A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO direct the department of transportation to study the need for interstate access improvements to assist first responders and for the benefit of public safety.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  Study. – The Department of Transportation shall study the needs of law enforcement, emergency medical and emergency management personnel, and firefighters to improve access to or within the interstate system within this State for the benefit of public safety. In conducting the study, the Department of Transportation may consult with the Division of Emergency Management of the Department of Public Safety, the Office of State Fire Marshal of the Department of Insurance, the Office of Emergency Medical Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, and any other State or local government organizations the Department of Transportation determines may be of assistance in the course of the study. In performing the study, the Department of Transportation shall, at a minimum, take the following steps:
(1)	Consult with county fire marshal divisions, emergency management offices, and emergency medical service divisions to determine potential sites of interest for construction or improvement relevant to the study.
(2)	Establish criteria to prioritize sites of interest for either construction or improvement.
(3)	Review applicable federal and State laws, codes, standards, and studies relevant to the study.
(4)	Review (i) existing Department of Transportation planning, design, and construction standards for interchanges, median crossovers, and access points and (ii) how those standards consider the needs of law enforcement, emergency medical and emergency management personnel, and firefighters.
(5)	Consider the feasibility of providing opportunities for stakeholder input during the planning of future interstate improvements that focus on the needs of law enforcement, emergency medical and emergency management personnel, and firefighters.
(6)	Examine any other matters the Department of Transportation deems relevant in the course of the study.
SECTION 1.(b)  Report. – The Department of Transportation shall report the findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Emergency Management Oversight Committee, and the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee no later than March 1, 2022.
SECTION 2.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.