H 147

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
  SESSION 2025
  SESSION LAW 2026-57
  HOUSE BILL 147
AN ACT TO REMOVE THE CAP ON SATELLITE ANNEXATIONS FOR THE TOWN OF
  BEAR GRASS, TO CODIFY AND AMEND THE GAME COMMISSION OF
  CURRITUCK COUNTY, AND TO MODIFY THE CONDUCT OF PRIMARY
  ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF HICKORY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
PART I. BEAR GRASS SATELLITE ANNEXATIONS
  SECTION 1. G.S. 160A-58.1(b) reads as rewritten:
    "(b) A noncontiguous area proposed for annexation must meet all of the following
standards:
  …
  (5)  The area within the proposed satellite corporate limits, when added to the area
  within all other satellite corporate limits, may not exceed ten percent (10%)
  of the area within the primary corporate limits of the annexing city.
  This subdivision does not apply to the Cities of Archdale, Asheboro,
  Belmont, Cherryville, Claremont, Concord, Conover, Dunn, Durham,
  Elizabeth City, Gastonia, Greenville, Hickory, Kannapolis, King, Kings
  Mountain, Locust, Lowell, Marion, Mount Airy, Mount Holly, New Bern,
  Newton, Oxford, Randleman, Roanoke Rapids, Rockingham, Saluda,
  Sanford, Salisbury, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, and Washington and the
  Towns of Ahoskie, Angier, Apex, Ayden, Bailey, Bear Grass, Belville,
  Benson, Bladenboro, Bridgeton, Bunn, Burgaw, Calabash, Carthage,
  Catawba, China Grove, Clayton, Cleveland, Coats, Columbia, Columbus,
  Cramerton, Creswell, Dallas, Dobson, East Spencer, Erwin, Four Oaks,
  Franklin, Franklinton, Franklinville, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Godwin,
  Goldston, Granite Quarry, Green Level, Grimesland, Harrisburg, Holly Ridge,
  Holly Springs, Hookerton, Hope Mills, Huntersville, Jamestown, Kenansville,
  Kenly, Knightdale, Landis, Laurel Park, Liberty, Lillington, Louisburg,
  Madison, Maggie Valley, Maiden, Mayodan, Maysville, Middlesex, Midland,
  Mocksville, Morrisville, Mount Pleasant, Nashville, North Wilkesboro,
  Norwood, Oak Island, Oakboro, Ocean Isle Beach, Pembroke, Pine Level,
  Pollocksville, Princeton, Ramseur, Ranlo, Richlands, Rockwell, Rolesville,
  Rutherfordton, Shallotte, Siler City, Smithfield, Spencer, Spring Lake, Spruce
  Pine, Stanley, Stem, Stovall, Surf City, Swansboro, Taylorsville, Troutman,
  Troy, Vass, Wallace, Warsaw, Watha, Waynesville, Weaverville, Weldon,
  Wendell, West Jefferson, Wilson's Mills, Windsor, Wingate, Yadkinville,
  Youngsville, and Zebulon."
PART II. CODIFY AND AMEND THE GAME COMMISSION OF CURRITUCK
COUNTY AND RELATED LAWS
  *H147-v-7*
  SECTION 2.(a) Chapter 113 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new
Article to read:
  "Article 22C.
  "Currituck County Game Commission.
"§ 113-300.10. Regulation of waterfowl hunting in Currituck County.
    The hunting, shooting, killing, or trapping of any wild fowl consisting of geese, ducks, brant,
or any other wild fowl from shore, marsh, blind, or floating device on or adjacent to the public
waters of Currituck County shall be governed and regulated by the North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission and the Game Commission of Currituck County, as set forth in this
Article, subject to the regulations of this Article.
"§ 113-300.11. Definitions.
    The following definitions shall apply in this Article:
  (1)     Float blind. – A floating device, including a boat, operated on the public
  waters of Currituck County from which wild fowl are hunted under a license
  issued by the Game Commission pursuant to G.S. 113-300.16, and that
  conforms to the rules for float blinds adopted by the Game Commission.
  (2)     Game Commission. – The Game Commission of Currituck County.
