A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to increase transparency and predictability regarding the procedures of the general assembly.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 120 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 37.
"General Assembly Transparency Act.
"§ 120‑315.  Legislative Findings.
The General Assembly finds that a well‑educated electorate is a prerequisite to democracy and the people's business is best done with due notice and adequate transparency.
"§ 120‑316.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1)	Committee. – Any standing committee, permanent subcommittee, or select committee of either house created or authorized by the law or the rules of either house or a joint resolution adopted by both houses and to which bills are referred for consideration and report back to the house.
(2)	Official meeting. – Defined in G.S. 143‑318.10(d).
(3)	Published. – Distributed electronically to all members of the committee and posted on the committee page of the General Assembly's Web site.
"§ 120‑317.  Broadcasting of legislative sessions and committee meetings.
(a)	All sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall be broadcast live by streaming video (contemporaneous audio and video content) over the Internet and shall be archived in a manner that makes the video broadcast available for replay by the public.
(b)	Unless specifically exempted from Article 33C of Chapter 143 in G.S. 143‑318.18, all official meetings of committees shall broadcast live by streaming video (contemporaneous audio and video content) over the Internet and shall be archived in a manner that makes the video broadcast available for replay by the public.
"§ 120‑318.  Publication of calendars and meeting agendas.
(a)	No bill may receive either second or third reading in either chamber unless the bill appeared on the calendar published by that chamber's principal clerk's office at least 24 hours in advance of the reading. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the house present and voting.
(b)	No bill may be taken up for consideration in any committee unless the bill appeared on the committee's agenda published by the clerk of the committee at least 24 hours in advance of the committee's scheduled meeting. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the committee present and voting.
"§ 120‑319.  Limitation on meeting times.
(a)	Neither the Senate or the House of Representatives, nor both meeting in joint session, may hold session before 7:00 A.M. or after 9:00 P.M. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the house present and voting and does not apply to first reading of bills.
(b)	No committee may hold an official meeting before 7:00 A.M. or after 7:00 P.M. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the committee present and voting.
"§ 120‑320.  Germaneness.
(a)	The long title of each bill shall adequately and fairly reflect its subject matter. Except by motion approved by two‑thirds vote of the members of the Senate or the House of Representatives present and voting, no public bill other than the Current Operations Appropriations Act may contain more than one subject.
(b)	Neither the Senate or the House of Representatives, nor both houses meeting in joint session, may consider an amendment, a committee substitute, a conference report, or a conference committee substitute that is not germane to the long title of the First Edition of the bill. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the house present and voting.
(c)	No committee may consider an amendment or a committee substitute that is not germane to the long title of the First Edition of the bill. This requirement may be waived by a two‑thirds vote of the members of the committee present and voting.
"§ 120‑321.  Budget provisions; disclosure.
Every special provision contained in the Current Operations Appropriations Act shall indicate the name of the member or members who requested the provision.
"§ 120‑322.  Applicability.
This Article applies to regular sessions and extra sessions on legislative call as provided in Section 11 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution as well as extra sessions and reconvened sessions convened by the Governor as provided in Section 5 of Article III of the North Carolina Constitution."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.