H 1153

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
  SESSION 2025
 H  1
  HOUSE BILL 1153
 Short Title:   Budgeting Accountability and Transparency.  (Public)
 Sponsors:      Representatives Butler, Harrison, Morey, and Price (Primary Sponsors).
  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 4, 2026
1A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO INTRODUCE GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY INTO
3     THE BUDGET PROCESS BY AMENDING THE STATE BUDGET ACT TO INCREASE
4     PUBLIC NOTICE AND PARTICIPATION AND BY REMOVING LEGISLATIVE
5     CONFIDENTIALITY FOR CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS TO OR FROM
6     LEGISLATORS REQUESTING BUDGET PROVISIONS OR FUNDS MADE.
7 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
8SECTION 1. Article 5 of Chapter 143C of the General Statutes is amended by adding
9 a new section to read:
10 "§ 143C-5-1A. Rules for adoption of the Current Operations Appropriations Act.
11     (a)    To facilitate public participation in the appropriations process, prior to placing on the
12 calendar a vote on (i) second reading on each house's version of the Current Operations
13 Appropriations Act (Act) or (ii) adoption of a conference report that includes a conference
14 committee substitute for the Act (collectively, "budget adoption votes"), each house of the
15 General Assembly shall comply with all of the following requirements:
16(1)     Provide for a period of at least one week in which the public may provide
17comments virtually on the Act. The Legislative Services Officer shall provide
18for a public comment portal through the General Assembly's website.
19(2)     During the public notice period required by subdivision (1) of this subsection,
20hold at least one public hearing with opportunity for comments from the
21public in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
22(3)     During the public notice period required by subdivision (1) of this subsection,
23hold at least three nonvoting committee meetings for consideration and debate
24on the Act. These meetings may be held by the full Appropriations
25Committees of each house, the Appropriations subcommittees or area
26committees, or any other standing committees with areas of responsibility
27germane to provisions in the Act.
28(4)     Provide a copy of the Act and the Committee Report described in
29G.S. 143C-5-5 to all legislators at least five legislative days prior to any
30budget adoption votes.
31     (b)    This section shall be considered and treated as a rule of procedure in the Senate and
32 the House of Representatives unless provided otherwise by a rule of either house of the General
33 Assembly."
34SECTION 2. Article 17 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes is amended by adding
35 new section to read:
  *H1153-v-1*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina  Session 2025
1 "§ 120-133.5. Appropriations communications.
2     (a)     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all documents received from State
3 agencies and from individual legislators to legislative employees or to other legislators
4 documenting requests for provisions or funding in the Current Operations Appropriations Act,
5 as defined in G.S. 143C-1-1(d), are no longer confidential and become public records when the
6 Current Operations Appropriations Act becomes law.
7     (b)     Nothing in this section shall be construed as a waiver of the common law
8 attorney-client privilege nor of the common law work product doctrine with respect to legislators,
9 as defined in G.S. 120-129."
10SECTION 3. There is appropriated the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars
11 ($250,000) in recurring funds beginning with the 2026-2027 fiscal year from the General Fund
12 to the Legislative Services Commission of the General Assembly for maintenance and operation
13 of the public comment portal and for staffing and other expenses associated with the public
14 hearings required by this act.
15SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to the adoption
16 of the Current Operations Appropriations Act for the fiscal year beginning on or after that date.
 Page 2  House Bill 1153-First Edition