A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO MODIFY THE BILL LEE ACT TIER DESIGNATION FORMULA TO ASSURE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ARE TARGETED TO TRULY DISTRESSED AREAS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 105‑129.3(b) and (b1) read as rewritten:
"(b)	Ranking. – Each year, on or before December 31, the Secretary of Commerce shall assign to each county in the State an enterprise factor that is the sum of the following:
(1)	The county's rank in a ranking of counties by average rate of unemployment from lowest to highest, for the most recent 12‑month period for which data are available.
(2)	The county's rank in a ranking of counties by average per capita income from highest to lowest, for the preceding three years.
(3)	The county's rank in a ranking of counties by percentage growth in population from highest to lowest.
(b1)	Annual Designation. – The Secretary of Commerce shall then rank all the counties within the State according to their enterprise factor from highest to lowest, identify all the areas of the State by enterprise tier, and publish this information. An enterprise tier designation is effective only for the calendar year following the designation.
(b2)	Data. – In measuring rates of unemployment and per capita income, the Secretary shall use the latest available data published by a State or federal agency generally recognized as having expertise concerning the data. In measuring population and population growth, the Secretary shall use the most recent estimates of population certified by the State Planning Officer."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to designations made on or after that date.