has a population of 400 or more under the most recent
census (previously, the city had to have a population of 500 or more or a population of 400 or more
but less than 500 according to the most recent census and a population of 500 or more in the prior
census and had to operate an ABC store). Cities may also hold a mixed beverage election if the city
has at least 200 registered voters and is in a county with at least one other city that has approved
such sales; under previous law the city had to have at least 300 registered voters (this applies to all
counties and no longer excludes previously listed 13 counties). The act removes the provisions that
applied in a county bordering the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound that has not approved the sale of
mixed beverages that had only one city that has approved the sale of mixed beverages and that
applied to a town with at least 200 registered voters and a total area of less than one square mile.
The changes in Section 6 are effective retroactively to November 1, 2022.
The act expands upon what can be sold by ABC stores in Section 9 of the act. The act now
allows ABC stores to sell gift cards, empty barrels or barrel parts, and branded consumer specialty
items (excluding tobacco, vapor, or hemp products or tobacco, vapor, or hemp paraphernalia).
Section 10 of the act enacts a new statute that allows local boards to sell certain spirituous
liquors below the price paid by the board if the ABC Commission has verified that allowing the
price reduction will not cause the local board to operate at an annual net loss or, if it was already
operating at a loss, will not cause the local board to incur additional annual net revenue losses. When
a distillery requests notification of its products being authorized for pricing below their price, the
distillery has the right of first refusal to purchase any of their products that a local board requests to
sell under the new statute for the price authorized by the Commission for two business days before
the price is reduced in the ABC store; if the distillery has not purchased the products within two
business days after being notified of the reduced pricing, the local board is allowed to reduce the
retail price. If the distillery has not requested to be notified, the local board may reduce the retail
price immediate upon authorization by the Commission.
Several new permits were established in the act. The malt beverages shop permit authorizes (1)
the retail sale of malt beverages, unfortified wine, and fortified wine in their original containers for
consumption off premises, (2) the retail sale of malt beverages dispensed from a tap connected to a
pressurized container using carbon dioxide or a similar gas in a sanitized container filled or refilled
and sealed for consumption off premises and that identifies the permittee and the date the container
was filled, and (3) on-premises malt beverage tastings. The following permits become effective July
1, 2024. The cotenant permit may be issued to a restaurant occupying the same building as another
ABC permittee if the building has no other tenants and the building does not have a common area
that is open to the public but not part of the premises of one of the two permittees. The permit would
authorize the permittee to allow customers to bring open containers of malt beverages, unfortified
wine, fortified wine, or mixed beverages from the premises of the other ABC permittee in the
building into the permittee’s premises. Under a bring-your-own beverage permit, patrons of an adult
live entertainment business may bring and then consume closed containers of malt beverages and
unfortified wine on the premises. A mobile bar services permit is issuable to a business providing
bartending services for events and allows the permittee to bring malt beverages, unfortified wine,
fortified wine, and spirituous liquor on the premises of a business that is not an ABC permittee and
to serve the beverages to guests at the event. Finally, effective October 1, 2024, a home maker
special event permit allows a home maker club to give free tastings of homemade malt beverages
and wines on the premises of retail ABC permittees and at other specified locations and events.
Section 20 of the act establishes distillery estate districts, consisting of property, separated only
by a river, lake or road, where a distiller, winery, and at least three other establishments holding
mixed beverages permits are located and owned by the same owner. For those located in the district:
(1) the mixed beverages permittee is allowed to sell spirituous liquor produced at the distillery that
is also located in the district; (2) the distillery is allowed to hold consumer tastings of liquor
produced at the distillery anywhere in the district; and (3) unfortified wine permittees in the district
are allowed to sell bottles of liquor produced at the distillery for consumption off premises as if
those bottles were being sold in the distillery following a tour. These provisions become effective
July 1, 2024.
9 The General Assembly 2024
There are also several provisions of the act expanding where alcoholic beverages can be sold.
Section 11 of the act allows malt beverages, unfortified wine, and fortified wine to be sold and
delivered to an officer or agent of a rail line that is at least 100 miles long and connects to the national
rail network, in addition to the already allowed rail lines that carry at least 60,000 passengers
annually. Under Section 29 of the act, beer and wine can be sold at community college stadiums,
athletic facilities, or arenas, if approved by the Board of Trustees, under the same requirements that
apply to public colleges or universities. Section 31 of the act allows the consumption of malt
beverages, unfortified wine, fortified wine, and mixed beverages sold by a permitted establishment
throughout the Transportation Security Administration screened portion of the establishment's
respective airport terminal, when approved by the airport authority. This is limited to airports
servicing planes boarding at least 150,000 passengers annually. The beverages cannot be more than
16 fluid ounces and are required to display the statement "Drink Responsibly – Be 21."
Health and Human Services
S.L. 2024-34 (Senate Bill 425) makes a number of changes to laws related to health and human
services. Issues addressed in the bill include service of the petition and notice of hearing for
protective services upon disabled adults, the definition of family childcare home, the trauma-
informed standardized assessment for juveniles, the qualify rating improvement system for child
care facilities, Medicaid eligibility determinations, hospital violence protection act, Medicaid
benefits for inmates, tribal health facilities, Tri-Share Child Care Program, and the Medical Board
Review Panel.
