North Carolina HB 1185: No-Excuse Absentee Deadline.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1185

Short Title: Mandate Mowing in May for Major Events. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Almond.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
May 5, 2026
*H1185-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO MOW THE 2
HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY LOCATED WITHIN A FIVE-MILE RADIUS OF 3
CERTAIN MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS IN THE MONTH OF MAY AT THE REQUEST 4
OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROHIBITION ON 5
MOWING IN MAY; AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 6
TRANSPORTATION TO CONDUCT THE MOWING. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
SECTION 1. G.S. 136-28.12 reads as rewritten: 9
"§ 136-28.12. Litter removal coordinated with mowing of highway rights-of-way. 10
(a) For State-maintained roads, the Department of Transportation shall coordinate litter 11
removal and mowing as follows: 12
(1) If the highway right-of-way to be mowed is part of the primary road system, 13
the Department shall schedule the removal of litter before the right-of-way is 14
mowed. 15
(2) If the highway right-of-way to be mowed is part of the secondary road system, 16
the Department shall schedule, to the extent practicable, the removal of litter 17
before the right-of-way is mowed. 18
(3) The Department shall not schedule mowing of highway rights-of-way during 19
the month of May.May except as provided in this subdivision. Upon request 20
of a local government in which a sporting event that expects no less than five 21
thousand (5,000) attendees is scheduled to be held in the month of May, the 22
Department shall mow highway rights-of-way located within a five (5) mile 23
radius of the location of the sporting event. A local government shall submit 24
such a request to the district engineer having jurisdiction no less than thirty 25
(30) days prior to the date on which the sporting event is scheduled, and the 26
Department shall mow the rights-of way in the specified radius surrounding 27
the event not more than seven (7) days and not less than two (2) days prior to 28
the scheduled date for the event. 29
(b) The Department shall require as a term of any contract to mow or remove litter that 30
the contracting party agree to the provisions in subsection (a) of this section." 31
SECTION 2. The sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the General Fund is 32
appropriated to the North Carolina Department of Transportation in nonrecurring funds for the 33
2025-2026 fiscal year for administration and operational costs related to providing mowing 34
requested by local governments. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1185-First Edition
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law. 1