Durham Funding Bill.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 927

Short Title: Durham Funding Bill. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Hawkins, Morey, Alston, and Jeffers (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 14, 2025
*H927-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIAT E FUNDS FOR VARIOUS NEEDS OF THE CITY AN D 2
COUNTY OF DURHAM AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPA RTMENT OF 3
TRANSPORTATION TO REEVALUATE THE FUNDING OF ROADS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 6
Budget and Management the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for 7
the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to the City of Durham as follows: 8
(1) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for maintenance and equipment 9
needs for city parks. 10
(2) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for expansion of landfills. 11
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 12
Budget and Management the sum of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) in nonrecurring funds 13
for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Durham County to be used to enhance 14
and upgrade County wastewater utility infrastructure in the Research Triangle Par k area to 15
support economic development and growth. 16
SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 17
Budget and Management the sum of two hundred thirty -seven thousand dollars ($237,000) in 18
nonrecurring funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to The Stagville 19
Memorial Project to support the design and development of an art installation honoring the 20
history of the Stagville descendants on a plot of land across from the Museum of Durham History 21
in the City of Durham. 22
SECTION 4. There is appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of 23
Transportation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) 24
in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to Durham County for the repair a nd improvement of 25
orphan roads, in non -municipal areas of the county, to meet Department of Transportation 26
minimum construction requirements for addition to the State highway system. 27
SECTION 5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Administra tive 28
Office of the Courts the sum of five hundred three thousand four hundred eighty -one dollars 29
($503,481) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year and the sum of fourteen million 30
four thousand three hundred ninety -three dollars ($14,004,393) i n recurring funds for the 31
2025-2026 fiscal year to provide 219 total positions statewide for staffing needs to implement 32
the eCourts system to maintain court efficiency, reduce case processing delays, prevent case 33
backlog, and ensure timely service to citizens. 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 927-First Edition
SECTION 6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 1
Budget and Management the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in nonrecurring 2
funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Durham County for staffing, 3
operational costs, and legal resource materials needed to establish a legal support center, modeled 4
after Wake County's center, to provide legal information, procedural guidance, and assistance 5
with forms to litigants without legal representation for the purpose of enhancing access to justice, 6
reducing court congestion and staff overload, and improving case processing efficiency. 7
SECTION 7. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 8
Budget and Management the sum of one hundred eighty thousand dollars ($180,000) in recurring 9
funds for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to annually provide a directed grant to Durham County for 10
salary enhancements and retention incentives for, and professional development of, court staff to 11
increase retention of experienced personnel, improve institutional knowledge, and reduce hiring 12
and training costs for the purpose of ensuring high-quality service to the public. 13
SECTION 8. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State 14
Budget and Management the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in nonrecurring 15
funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Durham County to the Durham 16
County Special Proceedings and Estates courtroom with CRAVE hardware to provide for remote 17
hearing capability, meet other system hardware and software needs, and train personnel to 18
improve court efficiency for the purposes of modernizing the judiciary, improving data security, 19
and reducing long-term administrative costs. 20
SECTION 9. The Department of Transportation shall perform a study that 21
reevaluates the procedures, policies, and criteria used in the funding of roadway projects and 22
expansion in relation to rural counties and municipalities impacted by increases in population, 23
residential development, and traffic congestion. The study shall include evaluating the need for 24
improvements to how the Department and rural counties and municipalities work together, the 25
need for increased State funding for new and existing construction and maintenance, and whether 26
legislation is necessary to ensure that the State Transportation Improvement (STI) project 27
funding formula recognizes that one size does not fit all and that projects in both rural and urban 28
areas are prioritized and funded appropriately. 29
SECTION 10. Sections 1 through 8 of this act become effective July 1, 2025. The 30
remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law. 31