House committee substitute to the 4th edition makes the following changes. Makes organizational changes, including adding in part headings. Makes conforming changes to act’s titles and effective date.

Adds the following content.

Part II.

Section 2.

Authorizes a distillery participating in an alternating proprietorship may sell any product it produces or distills at the permitted locations described at any time the sale of spirituous liquor is allowed on the premises under GS 18B-1105(a). Permits those distilleries to contract for a host distillery to manage sales of spirituous liquor for the other distillery. Clarifies that each distillery is responsible for maintaining appropriate records and remitting the appropriate taxes. Specifies that only the host distillery is required to have a mixed beverage permit, if required, if the host distillery sells the other distillery's spirituous liquor in mixed beverages.

Section 3.

Expands the locations for whom culinary permit can be issued under GS 18B-1001(11) to include food businesses and eating establishments.

Section 4.

Modifies the packaging requirements for a single serving of unfortified wine that is sold by vehicle delivery under either (1) an on-premises unfortified wine permit, (2) an on-premises fortified wine permit, and (3) a mixed beverages permit in GS 18B-1001 so that the packaging complies with GS 20-138.7 (transporting open container offenses) and is in an unopened manufacturer's original container or is transported in a locked container, in the trunk, or in the area behind the last upright seat in a motor vehicle not equipped with a trunk (currently statute specifies that notwithstanding GS 20-138.7, the only requirement is if the container continues to be sealed and is in the passenger area of the vehicle). Makes conforming changes to GS 20-138.7.

Effective October 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date. 

Part III.

Section 5.

Amends GS 143-132 (concerning minimum number of bids for public contracts) as follows. Prevents any contract to which GS 143-129 (procedure for letting of public contracts) applies for construction of water systems or facilities, or sewage disposal systems or facilities, from being awarded by any board or governing board of the State, or any political subdivision of the State, unless two competitive bids have been received from reputable and qualified contractors regularly engaged in their respective lines of endeavor. Otherwise applies all requirements of GS 143-132(a) to those contracts. Defines sewage disposal systems or facilities and water systems or facilities. Applies to contracts entered into on or before December 31, 2030.

Part IV.

Section 6.

Increases the population required to trigger the Department of Transportation’s obligation to pay the nonbetterment costs for the relocation of water and sewer lines under GS 136-27.1 from 10,000 or less to 20,000 or less. Makes conforming changes. Effective retroactively to January 1, 2025.

Part V.

Section 7.

Adds a new subsection (c1) to GS 136-19.5 stating that if relocation of utility facilities (as defined in 23 USC 123 and applied by the US Department of Transportation in 23 CFR 645.105) is required by construction of a project on the federal interstate system and is approved for reimbursement under the Federal-Aid Highway Act (as amended), the owner or operator of the facilities shall perform any necessary work upon notice from the Department of Transportation and the State must pay the entire expense properly attributable to the work (after deducting any increase in the value of the new facility and any salvage value derived from the old facility). Makes conforming changes to GS 136-18.

Adds a new GS 160A-296.2, which states that if a city requires or directs the removal or relocation of facilities installed or operated in the city’s rights of way by any of several kinds of telecommunications provider [owner or operator of broadband services, video programming services pursuant to a franchise issued by the Secretary of state, telephone or telegraph lines, or a wireless facility (as defined in GS 160D-931(22)], the owner or operator must remove or relocate the facilities and the city shall reimburse the owner or operator for the costs of the relocation or removal. This reimbursement requirement does not apply to a city with a population of less than 5,000.

Amends GS 160A-479.15 adding the owner or operator of broadband services, video programming services pursuant to a franchise issued by the Secretary of State, telephone or telegraph lines, or a wireless facility [as defined in GS 160D-931(22)] to the scope of “public service corporation” that a regional sports authority can require to remove or relocate its facilities.

Similarly amends the scope of “public service corporation” as used in GS 160A-621 for regional public transportation authorities.

Similarly amends the scope of “public service corporation” as used in GS 160A-651 for regional transportation authorities.

Part VI.

Section 8.

Removes reference to "public" in describing the upgrades to infrastructure in Section 11.11 of SL 2025-74 (megasite readiness programs). 

Senate amendments to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

Amendment #1.  

Modifies the applicable employment level under GS 143B-437.012(j)(2)a (job maintenance and capital development fund) so that if the grant agreement is for a business that has qualified as a major employer under subsection (d) of this section, a provision requiring the business to maintain the employment level at the project that is the subject of the agreement that is the lesser of the level required in subdivision (d)(1) of GS 143B-437.012 (i.e., $2 million of private funds in the described property improvements, employment of at least 2,000 full-time employees or the equivalent full-time contractors as described, and the project is located in a development tier one area at the time the business applies for a grant). Specifies that the act’s changes to GS 143B-437.012 apply to awards in effect on or after the act becomes law.  

Amendment #2 changes the effective date of Section 4C.13(b) of SL 2024-53 (temporary moratorium for certain Job Development Investment Grant requirements) from January 31, 2025, to July 31, 2025, retroactive to October 25, 2024. Makes organizational changes and conforming changes to the act’s long title.