DOA Agency Requests.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 973

Short Title: DOA Agency Requests. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Burgin (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S973-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIO US STATUTORY CHANGES RELATED TO THE 2
OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
DOA QUARTERLY ACTION REPORT 6
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 143-341.2 reads as rewritten: 7
"§ 143-341.2. Proactive management of State -owned and State -leased real property 8
portfolio. 9
(a) Duties of the Department of Administration. – The Department of Administration 10
shall have the following powers and duties: 11
(1) Development of comprehensive State facilities plan. – No later than April 1, 12
2023, and every five years thereafter, the Department of Administration shall 13
develop and implement a plan to comprehensively manage, acquire, and 14
dispose of the facilities and spaces required to fully support State government 15
operations. The plan shall do all of the following: 16
a. Identify the type, quantity, and location of facilities and spaces 17
required to fully support State government operations. 18
b. Include an in -depth analysis of existing State -owned facilities ' 19
locations, capability, utilization, and condition. 20
c. Establish strategic priorities and objectives that allow the Department 21
of Administration to manage the performance of the State's portfolio 22
of real property in a way that maximizes the utilization of State-owned 23
facilities and minimizes operating and maintenance costs. 24
d. Take into consideration the information provided to the Department in 25
five-year real property management plans submitted by State agencies 26
pursuant to subdivision (b)(4) of this section. 27
e. Provide a mechanism for allocating available facilities or space to 28
State agencies that need it in a manner that reduces the need to acquire 29
new space through purchase, lease, or other means. 30
f. Provide recommendations for disposing of existing State property and 31
facilities, consolidating operations among existing facilities, and 32
relocating State agencies from leased facilities to State -owned 33
facilities. 34
g. Describe all changes made to space planning standards developed and 35
distributed as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 973-First Edition
… 1
(d) During the pendency and execution of the Department's comprehensive State 2
facilities plan described in sub division (a) (1) of this section, the Departm ent shall identify 3
facilities that are abandoned, condemned, flagged for surplus , or that otherwise require 4
extraordinary maintenance, including any Departmental recommendations, and shall compile and 5
submit a quarterly report to the Fiscal Research Division, the Joint Legislative Oversight 6
Committee on Capital Improvements, and the Council of State." 7
SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 8
Administration the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 9
2026-2027 fiscal year to establish a reporting mechanism to cover the statewide inventory of 10
property being assessed under this section. 11
SECTION 1.(c) This section is effective when it becomes law. The initial quarterly 12
report required under this section shall be submitted on or before October 1, 2026. 13
14
SURPLUS PROPERTY VALUE ALIGNMENT 15
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 20-28.2(i) reads as rewritten: 16
"(i) Expedited Sale of Seized Motor Vehicles in Certain Cases. – In order to avoid 17
additional liability for towing and storage costs pending resolution of the criminal p roceedings 18
of the defendant, the State Surplus Property Agency or county board of education may, after 19
expiration of 90 days from the date of seizure, sell any motor vehicle having a fair market value 20
of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) or less. The State Surplus Property Agency or 21
county board of education may also sell a motor vehicle, regardless of the fair market value, any 22
time the outstanding towing and storage costs exceed eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market 23
value of the vehicle, o r with the consent of all the motor vehicle owners. Any sale conducted 24
pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of 25
G.S. 20-28.5(a) or G.S. 20-28.5(a1), as applicable, and the proceeds of the sale, after the payment 26
of outstanding towing and storage costs or reimbursement of towing and storage costs paid by a 27
person other than the defendant, shall be deposited with the clerk of superior court. If an order of 28
forfeiture is entered by the court, the court shall order the proceeds held by the clerk to be 29
disbursed as provided in G.S. 20-28.5(b). If the court determines that the motor vehicle is not 30
subject to forfeiture, the court shall order the proceeds held by the clerk to be disbursed first to 31
pay the sale, towing, and storage costs, second to pay outstanding liens on the motor vehicle, and 32
the balance to be paid to the motor vehicle owners." 33
SECTION 2.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 34
35
E-SIGNATURES ON PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS 36
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 143-341(4) reads as rewritten: 37
"§ 143-341. Powers and duties of Department. 38
The Department of Administration has the following powers and duties: 39
… 40
(4) Real Property Control: 41
… 42
c. To obtain and deposit with the Secretary of State the originals of all 43
deeds and other conveyances of real property to the State or to any 44
State agency, copies of all leases wherein the State or any State agency 45
is lessor or lessee, and certified copies of wills, judgments, and other 46
instruments whereby the State or any State agency has acquired title 47
to real property. Where an original of a deed, lease, or other instrument 48
cannot be found, but has been recorded in the registry of office of the 49
clerk of superior court of any county, a certified copy of such deed, 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 973-First Edition Page 3
conveyance, or instru ment shall be obtained and deposited with the 1
Secretary of State. 2
d. To acquire, whether by purchase, exercise of the power of eminent 3
domain, lease, or rental, all land, buildings, and space in buildings for 4
all State agencies, subject to the approval of the Governor and Council 5
of State in each instance. The Governor, acting with the approval of 6
the Council of State, may adopt rules (i) exempting from any or all of 7
the requirements of this paragraph such classes of lease, rental, 8
