A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to the board of governors of the university of north carolina for the kenan‑flagler business school to study the feasibility of merging the north carolina state ports authority, the north carolina global transpark authority, and the north carolina railroad company into one entity in order to promote global trade and strengthen transportation distribution and logistics in the state.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to fund a study conducted by the Kenan‑Flagler Business School to determine the feasibility of merging the North Carolina State Ports Authority, the North Carolina Global TransPark Authority, and the North Carolina Railroad Company into one entity for the purpose of promoting global trade and strengthening transportation distribution and logistics in the State.  In the course of the study, the School shall:
(1)	Examine the current duties and makeup of each entity and identify unnecessary duplication among the entities.
(2)	Evaluate the economic benefit and any detriment to the State of a merger of two or more of the entities.
(3)	Make recommendations of the makeup and duties of a newly created board that would have power over the merger of two or more of the entities. In making these recommendations, the School shall examine the structure of the North Carolina Board of Transportation as a potential model.
SECTION 2.  The leadership of the North Carolina State Ports Authority, the North Carolina Global TransPark Authority, and the North Carolina Railroad Company shall cooperate with the Kenan‑Flagler Business School and provide access to any financial and operational data required for the study.
SECTION 3.  Of the funds available to the North Carolina State Ports Authority, the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year shall be used to conduct the study required by this act.  Of the funds available to the North Carolina Global TransPark Authority, the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year shall be used to conduct the study required by this act.  These funds are in addition to the appropriation set out in Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 4.  The School shall report its findings and recommendations to the 2007 General Assembly.
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2006.