Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition replaces the prior edition in its entirety with the following. Makes conforming changes to the act’s titles.

Section 1.

Grants the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the NC Air National Guard independent signature authority to accept an additional 50-year land use license from the US Air Force for the described parcel of land at the Stanly County Airport.

Section 2.

Expands the disaster relief accorded in Section 5.9A of SL 2021-180 and Section 5.4 of SL 2022-74 for Tropical Storm Fred to include relief and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene. Applicable to the counties designated before, on, or after July 1, 2026, under a major disaster declaration by the President of the United States as a result of Hurricane Helene. Effective July 1, 2026, and expires June 30, 2029.

Section 3.

Allows the Division of Emergency management to transfer ownership of travel trailers and utility terrain vehicles that were donated to or purchased by the State during disaster operations to local governments, nonprofits working in emergency response or disaster relief, or to survivors needing long-term housing support.

Section 5.

Increases the weekly compensation caps under GS 15B-2 (definitions pertaining to the Crime Victims Compensation Act) as follows:

• $300 to $400 weekly for dependent’s economic loss.
• $50 to $100 weekly for each dependent child and $300 to $400 weekly for household support.
• $300 to $400 weekly for work loss.

Expands the Director of the Crime Victim's Compensation Commission’s (Director) authority to use the remaining in the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund for the described training for crime victim advocates, law enforcement, and service providers. Allows for up to $600,000 of accrued funds to be used one time to develop and implement an online submission and communication system for crime victim service providers. Authorizes the Director’s designee to decide compensation awards under GS 15B-10. Increases the age that extends the time for an incurred economic loss for minors under GS 15B-11 (grounds for denial of claim or reduction of award) from ten years or younger at the time the injury occurred to eighteen years or younger at that time. Allows for new economic loss awards to those minor victims that are incurred after the two-year limit if the minor has new medical or counseling expenses directly attributable to the crime. Specifies that the grounds for denial of a claim based on the victim’s commission of a felony within three years of the time of their injury applies in those instances where the felony can be reasonably associated with the violent incident. Allows the Director to notify the clerks of superior court electronically of any awards made under GS 15B-15. Requires in GS 15B-26 for creditors to have been notified by a crime victim that their claim for compensation is pending before they can request monthly verification of pending claim or appeal from the Commission.

Section 6.

Adds new GS 20-183.34 allowing the Department of Transportation (DOT) to enter into agreements with the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for the placement and use of automatic license plate reader systems within lands or rights-of-way owned by DOT so long as the five enumerated conditions are met. Provides for removal of those readers upon reasonable request by any affected public utility. Allows for immediate relocation of those readers by DOT or an affected public utility (defined) if they need immediate access to the utilities or the facility. Creates immunity for any damages to the reader system and related equipment for damages incurred as a result of conduct other than willful misconduct or gross negligence. Provides for notice to SBI if a reader is moved so that the system can be reinstalled when work is complete. Authorizes SBI to enter into agreements with other agencies for information sharing from the agency’s reader system. Instructs SBI to submit an annual report to the specified NCGA committee on the automatic readers as described, by March 1 each year.

Section 7.

Expands the types of law enforcement agencies and heads thereof to include tribal police departments/tribal police department chiefs in GS 160A-288 (authorizing mutual aid agreements between the listed local law enforcement agencies in the statute).

Section 8.

Subjects the appointment of the Adjutant General to confirmation by the NCGA under the process described in GS 127A-19. Provides for filling vacancies.