AN ACT amending rule 7 of the rules of civil procedure to provide that, with the permission of the senior resident superior court judge, a motion in a civil action in a county that is part of a multicounty judicial district may be heard during civil session in an included county different from where the case was filed.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 1A‑1, Rule 7(b)(4) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Motions and other papers. –
…
(4)	A motion in a civil action in a county that is part of a multicounty judicial district may be heard in another county which is part of that same judicial district with the permission of the senior resident superior court judge of that district or of that judge's designee. Except for emergencies as determined by the senior resident superior court judge or that judge's designee, a motion in a civil action to be heard outside the county in which the case is filed shall be heard at a civil session of court. "
SECTION 1.1.  If House Bill 542 of the 2011 Regular Session of the General Assembly becomes law, then Section 4.2 of House Bill 542 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 4.2.  Section 4.1.(a) of this act is effective when it becomes law. The remainder of this act becomes effective October 1, 2011, and applies to actions arising on or after that date."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2011, and applies to motions made on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17th day of June, 2011.

	s/	 Walter H. Dalton
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 Governor

Approved 11:01 a.m. this 27th day of June, 2011