North Carolina HB 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 659
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25

Short Title: Local Government Spending Transparency. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 2, 2025
*H659-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. Article 3 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes, the Local Government 4
Budget and Fiscal Control Act, is amended by adding a new section to read: 5
"§ 159-33.3. Transparent spending and bid reporting. 6
(a) All local government invoices shall be itemized, disclosing, at a minimum, the payee, 7
amount paid, items or services purchased, and performance dates. A link to view all quarterly 8
invoices shall appear on each local government's website, except that a local government without 9
a website shall keep copies of the quarterly paid invoices for public viewing in a publicly 10
accessible place at the local government's administrative offices. The invoices shall be 11
unredacted unless otherwise specifically required by law. 12
(b) In addition to the information required by subsection (a) of this section, a local 13
government's website shall provide a link to the top three bids on every project, service, or any 14
goods purchased with any tax dollars, with quarterly updates. The bids shall be unredacted unless 15
otherwise specifically required by law." 16
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to invoices paid 17
on or after that date. 18