North Carolina HB 358: Continuing Budget Operations Part II.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025

SESSION LAW 2025-92
HOUSE BILL 358

*H358-v-5*
AN ACT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DISASTER RELIEF, TO IMPLEMENT
ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY ADJUSTMENTS, AND TO MAKE OTHER CHANGES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL FUNDING AND OTHER DISASTER
RECOVERY

SUBPART I-A. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND SCOPE
SECTION 1A.1.(a) Legislative Findings. – The General Assembly finds that on July
6, 2025, Tropical Storm Chantal impacted the central region of North Carolina, resulting in
several days of severe weather, including flooding, high winds, and tornadoes, necessitating
recovery efforts in the impacted area of this State. On July 25, 2025, the United States Small
Business Administration issued a disaster declaration for several counties in the State. On August
5, 2025, the Governor declared a Type I disaster in the impacted area due to the effects of Tropical
Storm Chantal. On September 11, 2025, the President of the United States issued a major disaster
declaration in accordance with the Stafford Act (P.L. 93-288) for multiple counties in the State,
approving public assistance federal funding for affected counties.
SECTION 1A.1.(b) Applicability. – Except as otherwise provided, funds
appropriated in this Part apply only to the counties listed in this section.
SECTION 1A.1.(c) Scope. – Funds appropriated and allocated in this Part for
Tropical Storm Chantal shall only be expended to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in
the impacted area. For the purposes of this Part, the term "impacted area" means Alamance,
Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Moore, Orange, Person, and Wake Counties.

SUBPART I-B. TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL AND OTHER DISASTER RECOVERY
APPROPRIATIONS
SECTION 1B.1.(a) There is appropriated from the State Emergency Response and
Disaster Relief Fund the sum of sixty-five million five hundred thousand dollars ($65,500,000)
in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year as follows:
(1) Fifty-five million dollars ($55,000,000) to the Department of Public Safety,
Division of Emergency Management (NCEM), for the State Match Fund
(Budget Code 24552, Budget Fund 206628), established in Section 5.9(d) of
S.L. 2021-180, in the following amounts:
a. Forty million dollars ($40,000,000) for State matching requirements
for federal disaster assistance programs for eligible disasters,
excluding Hurricane Helene.
b. Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) for State matching requirements
for federal disaster assistance programs for Tropical Storm Chantal.
(2) Six million dollars ($6,000,000) to NCEM for State emergency assistance in
the form of grants to individuals and families in accordance with
G.S. 166A-19.41(b)(1). NCEM shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative

Page 2 Session Law 2025-92 House Bill 358
Emergency Management Oversight Committee on the expenditure of these
funds every six months beginning on the date this section becomes law until
funds are expended.
(3) Two million dollars ($2,000,000) to the Office of the State Auditor to provide
and maintain the public dashboard in accordance with Section 4.2(d) of S.L.
2025-2.
(4) One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to the Office of State
Budget and Management to be allocated to Warren Wilson College to repair
damage from Hurricane Helene.
(5) One million dollars ($1,000,000) to the Board of Governors of The University
of North Carolina to disburse a grant to the University of North Carolina at
Asheville to repair, replace, renovate, or construct buildings or infrastructure
damaged by Hurricane Helene, and for resiliency and hazard mitigation on
campus property to prepare for future disasters.
SECTION 1B.1.(b) Of the funds appropriated to the Department of Transportation,
the sum of five million five hundred thousand dollars ($5,500,000) from the Transportation
Emergency Reserve shall be used to provide the nonfederal share for State highways damaged
by Tropical Storm Chantal.
SECTION 1B.2. Funds received on or after September 1, 2025, under the Stafford
Act (P.L. 93-288) and other federal disaster assistance programs for State disasters for federal
disaster assistance programs for Tropical Storm Chantal, are appropriated in the amounts
provided in the notifications of award from the federal government or any entity acting on behalf
of the federal government to administer federal disaster recovery funds. The Office of State
Budget and Management and affected State agencies shall report all notifications of award to the
Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and the Fiscal Research Division of
the General Assembly within 30 days of notification. All notifications shall include, at a
minimum, the amount of the award and its duration and purpose.

SUBPART I-C. GOLDEN LEAF RAPID RECOVERY LOAN PROGRAM
MODIFICATION
SECTION 1C.1. Section 4.2 of S.L. 2020-4, as amended by Section 1.6 of S.L.
2020-97, Section 20.11 of S.L. 2022-6, Section 11.12 o