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S715 • 2025
Student Voter ID Grant Program/CCs.
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Student Voter ID Grant Program/CCs.
Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget
Withdrawn From Com
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
Passed 1st Reading
Filed
Student Voter ID Grant Program/CCs.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 715 Short Title: Student Voter ID Grant Program/CCs. (Public) Sponsors: Senators Meyer and Murdock (Primary Sponsors). Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 *S715-v-1* A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 AN ACT TO APPROPRIAT E FUNDS TO REQUIRE T HE STATE BOARD OF 2 COMMUNITY COLLEGES T O ESTABLISH THE STUD ENT VOTER 3 IDENTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM AND TO ENCO URAGE COMMUNITY 4 COLLEGES TO APPLY FOR GRANTS UNDER THE PROGRAM. 5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6 SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community 7 Colleges System Office the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in nonrecurring 8 funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the State Board of Community Colleges to establish the 9 Student Voter Identification Grant Program (Program) to provide grants to community colleges 10 of up to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per community college to upgrade necessary 11 equipment and facilities to produce student identification cards that can be used to vote in person 12 in accordance with G.S. 163-166.16. The State Board shall develop a process for receiving 13 applications from community colleges and award grants no later than August 15, 2025, to any 14 community colle ge that submits a reasonable and timely plan for the expenditure of funds 15 consistent with the purposes of the Program. No community college shall receive more than one 16 grant under the Program. No later than February 15, 2026, the System Office shall report to the 17 Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the identity of the community colleges 18 receiving grants under the Program and the purchases made with the funds awarded. 19 SECTION 1.(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, t he 20 State Board of Elections shall review and approve the application of any community college 21 receiving funds under the Student Voter Identification Grant Program established in subsection 22 (a) of this section that is submitted to the State Board by Septemb er 1, 2025, to have its student 23 identification cards approved for use as photo identification cards, if the application complies 24 with other requirements for such an application established by the State Board. 25 SECTION 2. It is the intent of the General Assembly (i) to encourage all community 26 colleges in the State that do not have student identification cards that can be used to vote in person 27 in accordance with G.S. 163-166.16 to apply to receive grants under the Student Voter 28 Identification Grant Program established pursuant to Section 1 of this act and (ii) that the Program 29 remove the existing financial barriers of community colleges to providing students with valid 30 photo identification for voting. 31 SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 32