  (3)     Point blind. – A blind located entirely upon the private property of an
  individual or organization for which a license has been issued by the Game
  Commission in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 113-300.17.
  (4)     Stationary bush blind. – A blind located entirely within the public waters of
  Currituck County at a location established by the Game Commission.
"§ 113-300.12. Hunting licenses.
    Hunting licenses for shooting migratory wild fowl on the waters covered by this Article shall
conform to the licenses set out or required by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
or as required by the statewide game law.
"§ 113-300.13. Game Commission of Currituck County created; membership; terms;
  vacancies; powers.
    (a)      Creation; Membership. – A Game Commission of Currituck County is created. The
Game Commission shall consist of seven members, each of whom shall be thoroughly acquainted
with migratory waterfowl shooting both ashore and afloat. The Game Commission shall be
selected and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners of Currituck County, but no
member shall be removed except upon the unanimous vote of all the members of the board of
commissioners. One member shall be chosen from each of the five county commissioner
residency districts, and two members shall be appointed to serve at large. In the event of a
vacancy, successors to the members of the Game Commission shall be similarly appointed.
    (b)      Terms. – Members of the Game Commission shall be appointed by the Board of
County Commissioners on the first Monday of June of each year as terms expire and shall hold
office for terms of two years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified.
    (c)      Powers. – The Game Commission, acting with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission, shall have charge of the enforcement of this Article and all migratory wild fowl
game laws in Currituck County, and the Game Commission, acting with the North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission, shall have the power and authority to prescribe rules and
regulations for the enforcement of such game laws and the protection of wild fowl life in the
county, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article. The Game Commission may establish
sanctuaries or rest areas in which no wild fowl may be shot, hunted, or disturbed.
"§ 113-300.14. Sale and issuance of licenses; clerk to the Game Commission; records;
  remittance of fees.
    (a)      All licenses for the shooting, hunting, killing, or trapping of migratory wild fowl in
Currituck Sound and its tributaries shall be sold by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Page 2  Session Law 2026-57  House Bill 147
Commission as provided under the State game laws, and the proceeds received from the sale of
all such licenses shall be the property of the State of North Carolina.
     (b)    The Game Commission shall elect and appoint a suitable person, from persons
qualifying by education and experience, to act as clerk to the Game Commission. The clerk shall
be required to keep a complete and permanent record of all licenses issued by the Game
Commission, and this record shall be open to inspection upon reasonable notice. Licenses for
stationary bush blinds, float blinds, and point blinds shall be solely issued by the clerk to the
Game Commission.
     (c)    To help defray the costs of enforcement of the provisions of this Article, the clerk to
the Game Commission shall remit to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for
deposit in the Wildlife Resources Fund, out of monies received from the sale of hunting blind
licenses, the following amounts: eleven dollars ($11.00) of the fee for a license for a point blind,
four dollars ($4.00) of the fee for a license for a stationary bush blind, and nine dollars ($9.00)
of the fee for a license for a float blind.
"§ 113-300.15. Control over blind licenses; complaints; appeals.
     The Game Commission shall have control over the issuance of licenses for stationary bush
blinds, float blinds, and point blinds, consistent with this Article and rules adopted pursuant to
this Article. The Game Commission shall hear complaints and petitions from individuals relative
to location of blinds and other matters and shall make adjustment of such matters; provided that
any individual not satisfied with the ruling of the Game Commission may file an appeal with the
district court within 10 days. The procedure governing the appeal shall substantially follow the
provisions of subsections (f) through (k) of G.S. 113-300.34.
"§ 113-300.16. Licenses for stationary bush blinds and float blinds; fees.
     (a)    To obtain a license for either a stationary bush blind or a float blind, the applicant
shall apply in writing to the clerk to the Game Commission, or otherwise apply by any method
approved by the Game Commission, including via an online application, and pay an application
fee and a processing fee. Application and processing fees shall be set annually by the Game
Commission at the budget meeting held in June, and the Game Commission may establish
different fees for residents of North Carolina and nonresidents.
