North Carolina HB 222: Close Out Operations Provide Emergency Relief (C.O.O.P.E.R.) Accountability Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 222
Committee Substitute Favorable 3/4/25

Short Title: C.O.O.P.E.R. Accountability Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 27, 2025
*H222-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ENACT THE CLOSE OUT OPERATIONS PROVIDE EMERGENCY RELIEF 2
ACT (C.O.O.P.E.R. ACT), TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY, 3
TO IMPOSE AUDITING, REPORTING, AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS ON 4
THE OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY, AND TO REVISE THE OFFICE OF 5
RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY'S RESPONSIBILITIES. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
8
PART I. TRANSFER AND APPROPRIATION TO NCORR; REPORTING; AUDITOR 9
OVERSIGHT 10
SECTION 1.1.(a) Funding. – There is appropriated from the State Emergency 11
Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Department of Public Safety, Office of 12
Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), the sum of two hundred seventeen million dollars 13
($217,000,000) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to complete the homeowner recovery projects for 14
Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. 15
SECTION 1.1.(b) Reporting Requirements. – According to the following schedule 16
set forth in this subsection, NCORR shall report to the Joint Legislative Commission on 17
Governmental Operations (Commission) and the Fiscal Research Division on all funds allocated 18
to homeowner recovery projects for Hurricanes Matthew and Florence and thereafter shall 19
regularly report future disbursements of all funds allocated to remaining homeowner recovery 20
projects as they are disbursed until all homeowner recovery projects are completed. These reports 21
shall include detailed information on all expenditures, obligations, encumbrances, and associated 22
Notices to Proceed or other documentation relating to funds appropriated by or received for those 23
purposes. The reporting schedule is as follows: 24
(1) Beginning on the first business day of the month after this act becomes law 25
and continuing on the first business day of each subsequent month until all 26
funds are disbursed and projects completed, a report detailing the expectations 27
for that month on all specific items listed in this subsection. 28
(2) Beginning on the first business day after the fifteenth of the month after this 29
act becomes law and continuing on the first business day after the fifteenth of 30
each subsequent month until all funds are disbursed and projects completed, 31
a report detailing the progress through the month in relation to the stated 32
expectations in the report submitted preceding it. 33
(3) Beginning in the second report submitted pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 34
subsection, a report detailing a 30-day lookback period, including the progress 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 222-Second Edition
of measurable outcomes compared to the expectation for the month 1
immediately preceding it. 2
SECTION 1.1.(c) Prioritization. – NCORR shall prioritize (i) entering into a 3
memorandum of understanding with the Housing Finance Agency to retrieve eligible funding for 4
the homeowner recovery program and (ii) spending those funds received from the Housing 5
Finance Agency for the remaining unmet needs for the homeowner recovery projects consistent 6
with subsection (a) of this section. 7
SECTION 1.1.(d) Clawback. – If, after the homeowner recovery projects for 8
Hurricanes Matthew and Florence are completed, NCORR has remaining funds appropriated for 9
the program, then those funds shall revert to the Savings Reserve. 10
SECTION 1.1.(e) Evaluation of Previous Six Months. – Within 30 calendar days of 11
this act becoming law, NCORR shall reevaluate all persons who were removed, denied, or 12
otherwise ruled ineligible by NCORR within the past 180 calendar days. If any persons' eligibility 13
were changed by this review, NCORR shall include this information in the next report due 14
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section after the review is completed. To the extent that any 15
persons are deemed eligible for the programs or other assistance, these persons and projects shall 16
be included in subsequent reporting. 17
SECTION 1.2.(a) Auditor Oversight. – NCORR shall report to the Office of the 18
State Auditor (i) all disaster relief funds appropriated in this act, (ii) previous funds appropriated 19
under S.L. 2024-57, and (iii) any other funds that have been disbursed to NCORR as of the 20
enactment of this section and thereafter shall regularly report future disbursements of all disaster 21
relief funds allocated to NCORR for disaster relief as they are disbursed. These reports shall 22
include detailed information on all expenditures for personnel, administrative expenses, capital, 23
supplies, and direct aid, and any documents relating to funds appropriated by or received by the 24
State of North Carolina for disaster relief for Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. 25
SECTION 1.2.(b) Auditor Reporting Time Line. – NCORR shall send the re