North Carolina HB 873: Workforce Development/CC.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 873
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/30/25

Short Title: DEQ Agency Bill.-AB (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 10, 2025
*H873-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE STATUTES GOVERNING THE 2
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE 3
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
USE OF TAX-MAINTAINED PROPERTIES FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS 7
SECTION 1.(a) Article 7 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by 8
adding a new section to read: 9
"§ 143B-279.21. Use of schools and other public buildings for public hearings. 10
(a) The governing authority having control over (i) public buildings or (ii) schools 11
governed by the governing body of a public school unit which have facilities for group meetings 12
is hereby authorized and directed to permit the use of such buildings without charge, except 13
custodial and utility fees, by the Department for public hearings. Provided, that the use of such 14
buildings or schools by the Department for public hearings shall not be permitted at times during 15
the school day or which would interfere with normal school activities or functions normally 16
carried on in such school buildings, and such use shall be subject to reasonable rules and 17
regulations of the governing body of the public school unit and other governing authorities. 18
(b) The Department of Environmental Quality shall be entitled to use any school 19
governed by the governing body of a public school unit or other State, county, or municipal 20
building, or a part thereof, or any other building, or a part thereof, which is supported or 21
maintained, in whole or in part, by or through tax revenues; provided, however, that this section 22
shall not be construed to permit the Department to use any tax-exempt church property for such 23
purposes without the express consent of the individual church involved for the purpose of 24
conducting public hearings." 25
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 26
"(70) To Provide Access to School Facilities to the Department of Environmental 27
Quality. – A local board of education shall adopt policies to allow the 28
Department of Environmental Quality to have access to facilities that can 29
facilitate group meetings on school property of a school governed by the local 30
school board pursuant to G.S. 143B-279.21(a)." 31
SECTION 1.(c) Part 2 of Article 14A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 32
amended by adding a new section to read: 33
"§ 115C-238.35A. Provide access to school facilities to the Department of Environmental 34
Quality. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 873-Second Edition
A charter school shall adopt policies to allow the Department of Environmental Quality to 1
have access to facilities that can facilitate group meetings on charter school property consistent 2
with G.S. 143B-279.21(a)." 3
SECTION 1.(d) Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section are effective when they 4
become law and apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. 5
6
CLARIFY REQUIREMENTS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE RECYCLING 7
SECTION 2. Article 9 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by 8
adding a new section to read: 9
"§ 130A-295.07. Requirements for hazardous waste recycling. 10
(a) For purposes of this section, "off-site recycling facility" means any facility receiving 11
shipments of hazardous waste from off-site to be recycled or processed for recycling through any 12
process conducted at the facility. A facility owned or operated by a generator of hazardous waste 13
to recycle their own waste is not an off-site recycling facility. 14
(b) An off-site recycling facility shall comply with the requirements of this Article and 15
with 15A NCAC 13A .0113. 16
(c) A hazardous waste facility that (i) accepts hazardous waste from off-site for recycling 17
and (ii) meets the definition of "commercial" in G.S. 130A-290 is subject to the requirements of 18
this Article and rules adopted by the Commission applicable to commercial hazardous waste 19
facilities." 20
21
MODIFY PAYMENT OF BROWNFIELDS PROPERTY REUSE ACT FEES 22
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 130A-310.39 reads as rewritten: 23
"§ 130A-310.39. Fees. 24
(a) The Department shall collect the following fees: 25
(1) A prospective developer who submits an application for a proposed 26
brownfields agreement for review by the Department shall pay an initial fee 27
of two thousand dollars ($2,000). 28
(2) A prospective developer who enters into a brownfields agreement with the 29
Department shall pay pay, on a schedule that the Department may specify, a 30
fee in an amount equal to the full cost to the Department and the Department 31
of Justice of all activities related to the brownfields agreement, including but 32
not limited to negotiation of the brownfields agreement, public notice and 33
community in