Changes to the qualifications for appointment as a local health director and changes for local
health directors in consolidated human services agencies are discussed in detail in the following
blog post written by SOG faculty member Kirsten Leloudis: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/09/s-
l-2024-34-local-health-directors/. The act also includes changes impacting child welfare. First, the
act allows reimbursement to unlicensed foster care providers for care provided for the half-sibling
of a child to whom they are related. Second, the act amends the safe surrender law. A more thorough
discussion of these provisions can be found in the following blog post written by SOG faculty
member Sara DePasquale: https://civil.sog.unc.edu/legislative-changes-in-child-welfare-the-short-
session/.
Court System Changes
S.L. 2024-33 (Senate Bill 303) includes provisions impacting the court system. The act includes
a new statute setting venue in Wake County for complex business cases as well as those assigned to
a business court judge; trials are required to be held in the county of origin with exceptions allowed
in specified circumstances, and trials are allowed to be conducted remotely. These business court
changes are effective when the North Carolina Business Court implements the electronic filing
system approved by the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. Effective October 1,
2024, the act allows clerks of superior court to set the conditions of a pretrial release for a defendant
who is arrested for a motor vehicle violation under G.S. Chapter 20, with exceptions, that was
allegedly committed while the defendant was on pretrial release for another proceeding. Under the
act, the Supreme Court may, by rule, hold sessions in any location in North Carolina until December
31, 2026. The act also makes changes to procedures for involuntary commitment. The act also
includes a change to the qualifications for magistrate, which are discussed in more detail in the
following blog post by faculty member Melanie Crenshaw: https://civil.sog.unc.edu/legislative-
roundup-recent-changes-affecting-small-claims-summary-ejectment-magistrates-and-real-
property-crimes/.
Section 13 of the act establishes the safe babies court for the purpose of “improving the long-
term well-being of parents, children, and families involved with the department of social services
and the juvenile court by providing them with trauma-informed support and services and to achieve
10 The General Assembly 2024
timely permanence, reduce generational trauma, and eliminate maltreatment.
1
” The safe babies court
is aimed at families with at least one child who is age three or under and is involved in juvenile
actions alleging abuse, neglect, or dependency. A thorough discussion of the safe babies court is
found in the following blog post written by SOG faculty member Sara DePasquale:
https://civil.sog.unc.edu/legislative-changes-in-child-welfare-the-short-session/. That same blog
post also discusses Section 25 of the act, which addresses when grandparents can intervene in an
abuse, neglect, dependency, or termination of parental rights action for a child whose parents are
deceased.
Regulation of Tobacco Products
While S.L. 2024-31 (House Bill 900) includes provisions applicable to cooperative innovative
high schools, the bulk of the act addresses consumable and vapor products. A consumable product
is defined as any nicotine liquid solution or other material containing nicotine that is depleted as a
vapor product is used and does not contain any tobacco leaf.
2
The Secretary of the Department of
Revenue is required to certify vapor products and consumable products that are eligible to be sold
in North Carolina and list them on a directory. Retailers, distributors, or wholesalers offering these
products for sale that are not included in the directory are subject to a warning and reinspection for
first violations, along with increasing fines for subsequent violation along with license suspension
and revocation; the products are subject to seizure and forfeiture. Manufacturers are also subject to
civil penalties. A process is established in the act under which manufacturers have their vapor and
consumable products certified for sale in the State. Products that have been certified are listed in a
directory available on a public website. Beginning on the later of May 1, 2025, or the date that the
directory is make available to the public, products that are not found on the directory may not be
sold in North Carolina. These provisions are effective December 1, 2024.
Definition of Antisemitism
S.L. 2024-27 (House Bill 942) contains a new statute under which the State adopts the Working
Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,
including the examples of antisemitism set out in the definition, as a “tool and guide for training,
education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking
and reporting antisemitic incidents in this State.
3
” The definition adopted on May 26, 2016, is as
follows: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward
Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-
Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious
facilities.
4
”
Pornography on Government Networks and Devices, Human Trafficking
and Other Provisions
S.L. 2024-26 (House Bill 971) prohibits viewing pornography on government networks and
devices, effective October 1, 2024. This topic is discussed in detail in the following blog posts
written by SOG faculty member Kristi Nickodem: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/07/new-law-
regarding-pornography-on-government-networks-and-devices/ and
https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/11/faqs-on-the-new-law-prohibiting-pornography-on-
government-networks-and-devices/.
The act also addresses human trafficking in a number of ways, including adding new laws
requiring training on human trafficking for lodging establishments, accommodation facilitators, and
1
G.S. 7B-535(a) as enacted by S.L. 2024-33.
2
G.S. 14-313(a)(1a) as enacted by S.L. 2024-31, and G.S. 105-113.4(1k).
3
GS 12-3.2(a) as enacted by S.L. 2024-27.
4
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance website, https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-
definition-antisemitism, accessed 9/18/2024. This site also includes a list of examples of antisemitism.
11 The General Assembly 2024
property managers for vacation rentals as well as a way for them to report suspected human
trafficking and requiring the display of signs that are visible to employees and the public that bring
awareness to the issue. The Department of Health and Human Resources is also required to train
county child welfare staff, county social services attorneys, county social services directors, and all
social services staff on human trafficking. Finally, the act excludes from public record information
given to or compiled by the Housing Finance Agency for the purposes of financing housing for
victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Other provisions in the act increase the penalty for soliciting another for prostitution from a
misdemeanor to a felony, amend laws related to confidentiality of crime victims, expanding upon
what previous convictions must be disclosed in child custody pleadings, gives campus police access
to the Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data System, and changes the definition of
victim in the Crime Victims Compensation Act.
