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H659 • 2025

Local Government Spending Transparency.

Local Government Spending Transparency.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Echevarria, Loftis, Almond, Lowery, Brody, Ward
Last action
2025-05-06
Official status
Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Effective date
2025-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Local Government Spending Transparency.

H659-SMCO-39(e1)-v-4 (2025-04-28): Local Government Spending Transparency.

What This Bill Does

  • H659-SMCO-39(e1)-v-4 (2025-04-28): Local Government Spending Transparency.
  • H659-SMCO-51(CSCO-11)-v-5 (2025-05-05): Local Government Spending Transparency.
  • H659-SMCO-59(e2)-v-3 (2025-05-05): Local Government Spending Transparency.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.
  • Committee: House Judiciary 1.
  • If favorable, re -refer to State and Local Government.
  • If favorable, re - refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 15, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.
  • Committee: House State and Local Government.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 29, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Echevarria, Loftis, Almond, Lowery Prepared by: Ike McRee Committee Co-Counsel Analysis of: PCS to First Edition H659-CSCO-11 Kara McCraw Director *H659-SMCO-51(CSCO-11)-v-5* Legislative Analysis Division 919-733-2578 This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 659: Local Government Spending Transparency.
  • Committee: House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: May 5, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Echevarria, Loftis, Almond, Lowery Prepared by: Ike McRee Staff Attorney Analysis of: Second Edition Kara McCraw Director *H659-SMCO-59(e2)-v-3* Legislative Analysis Division 919-733-2578 This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
  • OVERVIEW: House Bill 659 would do the following: • Require all local government invoices to be itemized with minimum required disclosures.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-06 House

    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  2. 2025-05-06 House

    Withdrawn From Cal

  3. 2025-05-05 House

    Placed On Cal For 05/06/2025

  4. 2025-05-05 House

    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

  5. 2025-05-05 House

    Reptd Fav

  6. 2025-04-29 House

    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  7. 2025-04-29 House

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  8. 2025-04-15 House

    Re-ref Com On State and Local Government

  9. 2025-04-15 House

    Reptd Fav

  10. 2025-04-02 House

    Ref to the Com on Judiciary 1, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  11. 2025-04-02 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  12. 2025-04-01 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

H659-SMCO-39(e1)-v-4
(2025-04-28): Local Government Spending Transparency.
H659-SMCO-51(CSCO-11)-v-5
(2025-05-05): Local Government Spending Transparency.
H659-SMCO-59(e2)-v-3
(2025-05-05): Local Government Spending Transparency.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 659
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25

Short Title: Local Government Spending Transparency. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 2, 2025
*H659-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. Article 3 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes, the Local Government 4
Budget and Fiscal Control Act, is amended by adding a new section to read: 5
"§ 159-33.3. Transparent spending and bid reporting. 6
(a) All local government invoices shall be itemized, disclosing, at a minimum, the payee, 7
amount paid, items or services purchased, and performance dates. A link to view all quarterly 8
invoices shall appear on each local government's website, except that a local government without 9
a website shall keep copies of the quarterly paid invoices for public viewing in a publicly 10
accessible place at the local government 's ad ministrative offices. The invoices shall be 11
unredacted unless otherwise specifically required by law. 12
(b) In addition to the information required by subsection (a) of this section, a local 13
government's website shall provide a link to the top three bids on every project, service, or any 14
goods purchased with any tax dollars, with quarterly updates. The bids shall be unredacted unless 15
otherwise specifically required by law." 16
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to invoices paid 17
on or after that date. 18