North Carolina HB 363: Regional Public Transportation Authority Service Area.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 363

Short Title: Reg. Public Trans. Authority Service Area. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Reives, Penny, White, and Price (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: State and Local Government, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar,
and Operations of the House
March 12, 2025
*H363-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW A REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO 2
OPERATE A BUSPOOL MORE THAN TEN MILES BEYOND ITS TERRITORIAL 3
JURISDICTION. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 160A-610 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 160A-610. General powers of the Authority. 7
The general powers of the Authority shall include any or all of the following: 8
(1) To sue and be sued;sued. 9
(2) To have a seal;seal. 10
(3) To make rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this Chapter, for its 11
organization and internal management;management. 12
(4) To employ persons deemed necessary to carry out the functions and duties 13
assigned to them by the Authority and to fix their compensation, within the 14
limit of available funds;funds. 15
(5) With the approval of the unit of local government's chief administrative 16
official, to use officers, employees, agents and facilities of the unit of local 17
government for such purposes and upon such terms as may be mutually 18
agreeable;agreeable. 19
(6) To retain and employ counsel, auditors, engineers and private consultants on 20
an annual salary, contract basis, or otherwise for rendering professional or 21
technical services and advice;advice. 22
(7) To acquire, lease as lessee with or without option to purchase, hold, own, and 23
use any franchise, property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, or any 24
interest therein and to sell, lease as lessor with or without option to purchase, 25
transfer (or dispose thereof) whenever the same is no longer required for 26
purposes of the Authority, or exchange same for other property or rights which 27
are useful for the Authority's purposes, including but not necessarily limited 28
to parking facilities;facilities. 29
(7a) To enhance mobility within the region and promote sound growth patterns 30
through joint transit development projects as generally described by Federal 31
Transit Administration (FTA) policy at 62 Fed. Reg. 12266 (1997) and 32
implementing guidelines in FTA Circular 9300.1A, Appendix B, as the policy 33
and guidance may be amended; and, with respect to the planning, 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 363-First Edition
construction, and operation of joint transit development projects, upon the 1
governing board's adoption of policies and procedures to ensure fair and open 2
competition, to select developers or development teams in substantially the 3
same manner as permitted by G.S. 143-129(h); and to enter into development 4
agreements with public, private, or nonprofit entities to undertake the 5
planning, construction, and operation of joint transit development projects. 6
(8) To acquire by gift, purchase, lease as lessee with or without option to purchase 7
or otherwise to construct, improve, maintain, repair, operate or administer any 8
component parts of a public transportation system or to contract for the 9
maintenance, operation or administration thereof or to lease as lessor the same 10
for maintenance, operation, or administration by private parties, including but 11
not necessarily limited to parking facilities;facilities. 12
(9) To make or enter into contracts, agreements, deeds, leases with or without 13
option to purchase, conveyances or other instruments, including contracts and 14
agreements with the United States, the State of North Carolina, and units of 15
local government;government. 16
(9a) To purchase or finance real or personal property in the manner provided for 17
cities and counties under G.S. 160A-20;G.S. 160A-20. 18
(10) To surrender to the State of North Carolina any property no longer required 19
by the Authority;Authority. 20
(11) To develop and make data, plans, information, surveys and studies of public 21
transportation facilities within the territorial jurisdiction service area of the 22
Authority, to prepare and make recommendations in regard thereto;thereto. 23
(12) To enter in a reasonable manner lands, waters or premises for the purpose of 24
making surveys, soundings, drillings, and examinations whereby such entry 25
shall not be deemed a trespass except that the Authority shall be liable for any 26
actual and consequential damages resulting from such entries;entries. 27
(13) To develop and carry out demonstration projects;projects. 28
(14) To make, enter into, and perform contracts with private parties, and public 29
transportation companies with respect to the management and operation of 30
public passenger transportation;transportation. 31
(15) To