     (b)    Applicants who are residents of North Carolina shall submit proof of North Carolina
residency along with each application in order to be subject to resident fees. Applicants who are
not residents of North Carolina but who were the holders of licensed blinds for the 1996-97
waterfowl season shall be charged as North Carolina residents for all subsequent renewals of that
application. However, this exemption terminates if the blind license is not renewed during any
subsequent annual renewal period and is not transferable to any different blind location. Float
blinds when licensed shall bear the license number, and the license number shall be displayed in
a prominent or conspicuous place upon the blind.
"§ 113-300.17. Licenses for point blinds; fees.
     (a)    Individuals owning property in Currituck County bought and used for the shooting of
migratory wild fowl who desire to have any shooting point or location protected by a license as
such shall make application in accordance with this section; provided that applications filed later
than August 1 shall be given consideration at subsequent meetings of the Game Commission.
     (b)    The application shall accurately describe the location, and a map shall be furnished
to the Game Commission upon request.
     (c)    The application must be filed on or before August 1 of each year to ensure timely
consideration. To obtain a license for a point blind, the applicant shall apply in writing to the
clerk to the Game Commission, or otherwise apply by any method approved by the Game
Commission, including via an online application, and pay an application fee and a processing
fee. The application fee and the processing fee shall be established annually at the budget meeting
in June.
House Bill 147  Session Law 2026-57  Page 3
    (d)     The license number must, during the shooting season, be displayed on the blind
erected on the licensed shooting point, which blind must be maintained and used with reasonable
frequency, at least four times each season.
    (e)     If it is desired to develop a new shooting location, the Game Commission, on
application, may license any location designated, but not if it is within 500 yards of a location
used by floating devices or within 500 yards of a bush blind or another licensed point.
"§ 113-300.18. Prima facie evidence of hunting.
    For purposes of this Article, it shall be prima facie evidence when anyone is found in a boat,
blind, or floating device, or on shore or marsh with decoys or geese or any other contrivance
which is used in hunting wild fowl that the person is there for the purpose of hunting.
"§ 113-300.19. Aiding unlicensed persons unlawful.
    It shall be unlawful for a licensed guide or other resident of North Carolina or any other
person to accompany or aid in hunting, in any of the methods described in this Article, any person
who has failed to obtain the proper license.
"§ 113-300.20. Floating devices restricted.
    No type of floating device shall be used in the hunting of wild fowl in Currituck Sound except
those authorized by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Game
Commission.
"§ 113-300.21. Decoy requirement; use of licensed blinds; temporary locations.
    (a)     It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot waterfowl on the public waters of
Currituck County unless the person is lawfully hunting and has a stand of artificial decoys tied
out over which the person is shooting.
    (b)     An owner of real estate who has a licensed point blind on the owner's real estate, or
the guests of such an owner, may hunt at one unlicensed temporary location per licensed blind
on the real estate, provided that the licensed location is not being hunted at the same time and
that the temporary location is not within 500 yards of a licensed location belonging to someone
other than the owner of the real estate.
    (c)     It shall be unlawful for any person to use a licensed or temporary blind for hunting
purposes unless the person (i) has written permission from the licensee of the blind, (ii) has proof
of permission in a manner prescribed by the Game Commission, or (iii) is hunting in the presence
of the licensee.
"§ 113-300.22. Revocation of licenses; criminal penalty.
    (a)     The Game Commission may prosecute and revoke the hunting blind license of any
person who has in its judgment violated any part of this Article, or any of such rules and
regulations as it may establish, but prior to such revocation, it shall notify the person charged
with the violation to appear before the Game Commission on a given day at a given hour. The
Game Commission may revoke the hunting blind license of any person who violates any of the
provisions of this Article regulating hunting, or who, while hunting, shall go upon the marshes
or lands of any person, firm, or corporation without the permission of the owners.
    (b)     Any violation of this Article is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and each violation shall
constitute a separate offense.
"§ 113-300.23. Airboats and seaplanes; mufflers.
    The use of airboats or seaplanes on the public waters of Currituck County is prohibited from
September 1 of each year to April 1 of the following year. All boats powered with gasoline, oil,
or similarly operated engines shall use efficient mufflers in Currituck County except when
otherwise authorized by the federal government.
