AN ACT to eliminate the wage standard for industrial revenue bonds.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 159C‑7(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Findings. – The Secretary shall not approve any proposed industrial project or pollution control project unless the Secretary makes all of the following, applicable findings:
(1)	In the case of a proposed industrial project,
		that the proposed project will not have a materially adverse effect on the environment.
(2)	In the case of a proposed pollution control project, that the project will have a materially favorable impact on the environment or will prevent or diminish materially the impact of pollution which would otherwise occur.
(2a)	In the case of a hazardous waste facility or low‑level radioactive waste facility that is used as a reduction, recovery or recycling facility, that such project will further the waste management goals of North Carolina and will not have an adverse effect upon public health or a significant adverse effect on the environment.
(3)	In the case of an industrial project or a pollution control project, except a pollution control project for a public utility,
a.	That the jobs to be generated or saved, directly or indirectly, by the proposed project will be large enough in number to have a measurable impact on the area immediately surrounding the proposed project and will be commensurate with the size and cost of the proposed project,
b.	That the proposed operator of the proposed project has demonstrated or can demonstrate the capability to operate the project, and
c.	That the financing of the project by the authority will not cause or result in the abandonment of an existing industrial or manufacturing facility of the proposed operator or an affiliate elsewhere within the State unless the facility is to be abandoned because of obsolescence, lack of available labor in the area, or site limitations."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 159D‑7(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Findings. – The Secretary shall not approve any proposed project unless the Secretary makes all of the following, applicable findings:
(1)	In the case of a proposed industrial project,
		that the proposed project will not have a materially adverse effect on the environment.
(2)	In the case of a proposed pollution control project, that such project will have a materially favorable impact on the environment or will prevent or diminish materially the impact of pollution which would otherwise occur.
(2a)	In the case of a hazardous waste facility or low‑level radioactive waste facility that is used as a reduction, recovery or recycling facility, that such project will further the waste management goals of North Carolina and will not have an adverse effect upon public health or a significant adverse effect on the environment.
(3)	In any case (whether the proposed project is an industrial or a pollution control project),
a.	That the jobs to be generated or saved, directly or indirectly, by the proposed project will be large enough in number to have a measurable impact on the area immediately surrounding the proposed project and will be commensurate with the size and cost of the proposed project,
b.	That the proposed operator of the proposed project has demonstrated or can demonstrate the capability to operate such project, and
c.	That the financing of such project by the agency will not cause or result in the abandonment of an existing industrial or manufacturing facility of the proposed operator or an affiliate elsewhere within the State unless the facility is to be abandoned because of obsolescence, lack of available labor in the area, or site limitations."
SECTION 3.  The Department of Commerce shall encourage projects applying for industrial revenue bonds under Chapter 159C or Chapter 159D of the General Statutes to locate the projects in development zones.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 2004.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 12:17 p.m. this 29th day of July, 2004