North Carolina SB 584: Local Govt Transportation System Financing.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 584

Short Title: Local Govt Transportation System Financing. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Rabon, Craven, and Sawyer (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S584-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR LOCAL 2
GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FINANCING. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
PART I. RESERVED 6
7
PART II. REVISIONS TO CURRENT LOCAL SALES TAX FOR PUBLIC 8
TRANSPORTATION 9
SECTION 2.1. G.S. 105-506.1 reads as rewritten: 10
"§ 105-506.1. Definitions. 11
The definitions in G.S. 105-164.3 and the following definitions apply in this Article: 12
... 13
(3) Public transportation system. – Any combination of real and personal property 14
established for purposes of public transportation. The systems may include 15
one or more of the following: structures, improvements, buildings, equipment, 16
vehicle parking or passenger transfer facilities, railroads and railroad 17
rights-of-way, rights-of-way, bus services, shared-ride services, 18
high-occupancy vehicle facilities, car-pool and vanpool programs, voucher 19
programs, telecommunications and information systems, integrated fare 20
systems, and the interconnected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that 21
supports public transportation, bus lanes, and busways. The term includes 22
tunnels and other infrastructure designed to rapidly transport people, freight, 23
or vehicles through automated means. The term does not include, however, 24
streets, roads, or highways except to the extent they are dedicated to public 25
transportation vehicles or to the extent they are necessary for access to vehicle 26
parking or passenger transfer facilities. 27
(4) Transportation authority. – For the purposes of Part 2 of this Article, a 28
metropolitan public transportation authority created pursuant to Article 34 of 29
Chapter 160A of the General Statutes. For the purposes of Parts 3 and 4 of 30
this Article, a regional public transportation authority created pursuant to 31
Article 26 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes; and for the purposes of 32
Parts 3 and 5 of this Article, a regional transportation authority created 33
pursuant to Article 27 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes." 34
SECTION 2.2. Reserved. 35
SECTION 2.3. G.S. 105-507.3(b) reads as rewritten: 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 584-First Edition
"(b) Use. – A county must allocate the net proceeds distributed to it in accordance with its 1
financial plan adopted pursuant to G.S. 105-507 and use the net proceeds only for financing, 2
constructing, operating, and maintaining local public transportation systems. Any other unit of 3
local government may use the net proceeds distributed to it under this Part only for financing, 4
constructing, operating, and maintaining local public transportation systems. Every unit of 5
government shall use the net proceeds to supplement and not to supplant or replace existing funds 6
or other resources for public transportation systems. The net proceeds distributed to any unit of 7
local government, other than the county that levies the tax, pursuant to this Part may be included 8
as revenues within the meaning of G.S. 159-81(4), including any modifications of that statute." 9
SECTION 2.4. Reserved. 10
SECTION 2.5. This Part is effective when it becomes law. 11
12
PART III. RESERVED 13
14
PART IV. RESERVED 15
16
PART V. METROPOLITAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 17
SECTION 5.1. Chapter 160A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 18
Article to read: 19
"Article 34. 20
"Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. 21
"§ 160A-900. Title. 22
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "Metropolitan Public Transportation 23
Authority Act." 24
"§ 160A-901. Definitions. 25
As used in this Article, unless the context otherwise requires: 26
(1) Authority. – A metropolitan public transportation authority as defined by 27
subdivision (5) of this section. 28
(2) Board of trustees. – The governing board of the authority, in which the general 29
legislative powers of the authority are vested. 30
(3) Metropolitan public transportation authority. – A body corporate and politic 31
organized in accordance with the provisions of this Article for the purposes, 32
with the powers and subject to the restrictions hereinafter set forth. 33
(4) Population. – The number of persons residing in respective areas as defined 34
and enumerated in the most recent decennial federal census. 35
(5) Public transportation system. – Defined in G.S. 105-506.1. 36
(6) Unit of local government. – Any county, city, town, or municipality of this 37
State, and any other political subdivision, public corporation, authority, or 38
district in this State, which is or may be authorized by law to acquire, establish, 39
construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, own, and operate public tr