A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide funds for Coastal Resilience and stream debris removal.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  As used in this act, "storm affected county" means any county of the State included in either a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Hurricanes Michael or Florence issued by the United States Secretary of Agriculture or a Presidential Federal Emergency Management Agency Declaration for Hurricanes Michael or Florence.
SECTION 2.  The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year is appropriated from the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to be allocated to the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory to study flooding and resiliency against future storms in Eastern North Carolina and develop an implementation plan with recommendations. In conducting its study, the Collaboratory may utilize faculty expertise located within any institution of higher learning. The Collaboratory shall not charge indirect facilities and administrative costs against the funding provided to it by this section, and shall present its report and recommendations to the Emergency Management Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, and the Fiscal Research Division no later than March 15, 2020.
SECTION 3.(a)  The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year is appropriated from the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Soil and Water Conservation for stream debris removal in storm affected counties.
SECTION 3.(b)  Stream debris removal projects funded under this section shall be exempt from the requirements of Articles 1, 4, and 7 of Chapter 113 of the General Statutes, as well as requirements for stormwater or water quality permits under Article 21 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. The Department of Environmental Quality is directed to waive any right of certification under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act with respect to projects funded by this act.
SECTION 3.(c)  Funds appropriated by this section for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for nonrecurring expenses until the funds have been spent or encumbered. The Division of Soil and Water Conservation shall report within 30 days of the end of each fiscal quarter to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources and the Fiscal Research Division regarding uses of the funds appropriated by this section. The report shall list projects funded, county where funded projects were located, and linear feet of streams cleared.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2019.