Money Laundering and Larceny
S.L. 2024-22 (House Bill 495) includes a new statute that criminalizes money laundering,
punishable as a Class H felony if the value of the proceeds or funds is less than $100,000, and a
Class C felony if the value is $100,000 or more. The act also makes a number of changes to larceny
laws, including organized retail theft and larceny from a merchant. The act applies to offenses
committed on or after December 1, 2024. The provisions related to larceny laws are discussed in
detail in the following blog post written by SOG faculty member Brittany Bromell:
https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/legislative-amendments-to-larceny-laws/.
Disaster Relief
First October Session
The session on October 9, happening just weeks after Hurricane Helene’s landfall on September
26, focused on disaster relief. The vehicle for that relief was S.L. 2024-51 (House Bill 149), which
was approved during the one-day session and signed into law by the Governor the next day. The act
extended the Governor’s statewide declaration of emergency,
5
which was issued on September 25,
2024, and effective for 30 days, until March 1, 2025.
S.L. 2024-51, known as “The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024,” established the Hurricane
Helene Disaster Recovery Fund (Fund), which is used to support disaster relief and recovery in any
county declared a major disaster by the President as a result of Hurricane Helene, as well as Nash
County, which suffered tornado damage during the Hurricane. $273 million was transferred to the
Fund from the Savings Reserve, with $250 million provided to the Department of Public Safety,
Division of Emergency Management, for a State match for federal disaster assistance programs for
State agencies and local governments, as well as for a revolving loan program to assist State agencies
and local governments with cash flow management while they are waiting for federal
reimbursement; $16 million went to the Department of Public Instruction for lost compensation of
school nutrition employees due to school closures; $2 million was provided to the Office of State
Budget and Management for grants to the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the North
Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the North Carolina Association of Regional
Councils of Governments to provide technical assistance with local recovery funds, with priority
given to counties with a population of less than 250,000; and $5 million was provided to the State
Board of Elections to facilitate voting in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke,
Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon,
Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey
counties. The act also established the Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 (PTC8) Disaster Recovery Fund
to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties due to the
storm in September; the Fund is to be appropriated funds after damage assessments are completed.
5
Executive Order No. 315.
12 The General Assembly 2024
The act also addressed a number of areas impacted by the Hurricane; these provisions were
largely temporary, with the expirations specified in the act. Addressing education impacts, the act
allowed for flexibility in instructional hours for schools, including allowing remote instruction, in
areas under the Presidential major disaster declaration who missed instructional hours, and provided
public school employee compensation for days missed in September and October. The act also
extended the deadline for paying principal bonuses and amended requirements for the completions
of an internship by students enrolled in an educator preparation program.
For Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay,
Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell,
Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, the act set out a number of
provisions addressing elections, including, but not limited to, allowing any registered voter in the
State to be appointed to serve as certain precinct officials, allowing county board of elections to
modify their Plan for Implementation, modifying polling places by bipartisan majority vote of the
county board of elections, and requiring absentee ballots to be returned by 7:30 on November 5,
allowing delivery to also be made in person by the voter or their near relative or legal guardian at
any county board of elections, an early voting site, or the State Board of Elections. The act also
included elections provisions that applied across the State concerning the processing of absentee
ballots from the listed counties that were returned to the State Board of Elections or county boards
of elections, and requirements for educating voters on the changes.
In order to address impacts to agriculture and the environment, the act allowed the Department
of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to transfer funds between the Clean Water Reserve and the Driving
Water Reserve accounts for emergence loans to local governments, and to authorize local
governments in impacted counties that received funds under an infrastructure funding provision to
use the funds for mitigation or remediation of disaster impacts for a wastewater infrastructure project
or for temporary measures to allow preservation or restoration of drinking water and wastewater
services or emergency operations at a related facility. The act also amended existing law to allow
DEQ, during a state of emergency, to require wastewater treatment plants to accept domestic
septage, including septage originating from beyond the county or municipal boundary where the
plant is located, to the extent that the plant’s capacity and capabilities are not negatively impacted.
The act also includes provisions addressing burning storm-related debris with certain permits, not
requiring owners and operators of air curtain incinerators to get a General Title V Operating Permit,
and allowing lenders to extend the term of a loan made to assist small business with business needs
during periods of economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to 180 months for businesses
impacted in Hurricane Helene in the specified counties.
Transportation issues taken up in the act include waving certain DMV fees for residents in
counties impacted by Hurricane Helene and PTC8 until the end of the year, waving environmental
permit requirements for repairs to the State’s highways, and allowing the Department of
Transportation to use five specified methods to contract for the repair and replacement of
transportation infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the Hurricane.
The act also made a number of changes to temporarily make it easier for retired State and local
government employees to return to work, including shortening the required period of separation.
This aspect of the bill is discussed in detail in the following blog post written by faculty member
Kara Millonzi: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/10/hiring-retired-local-government-staff-to-aid-in-
helene-response/. The act includes other temporary changes in the impacted areas, including waivers
for interest on certain income taxes, changes to the required timing of post-release supervision and
parole violation hearings, and waivers of standards for child-care and other types of facilities.
Second October Session
Having amended the adjournment resolution during the session on October 9 by adding an
additional session on October 24, legislators returned to Raleigh to continue to work on Hurricane
Helene relief. S.L. 2024-53 (Senate Bill 743), also known as “The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024—
Part II,” once again appropriated funds and made changes to help facilitate recovery in Western
North Carolina.