"§ 113-300.24. Expenses; compensation; disposition of funds; budget and audit.
    (a)     The Game Commission may pay the necessary fees of attorneys, surveyors, and
accountants; the costs of printing license forms for hunting blind licenses to be furnished to the
clerk to the Game Commission; and other necessary expenses of carrying out the duties imposed
by this Article. Each member shall be paid a salary, to be established annually at the budget
Page 4  Session Law 2026-57  House Bill 147
meeting in June. The clerk to the Game Commission shall receive an annual salary, which shall
be established annually at the budget meeting conducted in June. The clerk shall promptly notify
the Currituck County Board of Commissioners of all salaries established by the Game
Commission at the budget meeting.
    (b)      The Game Commission may disburse excess funds generated from fees to an
organization established as a nonprofit corporation under North Carolina law for the purpose of
conservation, habitat enhancement, and waterfowl protection in Currituck County. The board of
directors of this corporation shall be appointed by the Game Commission. A member of the Game
Commission shall be made a member of the board of directors of this corporation.
    (c)      Prior to the beginning of the Game Commission's fiscal year, it shall file a copy of its
budget for that year with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Within 30 days
following receipt of the audit report made after the close of a fiscal year, the Game Commission
shall file a copy of the audit report with the Wildlife Resources Commission.
"§ 113-300.25. Vacant blinds.
    The Game Commission is authorized to close down vacant blinds in its discretion.
"§ 113-300.26. Location of blinds; proximity to residences.
    Every blind of any kind shall be located not less than 500 yards from any blind of any kind.
No float blinds shall be tied within 300 yards of any residence. This section shall not apply to
blinds closer together than 500 yards on June 12, 1957, but shall be applicable to any such blinds
as, and when, one of said blinds becomes vacant.
"§ 113-300.27. Renting of blinds prohibited.
    (a)      Any person having a licensed blind is prohibited from renting it by the year or
otherwise. The right of a licensee to use a blind is personal to the licensee, and the licensee shall
not permit any other person to use the blind except members of the licensee's family, friends, or
licensed guides. A licensee shall not accept any money or other thing of value as consideration
for the use of the blind, and the licensee shall file a written report each week as to who has been
using the blind on request of the Game Commission.
    (b)      The Game Commission is empowered to make reasonable rules and regulations to
prevent the renting of blinds. The Game Commission is authorized to revoke the license of any
licensee found to have rented the licensee's blind.
"§ 113-300.28. Denial of licenses to consistent violators.
    When the Game Commission finds that an applicant for a blind license is a consistent violator
of the game laws of Currituck County, as shown by convictions for such violations, it may in its
discretion refuse to issue such applicant a license for any type of blind.
"§ 113-300.29. Times for waterfowl hunting.
    (a)      Unless modified by the Game Commission pursuant to subsection (d) of this section,
in all areas of Currituck County lying east and north of the line described in subsection (c) of this
section, the starting time for waterfowl hunting each day, and the quitting time for waterfowl
hunting each day prior to November 1 and after January 31 of the hunting season, shall be as set
by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or as required by the statewide game
law. The quitting time for waterfowl hunting each day from November 1 through January 31 of
the hunting season shall be 4:20 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
    (b)      Unless modified by the Game Commission pursuant to subsection (d) of this section,
in all areas of Currituck County lying west of the line described in subsection (c) of this section,
the starting time for waterfowl hunting each day, and the quitting time for waterfowl hunting
each day, shall be as set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or as required
by the statewide game law.
    (c)      The line of demarcation between the waterfowl hunting regions referred to in
subsections (a) and (b) of this section is as follows: Beginning at a point located on the boundary
line between the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia and which point
marks the center of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) as established by the United
House Bill 147  Session Law 2026-57  Page 5
States Army Corps of Engineers and thence following the center of the AICW channel in a
southerly direction to the point which marks the intersection with the center of the ferry channel
for the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry; thence running in a southeasterly direction to the
northeastern point of Churches Island at a point where the right-of-way of NCSR 1142 (the road
from Coinjock to Churches Island) would terminate if extended in a northerly direction to the
high water mark of the sound; thence following the center line of NCSR 1142 and the northerly
extension thereof in a southerly and westerly direction through Churches Island and continuing
to a point where the right-of-way intersects the center of U.S. Highway 158 near the bridge
crossing the AICW at Coinjock; thence following the center line of U.S. Highway 158 in a
southerly direction to the center of the Currituck Sound and the line marking the boundary
between Dare County and Currituck County.
