Bill Summaries: H%20356 CUSTOMER SRVC., ECON. DEV., AND TRANSPORT'N.

Printer-friendly: Click to view
Tracking:
  • Summary date: Mar 19 2013 - View Summary

    Establishes the Study Commission on Regionalization Conformity (SCRC) as well as seven geographical uniform administrative regions across the state (in new GS 143B-28.1), in which agency regional offices and services will be consolidated to create a one-stop source for citizens and businesses seeking services. Each county in the state will be assigned to a region.

    Requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to develop a plan to align their administrative regions with the newly created regions. Establishes elements that are to be included in the plan, including the steps necessary to create efficient, economical, and user friendly one-stop regional services for citizens and businesses and a timeline for completing a plan. Requires DOT and DENR to jointly report on the plan to the chairs of the House Appropriations Committee and the cochairs of the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee by June 1, 2013. Requires that the plan be implemented by July 1, 2013, and that quarterly reports on implementation must be made on specified dates to the SCRC, the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, and the Environmental Review Commission. Requires DOT and DENR to use available funds to carry out the requirements.

    Requires the Department of Commerce (DOC) to study and make recommendations on how the four regional economic development commissions created in GS Chapter 158 and the three regional economic development partnerships may be most efficiently and economically aligned with the newly created regions, as well as ways the programs and activities of the four regional economic development commissions and the three regional economic development partnerships can be coordinated with those of the DOC and other agencies to create one-stop regional services. Requires DOC to report to the SCRC by September 1, 2013, and use funds otherwise available to conduct the study.

    Establishes the eight-member SCRC, with four Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and four Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The SCRC will meet at the call of the appointed cochairs. SCRC members will receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances.

    The duties of the SCRC will be to review DOC's recommendations and other relevant information. Requires the SCRC to recommend a plan for aligning the seven regional commissions and partnerships with the newly established regions to the 2014 Regular Session of the 2013 General Assembly. Also allows the SCRC to take on other specified duties. Requires the SCRC to report the results of its study to the 2014 Regular Session of the 2013 General Assembly, at which time the SCRC terminates.