The act transfers $604,150,000 from the Savings Reserve to the Helene Fund and appropriates
those funds to specified agencies for education, health and human services, agriculture, natural and
13 The General Assembly 2024
economic resources, justice and public safety, and general government purposes. $40 million was
also appropriated from the OSBM Disaster Relief Reserve to the Department of Public Safety.
Like the first Disaster Recovery Act, this act made additional public school calendar
adjustments in the impacted areas and also allowed for reenrollment of displaced charter school
students. The act designated $5 million for a tuition grant program to assist students at six specified
community colleges, as well as $5.5 million for a tuition grant program to assist students at UNC-
Asheville. The act established a program under which students at specified private institutions of
higher education, specified community colleges, or Appalachian State University, UNC-Asheville,
and Western Carolina University, could receive up to $2,500 in emergency scholarship grants in
order to support their continued enrollment. Students at those same institutions who received need-
based scholarships are also eligible for scholarship grants from the State Education Assistance
Authority to account for additional financial hardships due to Hurricane Helene. The act also
appropriated funds for increased mental health for students, families, and school personnel in
eligible public schools and waived testing requirements for admission in specified educator
preparation programs.
The act included extensions and waivers related to the licensing of adult and family care homes,
the participation of hospitals in acute hospital care at home initiative, annual review rules and quality
improvement plan rules for collaborative practice agreements, cost and funding requirements
applicable to child-care centers and family child-care homes, and compliance with the Hospital
Violence Protection Act. The act also allocated $1 million to county departments of social services
for rental assistance to individuals in the affected areas that have households at or below 200% of
the federal poverty level who suffered hardships from Hurricane Helene.
Under the act, the allowable uses of grants from the food bank assistance program are expanded
to allow nonprofit organizations in the affected area to repair or replace damaged infrastructure and
equipment. The act allocates $50 million to Golden LEAF Foundation for bridge loans of up to
$100,000 to qualified businesses suffering economic distress due to the Hurricane.
The act requires the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to use $100 million for an
emergency financial assistance program in the form of bridge loans for local governments in the
affected area in order to make emergency repairs to a water or wastewater system. $22 million must
be used by DEQ for a bridge loan program for owners or operators of commercial underground
storage tanks in order to restore a tank to operational capacity. The act also includes provisions
related to the payment of costs for the cleanup and assessment of underground storage tanks, use of
mines for debris disposal, a moratorium on certain requirements related to the Job Development
Investment Grant (JDIG) program, and codifications of changes made in S.L. 2024-45 concerning
replacement of docks, piers, and walkways in coastal areas, and the establishment of a measurement
line for dune building projects done under permitted terminal groin construction.
The act enacts new G.S. 143-151.22 allowing a temporary or limited certificate to retired
qualified Code-enforcement officials to conduct enforcement in the emergency area when a state of
emergency has been declared. Under the act, $100 million from the Helene Fund must be used by
the Local Government Commission for cashflow loans to local governments for disaster response
activities. A more thorough discussion of the changes made in this act and in S.L. 2024-51 that
impact planning and permitting can be found in the following blog post written by faculty member
Adam Lovelady: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/10/planning-and-permitting-aspects-of-helene-
recovery-legislation/.
Other provisions in the act aimed at assisting those in the affected areas addressed hiring out-
of-state private protective services; State agency flexibility in the renewal dates for employment-
related certifications and changes to educational and exam requirements for employment-related
certifications; flexibility for local governments in reviewing residential building plans and
conducting necessary inspections and issuing building permits; extending deadlines for matters
before the Industrial Commission; extending deadlines related to disability benefits, retirement, and
death benefits; waiving penalties for late retirement contribution payments; extending emissions
inspection mechanic licenses; and waiving interest for taxpayers whose records or tax preparer are
located in the affected area.
14 The General Assembly 2024
The session also included the passage of S.L. 2024-52 (Senate Bill 132), which required the
county boards of elections in Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell,
Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties to open at least one early
voting site for every 30,000 registered voters from October 29 to November 2. The act set out
requirements for those sites, including providing geographic diversity in the site locations, and
addressed staffing and education about the sites.
December Session
Senate Bill 382, passed during the December session, addressed hurricane relief and made
numerous other changes impact various area of State law. Governor Cooper vetoed the bill, so
details on the act can be found in the Governor’s Veto portion of this document.
The Governor’s Veto
Governor Cooper vetoed ten bills during the short session, bringing the total for the biennium
to 29; this sets a biennium record for the number of bills vetoed during a regular session biennium
(the 2017-18 biennium saw 28 vetoes, but two of those vetoes came about during extra sessions).
All ten of those vetoes were overridden. The bills vetoed in 2024 are discussed in more detail below.
DOT Changes
The first bill vetoed in 2024 was House Bill 198 (S.L. 2024-15), DOT Legislative Changes.
The act made a number of changes impacting transportation and the Department of Transportation,
including creating a pilot program using a Progressive Design-Build delivery method, extending
the Build NC Bond Act by three years, removing residency requirements for certain appointees to
regional public transportation authority boards of trustees, changes to how much of the area
around advertising billboards can be cleared (including now allowing native redbuds to be
removed), expanding which trains can serve alcohol, and making changes to various reporting
requirements.
In his veto message, the Governor stated, “Protecting North Carolina’s beauty should be a top
priority, but this legislation allows tree cutting and destruction of native plants around billboards.
