GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2019

 

SESSION LAW 2019-139

HOUSE BILL 668

 

 

AN ACT to make various changes to higher education laws.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

part i. the north carolina community college system

SECTION 1.1.  Community colleges permitted to provide insurance in lieu of bond. – G.S. 115D‑58.10 reads as rewritten:

"§ 115D‑58.10.  Surety bonds.bonds and related insurance.

The State Board of Community Colleges shall determine what State employees and employees of institutions shall give bonds or be insured for the protection of State funds and property and the State Board is authorized to place the bonds bonds, determine adequate insurance coverage, and pay the premiums thereon from State funds.

The board of trustees of each institution shall require all institutional employees authorized to draw or approve checks or vouchers drawn on local funds, and all persons authorized or permitted to receive institutional funds from whatever source, and all persons responsible for or authorized to handle institutional property, to be bonded by a surety company authorized to do business with the State in such amount as the board of trustees deems sufficient for the protection of such property and funds. In lieu of a bond, the board of trustees may obtain and maintain adequate insurance coverage sufficient for the protection of institutional funds and property. The tax‑levying authority of each institution shall provide the funds necessary for the payment of the premiums of such bonds.the bonds or for insurance coverage."

SECTION 1.2.  If House Bill 966, 2019 Regular Session, becomes law, Section 1.1 of this act is repealed.

 

part II. university of north carolina system

SECTION 2.1.(a)  G.S. 116‑36 reads as rewritten:

"§ 116‑36.  Endowment fund.

(i1)       The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina shall establish and maintain in a manner not inconsistent with the provisions of this section or with regulations established under this section an endowment fund for all endowment funds now held or hereafter acquired for the benefit of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television.Media.

(j)         Any gift or devise of real or personal property to a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina or to the University of North Carolina or to the University of North Carolina Press or to the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Media shall be presumed, nothing to the contrary appearing, a gift or devise, as the case may be, to the endowment fund of the respective institution or agency.

…."

SECTION 2.1.(b)  G.S. 116‑37.1 reads as rewritten:

"§ 116‑37.1.  Center for public television.media.

(a)        The Board of Governors is hereby authorized and directed to establish "the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television" Media" (hereinafter called "the Center"). It shall be the functions of the Center, through itself or agencies with whom it may contract, to provide research, development, and production of noncommercial educational television programming and informational media programming, and program materials; materials and communications; to provide distribution of noncommercial television media programming and information through the broadcast facilities licensed to the University of North Carolina; Carolina and other available distribution platforms and otherwise to enhance the uses of television television, media, and related technology for public purposes.

(b)        The Center shall have a board of trustees, to be named "the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television" Media" (hereinafter called "the Board of Trustees"). The Board of Governors is hereby authorized and directed to establish the Board of Trustees of the Center and to delegate to the Board of Trustees such powers and duties as the Board of Governors deems necessary or appropriate for the effective discharge of the functions of the Center; provided, that the Board of Governors shall not be deemed by the provisions of this section to have the authority to delegate any responsibility it may have as licensee of the broadcast facilities of the University of North Carolina.

(1)        The Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Media shall be composed of the following membership: 11 persons appointed by the Board of Governors; four persons appointed by the Governor; two members appointed by the General Assembly, one upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in accordance with G.S. 120‑121; and ex officio, the Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the President of the Community College System, and the President of the University of North Carolina. In making initial appointments to the Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors shall designate six persons for two‑year terms and five persons for four‑year terms, and the Governor shall designate two persons for two‑year terms and two persons for four‑year terms. The initial members appointed to the Board of Trustees by the General Assembly shall serve for terms expiring June 30, 1983, and notwithstanding anything else in this section, their successors shall be appointed in 1983 and biennially thereafter for two year terms. Thereafter, the term of office of appointed members of the Board of Trustees of the Center shall be four years. In making appointments to the Board of Trustees the appointing authorities shall give consideration to consider promoting diversity among the membership, to the end that, in meeting the responsibilities delegated to it, the Board of Trustees will reflect and be responsive to the diverse needs, interests, and concerns of the citizens of North Carolina.

…."

SECTION 2.1.(c)  G.S. 116D‑1(11) reads as rewritten:

"(11)    University. – The University of North Carolina and its constituent and affiliated institutions, including, without limitation, the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, Media, the University of North Carolina Health Care System, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and the North Carolina Arboretum."

SECTION 2.1.(d)  G.S. 116D‑22(2) reads as rewritten:

"(2)      Institution. – Each of the institutions enumerated in G.S. 116‑2, and any affiliated institutions of the University, including, without limitation, the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, Media, the University of North Carolina Health Care System, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and the North Carolina Arboretum."

SECTION 2.1.(e)  G.S. 120‑123(21) reads as rewritten:

"(21)    The Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, Media, as established by G.S. 116‑37.1."