     (d)     The Game Commission may modify the times for waterfowl hunting set forth in this
section after a duly advertised public hearing. In making a determination to modify the times, the
Game Commission shall consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, whether a
proposed modification will benefit the waterfowl flyway and habitat within Currituck County
and will promote safety and conservation of resources. However, the Game Commission may
not modify the times for waterfowl hunting to allow hunting during times when waterfowl
hunting is otherwise prohibited by the Wildlife Resources Commission in other areas of the State.
If the Game Commission determines that a modification is appropriate, it shall amend its rules
to reflect the modification, and that rule shall supersede the provisions of this section.
"§ 113-300.30. Survey of blinds.
     The Game Commission is empowered to institute a survey of the location of all blinds in
Currituck County, and to negotiate and purchase land for checkpoints, base lines, and concrete
markers to accurately locate said blinds, and to provide for the same in its budget.
"§ 113-300.31. Records of blind locations.
     The clerk to the Game Commission shall keep a record of the location of every blind, either
by plat book or any other method approved by the Game Commission, including an online blind
map with an accurate database. Upon request of the Game Commission, every license holder
shall be required to provide accurate coordinates in a manner designated by the Game
Commission for the location of each license holder's blind, and the failure to provide the
requested coordinates shall be grounds for the Game Commission to revoke a blind license.
"§ 113-300.32. Number of blinds.
     The number of stationary bush blinds and float blinds licensed shall be within the discretion
of the Game Commission, but the current number of stationary bush blinds in existence as of
July 1, 2026, is presumed to be the maximum number of safe locations for stationary bush blinds.
"§ 113-300.33. Anchoring near blinds.
     No boat carrying gunners or skiffs shall be tied or anchored within 500 yards of a blind of
any kind.
"§ 113-300.34. Blind licenses; application; consideration; hearings; appeals; issuance.
     (a)     No blind shall be constructed or hunted from by any person unless such blind shall
have been duly licensed.
     (b)     All applications for blind licenses shall be made in writing or in any other manner
permitted by the Game Commission, including via online application on its website. The Game
Commission shall establish a schedule of dates and times for when applications may be accepted
for the following season at its hearing in August, and the Game Commission shall announce the
schedule for the following season at its hearing in September and otherwise announce the
schedule by posting the schedule on its website. Each application shall describe the exact
proposed location of the blind by course and distance from a known natural monument
susceptible of definite and exact location; the type of blind license applied for; and the name,
age, and address of the applicant and the purpose for which the applicant intends to use the blind
(for example, for personal use or as a guide). Each application shall also contain an oath by the
Page 6  Session Law 2026-57  House Bill 147
applicant that the blind will be used personally by the applicant and the applicant's guests for
hunting and will not be assigned or rented for a consideration unless the applicant is the guide
accompanying the persons hunting. Every applicant for a blind license shall provide the Game
Commission with a valid email address, and any notice that the clerk or the Game Commission
is required to provide to any applicant at any time may be sent to the email address provided.
     (c)     All applications that have been filed during the period established by the Game
Commission shall receive consideration by the Game Commission of Currituck County at a
meeting to be held at 1:00 P.M. at the Currituck County Courthouse on the Thursday following
the second Wednesday in August, at which time all applications for licenses submitted shall be
passed upon and granted or refused. The Game Commission may, in its discretion, establish a
late fee to be paid by any applicant who can establish just cause for a failure to file an application
in a timely manner, and upon the payment of said late fee, the application may be accepted as
timely. Any applicant whose application for a license is denied shall be notified immediately of
the rejection of the application. It is the responsibility of each applicant to determine whether the
application for a blind license has been approved or rejected and, if desired, to make a timely
demand for a hearing under subsection (d) of this section upon rejection of the application.
