A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT Exempting certain columbariums from the north carolina cemetery act.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 65‑47 reads as rewritten:
"§ 65‑47.  Scope.
(a)	The provisions of this Article shall apply to all persons engaged in the business of operating a cemetery as defined herein, except cemeteries owned and operated by governmental agencies or churches.
(b)	Any cemetery beneficially owned and operated by a fraternal organization or its corporate agent for at least 50 years prior to September 1, 1975, shall be exempt from the provisions of Article 9 of this Chapter.
(c)	The provisions of this Article shall not apply to persons licensed under Article 13D of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes when engaging in activities for which a license is required under the Article.
(d)	A columbarium that is built on the grounds of a private, self‑contained retirement community in a county where no commercially available columbarium exists, funded solely by the residents of that community, and reserved exclusively for the residents' use shall be exempt from the provisions of Article 9 of this Chapter."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and expires 18 months after that date.