SECTION 2.1.(f)  G.S. 143B‑426.9(6) reads as rewritten:

"(6)      The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Media (if and when established), ex officio;"

SECTION 2.1.(g)  G.S. 143B‑426.10(6) reads as rewritten:

"(6)      In addition to and not in place of the programs, projects, and services of The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Media (or its functional predecessor), to develop and provide media programs and programming materials and services of a noncommercial educational, informational, cultural or scientific nature;"

SECTION 2.2.  G.S. 116‑41.2 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"(10)    Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to policies established by the Board of Governors, to purchase or finance the purchase of computers, computer hardware, computer software, and emergency management equipment such as power generators through lease purchase or installment purchase contracts that create a security interest in the purchased property that secures payment of the purchase price to the seller or entity advancing monies or supplying financing for the purchase transaction. The contracts allowed in this subdivision shall be subject to State appropriations in accordance with the North Carolina State Constitution and shall not pledge directly or indirectly the taxing power of the State. No deficiency judgment may be rendered against the Board of Governors or the State in any action for breach of a contractual obligation authorized by this subdivision."

 

PART III. HIGHER EDUCATION CHANGES

SECTION 3.  G.S. 116‑143.1 reads as rewritten:

"§ 116‑143.1.  Provisions for determining resident status for tuition purposes.

(a)        As defined under this section:

(1)        A "legal resident" or "resident" is a person who qualifies as a domiciliary of North Carolina; a "nonresident" is a person who does not qualify as a domiciliary of North Carolina.

(2)        A "resident for tuition purposes" is a person who qualifies for the in‑State tuition rate; a "nonresident for tuition purposes" is a person who does not qualify for the in‑State tuition rate.

(3)        "Institution of higher education" means any of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina and the community colleges under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Community Colleges.

(4)        "Authority" means the State Education Assistance Authority created by and authorized to act under Article 23 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes.

(b)        To qualify as a resident for tuition purposes, a person must have established legal residence (domicile) in North Carolina and maintained that legal residence for at least 12 months immediately prior to his or her classification as a resident for tuition purposes. Every applicant for admission shall be required to make a statement as to his length of residence in the State.

(c)        To be eligible for classification as a resident for tuition purposes, a person must establish that his or her presence in the State currently is, and during the requisite 12‑month qualifying period was, for purposes of maintaining a bona fide domicile rather than of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.

(d)       An individual shall not be classified as a resident for tuition purposes and, thus, not rendered eligible to receive the in‑State tuition rate, until he or she has provided such evidence related to legal residence and its duration as may be required by the coordinated and centralized residency determination process administered by the Authority in accordance with this Article acting on behalf of officials of the institution of higher education from which the individual seeks the in‑State tuition rate.

(e)        When an individual presents evidence that the individual has living parent(s) or court‑appointed guardian of the person, the legal residence of such parent(s) or guardian shall be prima facie evidence of the individual's legal residence, which residence. This presumption may be reinforced or rebutted relative to the age and general circumstances of the individual by the other evidence of legal residence required of or presented by the individual; provided, that the individual. An individual may offer evidence of graduation from a North Carolina high school to reinforce or rebut the presumption that the individual's domicile is the same domicile as the individual's living parent or guardian; however, evidence of graduation from a North Carolina high school alone shall not establish legal residence in the State. The legal residence of an individual whose parents are domiciled outside this State shall not be prima facie evidence of the individual's legal residence if the individual has lived in this State the five consecutive years prior to enrolling or reregistering at an institution of higher education.

(f)        In making domiciliary determinations related to the classification of persons as residents or nonresidents for tuition purposes, the domicile of a married person, irrespective of sex, shall be determined, as in the case of an unmarried person, by reference to all relevant evidence of domiciliary intent. For purposes of this section:

(1)        No person shall be precluded solely by reason of marriage to a person domiciled outside North Carolina from establishing or maintaining legal residence in North Carolina and subsequently qualifying or continuing to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes;

(2)        No persons shall be deemed solely by reason of marriage to a person domiciled in North Carolina to have established or maintained a legal residence in North Carolina and subsequently to have qualified or continued to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes;

(3)        In determining the domicile of a married person, irrespective of sex, the fact of marriage and the place of domicile of his or her spouse shall be deemed relevant evidence to be considered in ascertaining domiciliary intent.

(g)        Any nonresident person, irrespective of sex, who marries a legal resident of this State or marries one who later becomes a legal resident, may, upon becoming a legal resident of this State, accede to the benefit of the spouse's immediately precedent duration as a legal resident for purposes of satisfying the 12‑month durational requirement of this section.

…."

 

PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10th day of July, 2019.

 

 

                                                                    s/  Ralph E. Hise

                                                                         Presiding Officer of the Senate

 

 

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

 

                                                                    s/  Roy Cooper

                                                                         Governor

 

 

Approved 1:41 p.m. this 19th day of July, 2019