In February, I signed Executive Order 305, which sets comprehensive goals for restoring and
protecting natural areas, prioritizing native plants and planting one million trees. North Carolina’s
scenic landscapes are one of the reasons why our state just broke records with our tourism
economy, and why we have one of the most beautiful places in the world to live.
6
”
The House and Senate voted to override the veto on June 26 and 27.
Juvenile Justice
The second bill vetoed was House Bill 834 (S.L. 2024-17), Juvenile Justice Modifications.
The act’s provisions, which are described in detail above, include changing the definition of
delinquent juvenile, made changes to the provisions governing the transfer of jurisdiction over a
juvenile to superior court, changes to secure custody hearings, and changes to the penalties for
soliciting a minor to commit a felony or a misdemeanor. A thorough discussion of the provisions
impacting juvenile jurisdiction can be found in the following blog post written by SOG faculty
member Jacqui Greene: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/change-to-the-law-of-juvenile-
jurisdiction-and-juvenile-transfer-to-superior-court/; she discusses the bill’s other provisions in the
following blog post: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/changes-coming-to-delinquency-
law/#more-19051.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper stated, “Most violent crimes, even when committed by
teenagers, should be handled in adult court. However, there are cases where sentences would be
more effective and appropriate to the severity of the crime for teenagers if they were handled in
6
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 198 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/8586/0/H198-BD-NBC-12010.
15 The General Assembly 2024
juvenile court, making communities safer. This bill makes this important option highly unlikely
and begins to erode our bipartisan “Raise the Age” law we agreed to four years ago. While a
number of Senators worked to make this legislation better than the original bill, I remain
concerned that this new law would keep some children from getting treatment they need while
making communities less safe. Instead, the legislature should invest significantly more in our
juvenile justice system to ensure resources are available to help prevent crimes and appropriately
deal with children who break the law.
7
”
The House and Senate voted to override the veto on June 26 and 27.
Criminal and Election Law Changes
The Governor also vetoed House Bill 237 (S.L. 2024-16), Various Criminal and Election Law
Changes. Portions of this act are described in detail above. The act included provisions that
changed when a person is allowed to wear a mask in public, enhanced the penalty for wearing a
mask while committing a misdemeanor or felony, prohibiting an executive or local provision from
subjecting a religious institution to different emergency restrictions from those that apply to
private for-profit or nonprofit entities, creating increased penalties for blocking a highway or street
when it is done during a demonstration or when an emergency vehicle is obstructed and creating
civil liability for demonstration organizers, and making changes to campaign finance laws.
A more thorough discussion of the provisions related to mask wearing can be found in the
following blog posts written by SOG faculty member Jill Moore:
https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/05/wearing-medical-masks-in-public/ and SOG faculty member
Brittany Bromell: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/short-stop-in-the-short-session/.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper stated: “This legislation creates a gaping loophole for
secret, unlimited campaign money in the middle of an election year. While voters are kept in the
dark, this scheme allows anonymous out-of-state billionaires to flood North Carolina with
campaign contributions to rescue extreme right-wing candidates that Republicans now fear will
lose. This legislation also removes protections and threatens criminal charges for people who want
to protect their health by wearing a mask.
8
”
The House and Senate voted to override the veto on June 26 and 27.
Off-Road Vehicles
The next bill vetoed during sessions was House Bill 155 (S.L. 2024-46), Titles for Off-Road
Veh./Low Speed Veh. Insp. The act allowed for the titling of all-terrain vehicles, modified utility
vehicles, and utility vehicles, expanded the streets upon which a modified utility vehicle could be
operated, and allowed a safety inspection for a low-speed vehicle to be done at a location other
than the inspection station by a station that has a safety inspection station license and by a
mechanic employed by the station who has a safety inspection mechanic license.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper vetoed the bill because, “This new law would allow
certain off-road vehicles to operate on four lane highways at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.
These vehicles lack many of the safety features found in traditional vehicles which creates an
increased risk of serious injury or death for people on our highways.
9
”
The veto was overridden by the House on July 31 and by the Senate on September 9.
Rental Income Sources
The Governor also vetoed House Bill 556 (S.L. 2024-47), Tenancy in Com./E-Notary/Small
Claims Changes. The act codified tenancy in common laws, made changes to notary public laws,
7
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 834 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/8881/0/H834-BD-NBC-12173.
8
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 237 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9086/0/H237-BD-NBC-12283.
9
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 155 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9405/0/H155-BD-NBC-12419.
16 The General Assembly 2024
barred local regulations from prohibiting landlords from refusing to rent to tenants whose source
of income includes funding from a federal housing assistance program, made changes to allowable
litigation costs in summary ejectment, and made the small claims appeal period begin when a
judgement is rendered. A more thorough discussion of this act can be found in the following blog
post by faculty member Melanie Crenshaw: https://civil.sog.unc.edu/legislative-roundup-recent-
changes-affecting-small-claims-summary-ejectment-magistrates-and-real-property-crimes/.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper said, “This bill would make it harder for low-income
families, the elderly, and people with disabilities to find affordable rental housing by preventing
local governments from protecting against rent discrimination based on lawful income. It also
creates legal ambiguity regarding when eviction orders become effective and the potential for
increased legal expenses for renters in disputes with landlords.
10
”
While the House voted to override the veto on July 31, the veto wasn’t overridden by the
Senate until September 9.
