A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT providing that small business assistance records are not public records.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115D‑78 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115D‑78.  Access to information and public records; small business counseling information.
(a)	In accordance with Chapter 132 of the General Statutes, all rules, regulations and public records of the State Board of Community Colleges, the Community Colleges System Office, and local boards of trustees shall be available for examination and reproduction on payment of fees by any person.
(b)	Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, documents submitted to the North Carolina Community College System's Small Business Center Network by an individual seeking business counseling or technical assistance and documents created by the Network to provide the individual with counseling and technical assistance are not public records as defined by G.S. 132‑1."
SECTION 2.  Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 116‑43.16.  Small business counseling information.
Documents submitted to The University of North Carolina's Small Business and Technology Development Centers by an individual seeking business counseling or technical assistance and documents created by a Center to provide the individual with counseling and technical assistance are not public records as defined by G.S. 132‑1."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.