easement, and right -of-way transactions as he deems advisable; and 9
(ii) authorizing any State agency to enter into and/or approve the 10
classes of transactions thus exempted from the requirements of this 11
paragraph; and (iii) delegating to any other State agency the authority 12
to approve the severance of buildings and standing timber from State 13
lands; upon such approval of severance, the buildings and timber so 14
affected shall be treated, for the purposes of this Chapter, as personal 15
property. Any contract entered into or any proceeding instituted 16
contrary to the provisions of this paragraph is voidable in the discretion 17
of the Governor and Council of State. 18
d1. To require all State departments, institutions, and agencies to use 19
State-owned office space instead of negotiating or renegotiating leases 20
for rental of office space. In investigating the availability of office 21
space already owned by the State or by a State agency which might 22
meet the requirements of the requesting agency, the Department of 23
Administration shall review the utiliza tion information maintained in 24
the real property database pursuant to this subdivision. Any lease 25
entered into contrary to the provisions of this paragraph is voidable in 26
the discretion of the Governor and the Council of State. 27
The Department of Administra tion shall report to the Joint 28
Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and to the 29
Fiscal Research Division no later than May 1 of each year on leased 30
office space. 31
d2. To purchase or finance the purchase of buildings, utilities, structures, 32
or ot her facilities or property developments, including streets and 33
landscaping, the acquisition of land, equipment, machinery, and 34
furnishings in connection therewith; additions, extensions, 35
enlargements, renovations, and improvements to existing buildings, 36
utilities, structures, or other facilities or property developments, 37
including streets and landscaping; land or any interest in land; other 38
infrastructure; furniture, fixtures, equipment, vehicles, machinery, and 39
similar items; or any combination of the fore going, through 40
installment-purchase, lease-purchase, or other similar type installment 41
financing agreements in the manner and to the extent provided in 42
Article 9 of Chapter 142 of the General Statutes. Any contract entered 43
into or any proceeding instituted contrary to the provisions of this 44
paragraph is voidable in the discretion of the Council of State. 45
e. To make all sales of real property (including marshlands or 46
swamplands) owned by the State or by any State agency, with the 47
approval of the Governor and Council of State in each instance. All 48
conveyances in fee by the State shall be executed in accordance with 49
the provisions of G.S. 146-74 through 146 -78. Any conveyance of 50
land made or contract to convey land entered into without the approval 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 Senate Bill 973-First Edition
of the Governor and Council of State is voidable in the discretion of 1
the Governor and Council of State. The proceeds of all sales of 2
swamplands or marshlands shall be dealt with in the manner required 3
by the Constitution and statutes. 4
f. With the approval of the Gove rnor and Council of State, to make all 5
leases and rentals of land or buildings owned by the State or by any 6
State agency, and to sublease land or buildings leased by the State or 7
by any State agency from another owner, where such land or building 8
owned or leased by the State or by any State agency is not needed for 9
current use. The Governor, acting with the approval of the Council of 10
State, may adopt rules (i) exempting from any or all of the 11
requirements of this paragraph such classes of lease or rental 12
transactions as he deems advisable; and (ii) authorizing any State 13
agency to enter into and/or approve the classes of transactions thus 14
exempted from the requirements of this paragraph; and (iii) delegating 15
to any other State agency the authority to approve the severance of 16
buildings and standing timber from State lands; upon such approval of 17
severance, the buildings and timber so affected shall be treated, for the 18
purposes of this Chapter, as personal property. Any lease or rental 19
agreement entered into contrary to the provisions of this paragraph is 20
voidable in the discretion of the Governor and Council of State. 21
f1. To the extent practicable , to execute any documents, instruments , or 22
other records necessary in accordance with the provisions of Article 23
40 of Chapter 66 of the General Statutes in connection with any 24
purchase, sale, or lease of property. 25
…." 26
SECTION 3.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 27
property transactions entered into on or after that date. 28
29
STATE PROPERTY NOTICES 30
SECTION 4.(a) G.S. 146-25.1 reads as rewritten: 31
"§ 146-25.1. Proposals to be secured for leases. 32
(a) If pursuant to G.S. 146-25, the Department of Administration determines that it is in 33
the best inter est of the State to lease or rent land and the rental is estimated to exceed forty 34
thousand dollars ($40,000) per year or the term will exceed three years, the Department shall 35
require the State agency desiring to rent land to prepare and submit for its ap proval a set of 36
specifications for its needs. Upon approval of specifications, the Department shall prepare a 37
public advertisement. The State agency shall (i) may place such the public advertisement in a 38
newspaper of general circulation in the county for proposals from prospective lessors of said land 39
or (ii) may advertise through other electronic means and shall make such other distribution 40
thereof as the Department directs. The adverti sement shall be run or posted for at least five 41
consecutive days, and shall provide that proposals shall be received for at least seven days from 42
the date of the last advertisement in the State Property Office of the Department. The provisions 43
of this sect ion do not apply to property owned by governmental agencies and leased to other 44
governmental agencies. For the purposes of this section, "electronic means" includes posting the 45
advertisement on the Department 's website or any other means deemed appropriate by the 46
Department to provide adequate notice. 47
…." 48
SECTION 4.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 49
advertisements run or posted on or after that date. 50
51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 973-First Edition Page 5
EFFECTIVE DATE 1
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 2
law. 3