Building Code Changes
The next bill vetoed during sessions was Senate Bill 166 (S.L. 2024-49), 2024 Bldg. Code
Regulatory Reform. The extensive legislation made various changes to development regulations,
State building code, requirements for construction contractors and design professionals,
environmental and environmental health provisions, and the membership of the State Building and
Residential Code Councils.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper stated, “By limiting options for energy efficiency and
electric vehicles, this legislation prevents North Carolina’s building code from adopting
innovations in construction and mobility that save consumers money. This bill also removes
subject matter experts from the building code council, including architects, active fire service, a
coastal expert, local government officials, and public at-large members, and limits the knowledge
and practical experience of the body tasked with ensuring all buildings are safely designated.
11
”
The veto was overridden by the Senate on September 9 and by the House a few days later on
September 11.
Digital Currency Payments to the State
The Governor vetoed House Bill 690 (S.L. 2024-48), No Central Bank Digital Currency
Payments to State. The act prohibited State agencies and courts from accepting a payment using
central bank digital currency and from participating in any test of central bank digital currency by
any Federal Reserve branch.
Governor Cooper’s veto message stated, “Efforts are being made at the federal level to ensure
standards and safeguards are in place to protect consumers, investors and businesses that may
want to make monetary transactions in digital assets and North Carolina should wait to see how
they work before taking action. This legislation is premature, vague and reactionary and proposes
an end result on important monetary decisions that haven’t even been made yet. Instead of this
bill, the legislature should have passed a budget to provide more funding for cybersecurity threats
that actually exist now.
12
”
While the House voted to override the veto on July 31, the Senate did not override the veto
until September 9.
Budget Adjustments, Opportunity Scholarship Funding and ICE
S.L. 2024-55 (House Bill 10) was approved during the session that occurred September 9-11.
The bill largely contained provisions adjusting the budget, but garnered attention because of
10
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 556 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9406/0/H556-BD-NBC-12420.
11
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for Senate Bill 166 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9412/0/S166-BILL-NBC-12422.
12
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 690 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9411/0/H690-BD-NBC-12421.
17 The General Assembly 2024
provisions concerning immigration detainers and funding for private school scholarships. Budget
provisions in the bill impacted areas such as elementary and higher education, Medicaid, and
broadband programs. The act increased funding for opportunity scholarships by allocating an
additional $248 million from funds appropriated to the UNC Board of Governors and $215,460,000
from the General Fund for 2024-25 and increased funding in later years, starting with the 2025-26
fiscal year, which saw an increase from $415,540,000 to $625 million in funding. The act directed
the State Education Assistance Authority to disburse the additional funds for the 2024-25 to eligible
students for the 2024-25 fall semester. The act also appropriated an additional $24.7 million for
2024-25 for the North Carolina Personal Education Student Accounts for Children With Disabilities
Program, and increased funding for subsequent years, beginning with 2025-26 which saw an
increase from $50,943,166 to $75,643,166.
Section 9.1 of the act includes changes to G.S. 162-62 which addresses the immigration status
of prisoners. The changes made in this section are discussed in more detail in the following blog
post by faculty member Brittany Bromell, https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/2024-criminal-
legislative-summaries/.
The act was vetoed by Governor Cooper on September 20. In his veto statement, Governor
Cooper stated, “This bill takes public taxpayer dollars from the public schools and gives it to private
school vouchers that will be used by wealthy families. Studies show that private school vouchers do
not improve student performance, but we won’t know with North Carolina’s voucher scheme
because it has the least accountability in the country. All public schools will be hurt by legislature
wasting its planned $4 billion of the public’s money over the next decade with rural public schools
being hurt the worst. This money should be used to improve our public schools by raising teacher
pay and investing in public school students.
13
”
The House voted to override the veto on November 19, with the Senate doing the same the next
day.
Summary Ejectment
Senate Bill 445 (S.L. 2024-54) recording of Court-Filed Documents was also vetoed by the
Governor. The bill made changes to the process for recording certified copies of court-filed
documents, amended provisions concerning summary ejectments and small claims matters,
increased the penalty for willful and wanton damage to another’s residential real property when
the damage is valued at $1,000 or more, and created offenses prohibiting the fraudulent rental,
leasing, or advertising for sale of residential real property. A more thorough discussion of this act
can be found in the following blog post written by faculty member Melanie Crenshaw:
https://civil.sog.unc.edu/legislative-roundup-recent-changes-affecting-small-claims-summary-
ejectment-magistrates-and-real-property-crimes/.
In his veto message, Governor Cooper’s veto message stated, “This bill creates legal
ambiguity regarding when eviction orders become effective and may harm low-income individuals
by making it harder for them to appeal as indigent in small claims court.
14
”
The Senate voted to override the veto on September 9, and the House did the same on
November 19.
Hurricane Relief/Changes to Various Areas of the Law
The focus of the December session was the adoption of Senate Bill 382 (S.L. 2024-57),
known as the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2024—Part III.” The 131-page conference report
included changes to previous disaster relief provisions, new disaster relief provisions, changes to
the Appropriations Act of 2023, and numerous changes impacting various areas of state law and
organization.
13
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for House Bill 10 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9473/0/H10-Bill-NBC-13555.
14
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for Senate Bill 445 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9413/0/S445-BILL-NBC-12423.
18 The General Assembly 2024
The organizational changes made under the act include the following provisions. Changes to
the courts system included the removal of superior court districts 10E and 31 D and allowed the
General Assembly to appoint two special superior court judges. The act also abolished the North
Carolina Courts Commission. These provisions and others are discussed in detail in the following
blog post written by faculty member Shea Denning: https://nccriminallaw.sog.unc.edu/s-382-
enacts-provisions-that-impact-the-courts/.