     (d)     Any applicant who has been refused a hunting blind license, or any person objecting
to the issuance of a license to another, shall by the third Wednesday in August following action
on the license application notify the clerk to the Game Commission, in a manner prescribed by
the Game Commission, which may include via mail or email to the clerk, of a demand for a
public hearing before the Game Commission on the question of the issuance of the license, stating
in detail the grounds for objection to the denial or granting of the license. The Game Commission
shall conduct a public hearing on all such demands for the purpose of finding facts, hearing the
arguments and contentions of the parties, and judicially passing upon the question on the first
Wednesday in September of each year. The hearing shall be held at the Currituck County
Courthouse and shall convene at 7:00 P.M. If a person objecting to the issuance of a license to
another has demanded a hearing, the clerk to the Game Commission shall provide a notice of
hearing to the person whose license application was granted by the Thursday following the fourth
Wednesday in August.
     (e)     Within one week following the hearing provided by subsection (d) of this section, the
clerk to the Game Commission shall file with the Clerk of Superior Court of Currituck County a
listing of all blind licenses issued without contest, all licenses issued following a hearing on the
matter, all license applications denied without contest, and all license applications denied
following the hearing. The listing for each action taken only after a contest in the hearing shall
briefly set out the Game Commission's findings of fact and the basis for the action taken on the
license application. In addition, within one week following the hearing, the clerk to the Game
Commission shall provide notice of the decision of the Game Commission to (i) each party who
appeared at the hearing on the issue in question and (ii) each person who, according to the records
of the Game Commission, will be directly affected by the decision of the Game Commission at
the hearing. It is the responsibility of each party to the hearing to determine the decision of the
Game Commission affecting that party.
     (f)     Any party to the hearing provided by subsection (d) of this section who is aggrieved
by the decision of the Game Commission may appeal the decision to the District Court Division
of the General Court of Justice sitting in Currituck County, where the matter shall be heard de
novo by a district court judge sitting without a jury. The aggrieved party shall file written notice
of appeal with the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Currituck County explicitly stating the
grounds for the party's objection to the decision of the Game Commission and the relief sought.
The aggrieved party shall style the notice of appeal in a manner to identify the issue to be litigated,
such as "In the Matter of a License for a Stationary Bush Blind Located at (give location)." Filing
notice of appeal shall suspend the decision taken by the Game Commission pending resolution
House Bill 147  Session Law 2026-57  Page 7
of the question by the district court, except that right to appeal is barred by a failure to do either
of the following:
  (1)     File the notice of appeal with the clerk of superior court by the third
  Wednesday in September.
  (2)     Perfect the appeal in accordance with subsection (g) of this section within 10
  days after filing the notice of appeal.
    (g)     After filing notice of appeal, the aggrieved party shall perfect the appeal by paying
the costs of the appeal to the Clerk of Superior Court of Currituck County and by serving a copy
of the notice of appeal upon the clerk to the Game Commission and upon each person who is
shown by the records of the Game Commission to have been entitled to notice of the decision of
the Game Commission with respect to the issue in question under the terms of subsection (e) of
this section. The clerk to the Game Commission shall upon request furnish the appealing party
the names and addresses of the persons entitled to the notice. Service shall be in accordance with
G.S. 1A-1, Rule 4.
    (h)     Any person served with the notice of appeal under subsection (g) of this section may
become a party in the appeal proceeding before the district court judge by notifying the Clerk of
Superior Court of Currituck County within seven days after service of the notice of appeal upon
that person. Any other person aggrieved by the decision of the Game Commission may petition
to become a party by filing a motion to intervene as provided in G.S. 1A-1, Rule 24.
    (i)     The responsible judicial official in the district court division of the First Judicial
District shall schedule the hearing upon an appeal as expeditiously as possible after the appeal is
perfected, but it may not be scheduled until the fourth Wednesday in September or, if later, seven
days after service of the notice of appeal upon the clerk to the Game Commission and all other
persons required to be served with notice of appeal under subsection (g) of this section. If any
aggrieved party fails to appear at any scheduled appeal proceeding, the party's appeal shall be
dismissed.
