Military Influence Areas.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 947

Short Title: Military Influence Areas. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Lazzara, Brinson, and McInnis (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S947-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ESTABLISH MILITARY INFLUENCE 2
AREAS TO PREVENT INCOMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECT MILITARY 3
READINESS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Article 9 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes is amended by 6
adding a new section to read: 7
"§ 160D-917. Military influence areas. 8
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: 9
(1) Major military installation. – Defined in G.S. 143-151.71(5). 10
(2) Military influence area. – All property within 5 miles of the property line of a 11
major military installation. 12
(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 160D-601(d), a local government may adopt and enforce a 13
zoning regulation or unified development ordinance which provides specific re quirements for 14
military influence areas, provided that such zoning regulation or unified development ordinance 15
contains, at minimum, the following standards: 16
(1) All development approvals within the military influence area shall require the 17
applicant to submit proof of coordination with the Department of Military and 18
Veterans Affairs to demonstrate that the proposed project will not have an 19
adverse effect on the operational readiness of a major military installation. 20
(2) The governing board or planning commission shall incorporate into all 21
development approvals a statement that the proposed project will not impede 22
training operations or other military activity within the major military 23
installation. 24
(3) Prior to any public hearing pertaining to a quasi -judicial or administrative 25
decision regarding property within a military influence area, the deciding body 26
shall provide notice of the hearing to the commander of the affected major 27
military installation by certified mail not less than 10 da ys nor more than 25 28
days before the date fixed for the hearing. Such notice must provide , at 29
minimum, a description of the prop erty and the nature of the decision to be 30
considered at the hearing. 31
(4) Any site plan for a property within a military influence area shall utilize 32
buffering or screening to mitigate the impacts of light and noise on the major 33
military installation and to protect the privacy of the major military 34
installation. 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 947-First Edition
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a zoning regulation or unified 1
development ordinance regulating a military influence area is subject to the requirements of this 2
Chapter. 3
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as denying a property owner their vested 4
rights under Article 1 of this Chapter." 5
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Military Affairs 6
Commission of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year 7
the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurr ing funds to conduct a joint land -use 8
study between major military installations and local governments affected by this act. 9
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law. 10