One of the most high-profile changes was in Section 3A.1, which changed the State Board of
Elections from an independent agency under the governor to a board overseen by the Department
of State Auditor, effective July 1, 2025, and made related changes, including giving the Auditor
power to make appointments to the State Board of Elections instead of the Governor.
Section 3E.1 of the act removed the State Highway Patrol from the Department of Public
Safety and made it an independent department, effective July 1, 2025. The act also removed one of
the Governor’s three appointments to the North Carolina Utilities Commission and gave it to the
State Treasurer; the Commission’s chairman will now be elected by the members of the
Commission instead of being designated by the Governor. Section 3F of the act abolished the
Energy Policy Council and directed the Utilities Commission to an Emergency Energy Program
that contains contingency and emergency plans to deal with possible energy shortages.
Governor Cooper vetoed the act on November 26 and in his veto message, the Governor said,
“This legislation is a sham. It does not send money to Western North Carolina but merely shuffles
money from one fund to another in Raleigh. This legislation was titled disaster relief but instead
violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor for the Board of
Elections, Utilities Commission, and Commander of the NC Highway Patrol, letting political
parties choose appellate judges and interfering with the Attorney General’s ability to advocate for
lower electric bills for consumers. Instead of giving small business grants to disaster counties it
strikes a cruel blow by blocking the extension of better unemployment benefits for people who
have lost jobs because of natural disasters. Finally, it plays politics by taking away two judges
elected by the people and adding two judges appointed by the legislature, taking away authority
from the Lieutenant Governor and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and more.
15
”
The Senate overrode the Governor’s veto on December 2 and the House voted to override the
veto on December 11.
Continuation of Session
The adjournment resolution adopted on June 28, 2024, required legislators to return to session
monthly from July through December for sessions of varying lengths.
The resolution, S.L. 2024-2 (SJR 916) set out the issues that could be taken up during each of
the sessions. The limitations were the same for the July, September, October, and December
session, but allowable topics were expanded for the November session. The issues that could be
discussed during the majority of the sessions were limited to: (1) bills vetoed by the Governor
solely for the purpose of considering overriding of the veto upon reconsideration of the bill; (2)
bills providing for the selection, appointment, or confirmation as required by law, including the
filling of vacancies of positions for which the appointees were elected by the NCGA upon
recommendation of the Speaker, President of the Senate, or President Pro Tempore, or a minority
leader of a chamber of the NCGA; (3) bills providing for action on gubernatorial nominations or
appointments; (4) bills responding to actions related to litigation challenging the legality of
legislative enactments; (5) bills relating to election laws; (6) bills providing for impeachment
pursuant under Article IV of the NC Constitution or G.S. Chapter 123; (7) simple resolutions
addressing organizational matters of each respective chamber ; (8) adoption of conference reports;
and (9) a joint resolution further adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, amending a joint resolution
adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, or adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, sine die.
The bills that could be considered during the November session included those listed above as
well as the following: (1) bills directly and primarily affecting the State budget, including (i) the
budget of an occupational licensing board for fiscal year 2024-25 and (ii) bills authorizing a fee
15
The Governor’s Objections and Veto Message for Senate Bill 382 is available at:
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9566/0/S382-Bill-NBC-14728.
19 The General Assembly 2024
for a unit of State government or political subdivision of the State, provided that the bill was
introduced in the House of Representatives or filed for introduction in the Senate no later than
4:00 P.M. Thursday, May 2, 2024. (2) bills: a. proposing an amendment or amendments to the
North Carolina Constitution and containing no other matter, b. proposing an amendment or
amendments to the North Carolina Constitution and containing no other matter other than statutory
conforming changes to implement those bills, c. solely making statutory and transitional changes
to implement bills proposing amendments to the North Carolina Constitution; (3) bills and
resolutions introduced in 2023 (i) that passed third reading in 2023 in the house in which
introduced, were received in the other house in accordance with Senate Rule 41 or House Rule
31.1(h), as appropriate, and not disposed of in the other house by tabling, unfavorable committee
report, indefinite postponement, or failure to pass any reading, and which do not violate the rules
of the receiving house or (ii) not subject to the deadline set forth in Senate Rule 41 or House Rule
31.1(h), as appropriate; (4) bills and resolutions implementing the recommendations of: a. study
commissions, authorities, and statutory commissions authorized or directed to report to the 2023
Regular Session, b. the General Statutes Commission, the Courts Commission, or any commission
created under G.S. Chapter 120 that is authorized or directed to report to the General Assembly, c.
the House Ethics Committee, d. select committees, e. the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee or its
Advisory Subcommittee that has been filed for introduction in the Senate or introduced in the
House of Representatives no later than 4:00 P.M. Wednesday, May 1, 2024; (5) any local bill that
was introduced in the House of Representatives or filed for introduction in the Senate by 4:00
P.M. Tuesday, May 7, 2024; (6) any matter authorized by joint resolution passed by a two-thirds
majority of the members of the House of Representatives present and voting and by a two-thirds
majority of the members of the Senate present and voting; (7) a joint resolution authorizing the
introduction of a bill under (6); (8) any bills primarily affecting any State or local pension or
retirement system that were introduced in the House of Representatives or filed for introduction in
the Senate no later than 4:00 P.M. Thursday, May 2, 2024; (9) joint resolutions and simple
resolutions authorized for introduction under Senate Rule 40.1 or House Rule 31; and (1) bills to
disapprove rules under G.S. 150B-21.3. The resolution does not specifically allow the adoption of
conference reports, which is allowed during the other sessions.