    (j)     Upon the appeal, the Game Commission shall be a party and shall be represented by
one or more of the members of the Game Commission. In addition, the clerk to the Game
Commission and its attorney, surveyor, and others who have acted for or on behalf of the Game
Commission may testify to facts in issue upon the appeal of which they have knowledge and to
the Game Commission's findings and criteria that apply to the matter in issue. The Game
Commission shall furnish the court with relevant records and exhibits bearing upon the matter in
issue and the decision it made.
    (k)     In determining whether to grant or deny a blind license to any applicant, to modify
the terms of a license, or otherwise to decide any matter in issue upon appeal, the district court
judge shall follow the criteria in this Article and established by regulations and guidelines of the
Game Commission, to the extent that they are reasonable and in conformity with the policies of
this Article. After the district court judge's decision, the judge may implement the ruling with
appropriate orders to the Game Commission concerning issuance of the blind license, rejection
or modification of the application, and any other matters in issue upon the appeal.
    (l)     The clerk to the Game Commission shall begin issuance of blind licenses as soon as
feasible for those licenses as to which there is no contest; and, as to each license contested under
subsection (d) of this section or by further appeal to the district court, as soon as feasible after
the proceedings with respect to each license have concluded. The license issued shall carry a
number designation; name, age, and address of the licensee; and a description of the location of
the blind by course and distance as set out in the approved application. The license may be
provided in any format approved by the Game Commission, including digitally.
"§ 113-300.35. Standards governing issuance of licenses.
    The following standards shall govern the selection of approved applications and the locations
for which licenses are issued:
Page 8  Session Law 2026-57  House Bill 147
  (1)      No license for a hunting device of any kind, including, but not limited to,
  stationary stuck or bush blinds and point blinds, shall be granted for any
  location within 500 yards of any other licensed stationary stuck or bush blind
  or licensed point.
  (2)     No person shall be granted a license for more than a total of two blinds of any
  and all types, except property owners, who may have licensed points on their
  own property without limit so long as the same are not within 500 yards of
  any other licensed point or stationary bush or stuck blind.
  (3)     Licenses shall be issued only to persons thoroughly familiar with the waters
  of Currituck Sound, who are capable boat operators, of good moral character,
  licensed hunters, and aged at least 18 years. In determining good moral
  character, such things as past record of conviction for violation of the game
  laws of the State of North Carolina or of the United States, or the violation of
  valid rules and regulations of the Game Commission of Currituck County or
  of the Wildlife Resources Commission, shall be considered along with other
  factors determinative of good moral character.
  (4)     No license shall be assigned or conveyed by the licensee thereof; provided,
  however, if the licensee dies during the term of the license, the licensee's heirs
  at law or devisees shall be permitted to operate under said license for the then
  current hunting season, and no longer, provided that the qualifications
  specified in this section are met by such successor.
"§ 113-300.36. Unlicensed blinds; unauthorized use; removal.
     (a)    No person shall cause to be erected or erect a blind unless the same has been duly
licensed as provided in this Article.
     (b)    No person shall shoot or permit another to shoot from a blind which has not been
licensed according to the terms of this Article. All licensed blinds shall carry the number of said
license on the inside thereof, plainly visible to anyone visiting the blind.
     (c)    No person shall hunt from a licensed blind unless such person shall be the guest of
and shall have the permission of the licensee thereof or is in company with such licensee as guide.
     (d)    Any blind or hunting device that is not licensed for a given year shall be immediately
demolished by the owner or past owner thereof. If the blind or hunting device is not demolished
by August 1 of the current year, law enforcement officers of the Wildlife Resources Commission
may enter upon the same and cause the same to be demolished.
"§ 113-300.37. Overnight anchoring of float blinds.
     No float blinds shall be anchored overnight except at a licensed stationary bush or stuck blind
or licensed point issued to the licensee of said float blind. All other float blinds must be returned
to the landing of the licensee each night.
"§ 113-300.38. Rules of the Wildlife Resources Commission.
     The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission shall make such other rules and
regulations relative to hunting wild fowl in Currituck Sound as it may deem necessary and proper,
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Article."
  SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 113-133.1(d) reads as rewritten:
     "(d) Nothing in this Subchapter is intended to repeal or abridge the regulatory authority of
the Game Commission of Currituck County established under Article 22C of this Chapter or the
Dare County Game and Wildlife Commission."
  SECTION 2.(c) The following acts and portions of acts, which are codified by
subsection (a) of this section, are repealed:
  (1)     Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws.
  (2)     Chapter 1178 of the 1971 Session Laws.
  (3)     Chapter 747 of the 1973 Session Laws.
  (4)     Chapter 398 of the 1975 Session Laws.
House Bill 147  Session Law 2026-57  Page 9
  (5)     Chapter 190 of the 1977 Session Laws.
  (6)     Chapter 622 of the 1981 Session Laws.
  (7)     Chapter 764 of the 1983 Session Laws.
  (8)     Section 4 of Chapter 1042 of the 1987 Session Laws.
  (9)     Chapter 808 of the 1989 Session Laws.
  (10) S.L. 1997-163.
  (11) Section 51 of S.L. 1997-456.
  (12) S.L. 2003-16.
  (13) S.L. 2009-70.
  (14) S.L. 2022-19.
  SECTION 2.(d) This section is intended to codify the provisions of Chapter 1436 of
the 1957 Session Laws, as amended, with the changes reflected in subsection (a) of this section.
The Game Commission of Currituck County created by Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws
is continued as the Game Commission of Currituck County under Article 22C of Chapter 113 of
the General Statutes, as enacted by subsection (a) of this section. Members of the Game
Commission and the clerk to the Game Commission serving on the effective date of this section
shall continue to serve for the remainder of their respective terms and appointments.
  SECTION 2.(e) Licenses issued, rules adopted, decisions rendered, and all other
actions taken under Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws, as amended, that are in effect on the
effective date of this section remain in effect and shall be treated as if issued, adopted, rendered,
or taken under Article 22C of Chapter 113 of the General Statutes, as enacted by subsection (a)
of this section.
  SECTION 2.(f) The repeals made by subsection (c) of this section shall not abate or
affect any proceeding, prosecution, or appeal pending on the effective date of this section, or any
liability for an offense committed before that date.
  SECTION 2.(g) This section becomes effective December 1, 2026, and applies to
offenses committed on or after that date and applications for licenses filed on or after that date.
PART III. HICKORY PRIMARY ELECTIONS
  SECTION 3.(a) Section 2.01 of the Charter of the City of Hickory, being Chapter
323 of the 1961 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 404 of the 1967 Session Laws and S.L.
2026-18, reads as rewritten:
    "Sec. 2.01. Composition, Election, and Terms of City Council; Time of General Election. (a)
The governing body for the City of Hickory shall consist of a mayor and six aldermen. The mayor
shall be nominated and elected at large. The aldermen shall each reside in and represent a ward,
but all aldermen shall be nominated and elected at large. No person shall be eligible to file for or
be elected as an alderman unless the person is a qualified voter and resident of the ward in which
the person seeks to be elected.
    (b)     Regular municipal elections shall be held at the time of the general election in each
even-numbered year. The mayor and aldermen shall be elected using the nonpartisan primary
and election method in accordance with G.S. 163-294. In accordance with G.S. 163-294, if more
than two candidates file to represent a single ward, a nonpartisan primary shall be conducted;
however, only qualified voters of that ward may vote in the nonpartisan primary. The nonpartisan
primary shall be held on the date provided by G.S. 163-1 for county partisan primaries.
Candidates shall file the notice of candidacy with the county board of elections under the same
schedule provided by G.S. 163-106.2. Except as otherwise provided, the election shall be
conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in Chapter 163 of the General
Statutes.
    (c)     The mayor and aldermen shall be elected to serve staggered four-year terms and shall
serve until their successors are elected and qualified."
Page 10  Session Law 2026-57  House Bill 147
  SECTION 3.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to
elections conducted on or after that date.
PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE
  SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
law.
  In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 6th day of August, 2026.
  s/ Rachel Hunt
  President of the Senate
  s/ Mike Schietzelt
  Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives
House Bill 147  Session Law 2026-57  Page 11