Section 1

Details NCGA findings.

Section 2

Amends GS Chapter 143 by adding new Article 21D, Environmental Justice.

Enacts GS 143-215.130 providing the purpose of the Article to identify, reduce, and eliminate environmental health disparities to improve the health and well-being of all state residents. Enacts GS 143-215.131 defining the terms communities of color, community, disproportionate impact, environmental benefits, environmental burdens, environmental justice, environmental justice communities, indigenous communities, limited English language proficiency communities, low-income communities, meaningful participation, Program (Environmental Justice Program of the Department of Justice), and Rules Review Commission (definition by reference).

Enacts GS 143-215.132 detailing the environmental justice state policy declaring that no segment of the state’s population should bear a disproportionate share of environmental burdens or be denied an equitable share of environmental benefits because of a population segment’s race, culture, or economic makeup. Provides for meaningful participation of all individuals in development, implementation, and enforcement of any law, regulation, or policy.

Enacts GS 143-215.133 detailing implementation of the policy. Defines covered agencies as the Departments of Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Commerce, Public Safety, Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Public Instruction and the Utilities Commission. Requires covered agencies to consider cumulative environmental burdens and access to environmental benefits when making decisions pertaining to the environment, energy, climate, and public health projects; facilities and infrastructure; and associated funding. Requires the agencies to create and adopt a community engagement plan on or before July 1, 2027, and provides details for what the plan should include. Requires the agencies to submit an annual summary beginning January 15, 2026, to the Environmental Justice Advisory Council (Council), details what the summary should include, and provides a review process by the Council. Requires review by the Program, consulting with the Council and the Interagency Environmental Justice Committee (Committee) to review definitions in GS 143-215.131 at least every five years and recommend revisions, as well as, to issue guidance to covered agencies. Details required covered agency baseline spending reports. Makes it a goal of the covered agencies to direct investments proportionately in environmental justice communities by July 1, 2026, and details required integration of listed information pertaining to investments in annual spending reports beginning January 15, 2028. Requires covered agencies to each issue and publicly post an annual report summarizing all actions taken to incorporate environmental justice by January 15, 2027.

Enacts GS 143-215.134 detailing rules the Department of Environmental Quality should adopt by July 1, 2027, in consultation with the Council and Committee. Requires covered agencies, in consultation with the Council, to adopt or amend policies and procedures, plans, guidance, and rules to implement this article by July 1, 2028. Sets out requirements for rulemaking by covered agencies.

Enacts GS 143-215.135 creating the Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the Interagency Environmental Justice Committee for the purposes detailed there. Mandates appointments to be made to the groups by December 15, 2025. Requires the Council and Committee to incorporate the Equitable Access & Just Transition to Clean Energy provisions in the NC Clean Energy Plan into their work. Requires the Council and Committee to each meet no more than eight times a year, with at least four meetings occurring jointly. Details the duties of the Council and the Committee. Details membership requirements and term lengths for the Council and Committee, including appointment guidelines for both the Council’s 11 members and the Committee’s 9 members.

Section 3

Requires reports from the Program to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and the Fiscal Research Division of NCGA by December 15, 2027, and provides a description of what the report should include.