The resolution also allowed the Speaker of the House or the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate to authorize appropriate committees or subcommittees of their respective houses to meet
during the interims between sessions to (1) review matters related to the State budget for the 2023-
2025 fiscal biennium, (2) prepare reports, including revised budgets, or (3) consider any other
matters as the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
deems appropriate. Conference committees were also allowed to meet in the interim with approval
of the Speaker or President Pro Tempore.
The first session, which took place on July 10, did not include any action in either chamber.
During the session that was schedule for July 29-August 1, the Senate held non-voting sessions on
July 29 and August 1. The House also held skeleton sessions during much of the week, but held a
voting session on July 31, when they voted to override the Governor’s vetoes of House Bill 155,
House Bill 556, and House Bill 690.
Both chambers got to work during the September 9-11 session, when legislators voted to
override the Governor’s veto of the following bills (including those that had already been
overridden by the House in July): House Bill 155, House Bill 556, House Bill 690, (Senate Bill
166, and Senate Bill 445). While the session also included passage of bills concerning
appointments
16
, the bulk of the session’s work was done in a conference report to House Bill 10
(Requires ICE Cooperation & Budget Adjustments), discussed in more detail above.
Due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, the October 9 session focused on passing
relief to counties in Western North Carolina as well as some relief for New Hanover and
Brunswick due to excessive rainfall from a potential tropical cyclone. The Disaster Recovery Act
of 2024 (S.L. 2024-51; House Bill 149), appropriated funds and made a number of other changes
to facilitate disaster relief following damage caused by Hurricane Helene and a storm that hit
Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. The bill is discussed in more detail above. The session
16
Two other bills were filed and approved during the September session: Senate Bill 917 (Additional General Assembly
Appointments) and Senate Bill 918 (Confirm Adam Lockheart Taylor/Bd of Review).
20 The General Assembly 2024
also included changes to the previous adjournment resolution to call legislators into session again
two weeks later on October 24
17
.
Ch. Res. 2024-5 (Senate Jt. Res. 919), passed during the October 9 session, brought legislators
back again later in October to continue work related to hurricane relief. The resolution called
legislators in for one day, October 24, and limited what could be considered to: (1) bills vetoed by
the Governor for the purpose of considering an override of the veto; (2) bills for the selection,
appointment, or confirmation as required by law, including the filling of vacancies of positions for
which the appointees were elected by the NCGA Assembly upon recommendation of the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or a
minority leader of a chamber of the NCGA; (3) bills providing for action on gubernatorial
nominations or appointments; (4) bills responding to actions related to litigation challenging the
legality of legislative enactments; (5) bills relating to election laws, including bills concerning the
districts for Congressional, State House, State Senate, judicial, municipal, county, and other elected
officials, and containing no other matters; (6) bills providing for impeachment pursuant to Article
IV of the North Carolina Constitution or G.S. Chapter 123; (7) simple resolutions addressing
organizational matters of each chamber; (8) adoption of conference reports; and (9) a joint resolution
further adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, amending a joint resolution adjourning the 2023
Regular Session, or adjourning the 2023 Regular Session, sine die.
During the session on October 24, Hurricane Helene relief continued with the passage of “The
Disaster Recovery Act of 2024—Part II” (S.L. 2024-53, Senate Bill 743). The session also included
the passage of a second act, S.L. 2024-52 (Senate Bill 132), which addressed early voting sites in
the counties in Western North Carolina that were impacted by Helene.
The November session included a change to the adjournment resolution (House Bill 1081),
which included shortening the November session to just November 19 and 20 (previously, session
was scheduled for November 19-22) and adjusted the December session schedule so that it started
on December 2 instead of December 11; the changes also included an expansion of what could be
done during the December session to include proposing changes to the North Carolina Constitution
as well as bills that include the statutory and transitional changes needed to implement any changes
to the Constitution. The November session also included bills to confirm the Directors of the SBI
(House Bill 1079) and the Division of Health Benefits (House Bill 1080), as well as a bill making
various appointments by the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate (House
Bill 1078). The primary focus of the session, however, was the passage of Senate Bill 382 which
included provisions related to Hurricane Helene relief as well as numerous changes to other areas
of State law and governance, as discussed above.
The December session began on December 2 with a working session in the Senate and non-
voting session in the House. The session included a number of non-voting days, with the exception
of December 11, when the House came in to take votes. The session saw the override of the
Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 382, which was passed during the November session, as well as the
adoption of an amendment to the State Constitution, that required all voters to present photo
identification. The resolution was also passed that applied to Congress to call a convention to amend
the Constitution to impose term limits on members of Congress. The House also passed a resolution,
House Bill 1082, honoring Rep. Kelly Alexander who passed away in September. The General
Assembly adjourned Sine Die on Friday, December 13.
The 2025 Session
Legislators will return for the convening of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
in January. The initial convening on January 8, 2025, will be for a one-day organizational session
during which legislators will elect officers, adopt rules, and otherwise organize the session.
Legislators will then return for the regular session on January 29.
Christine B. Wunsche
17
Ch. Res. 2024-5 (Senate Jt. Res. 919).
