Senate committee substitute to the 3rd edition removes the content of the previous edition and replaces it with the following. Makes conforming title changes.

Part I.

Amends GS 160A-58.1 by adding Bear Grass to the towns exempt from the 10% cap on satellite annexations.

Part II.

Enacts new Article 22C in GS Chapter 113, codifying the creation of the Game Commission of Currituck County (Commission), which has the power to regulate, along with the Wildlife Resources Commission, hunting, shooting, killing, or trapping of any wild fowl from shore, marsh, blind, or floating device on or adjacent to the public waters of Currituck County. Commission consists of seven members with one member from each of the five county commissioner residency districts and two at-large members. Members are selected by the Board of County Commissioners of Currituck County and serve two-year terms.

Sets out provisions related to the Commission, including the following. Defines the terms float blind, point blind, and stationary bush blind. Requires licenses for stationary bush blinds, float blinds, and point blinds to be issued only by the clerk, who is selected by the Commission. Requires specified funds from the sale of the licenses to be remitted to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for the Wildlife Resources Fund.

Requires that the Commission hear complaints and petitions from individuals about the location of blinds and other matters and make needed adjustments; allows any individual not satisfied with the Commission’s ruling to file an appeal with the district court within 10 days.

Allows license applications to be submitted online. Allows the Commission to set application and processing fees at its annual budget meeting held in June.

Requires individuals owning property in Currituck County bought and used for shooting migratory wild fowl who want to have any shooting point or location protected by a license to file an application by August 1. Sets out application requirements. Provides that if a person wants to develop a new shooting location, the Commission, on application, may license any location designated, but not if it is within 500 yards of a location used by floating devices or within 500 yards of a bush blind or another licensed point.

Makes it illegal for a licensed guide or other resident of North Carolina or any other person to accompany or aid in hunting, in any of the methods described in this Article, any person who does no have the proper license. Prohibits using any floating device in the hunting of wild fowl in Currituck Sound except those authorized by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Commission.

Makes it illegal for any person to shoot waterfowl on Currituck County’s public waters unless the person is lawfully hunting and has a stand of artificial decoys tied out over which the person is shooting. Allows the owner of real estate who has a licensed point blind, or their guests, to hunt at one unlicensed temporary location per licensed blind on the real estate, if that location is not being hunted at the same time and the temporary location is not within 500 yards of a licensed location belonging to someone else. Makes it illegal to use a licensed or temporary blind for hunting purposes unless the person: (1) has written permission from the licensee of the blind, (2) has proof of permission in a manner prescribed by the Commission, or (3) is hunting in the licensee’s presence.

Allows the Commission to prosecute and revoke the hunting blind license of a person who has violated any part of this Article, or any of rules and regulations after notifying the person charged with the violation to appear before the Commission. Allows the Commission to revoke the hunting blind license of any person who violates any of the provisions of this Article regulating hunting, or who, while hunting, goes on the marshes or lands of any person, firm, or corporation without their permission. Makes violations of this Article a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Prohibits using seaplanes on Currituck County public waters from September 1 of each year until April 1 of the following year.

Sets out expenses that must be paid by the Commission. Allows the Commission to set member salaries at the Commission's annual budget meeting in June. Allows the Commission to disburse excess funds generated from fees to an organization established as a nonprofit for the purpose of conservation, habitat enhancement, and waterfowl protection in Currituck County. Requires that a member of the Commission be a member of the nonprofit’s board.

Sets out requirements for the locations of blinds and allows the Commission to close down vacant blinds. Prohibits a person from renting out their licensed blind. Allows the Commission to refuse to issue a license for a blind when it finds that an applicant for a blind license is a consistent violator of the County’s game laws.

Sets out timing for waterfowl hunting and allows the Commission to modify times for waterfowl hunting after holding a public hearing. Sets out limitations on those changes as well as issues that must be considered when making changes.

Requires the Commission’s clerk to keep a record of the location of every blind, including an online blind map with an accurate database. Presumes that the number of stationary bush blinds in existence as of July 1, 2026, is the maximum number of safe locations for stationary bush blinds. Prohibits a boat carrying gunners or skiffs from being tied or anchored within 500 yards of a blind of any kind.

Prohibits constructing or hunting from a blind without the blind being licensed. Sets out the procedure for applying for a license and for appeals of a licensing decision. Sets out standards governing the issuance and locations for licenses. Requires any blind or hunting device that is not licensed for a year to be immediately demolished by the owner or past owner; if it is not demolished by August 1 of the current year, allows law enforcement officers of the Wildlife Resources Commission to demolish the blind.

Prohibits float blinds from being anchored overnight except at a licensed stationary bush or stuck blind or licensed point issued to the licensee of the float blind; require all other float blinds to be returned to the landing of the licensee each night.

Makes conforming changes to GS 113-133.1.

Makes a conforming repeal of the following related provisions: SL 1957-1436; SL 1971-1178; SL 1973-747; SL 1975-398; SL 1977-190; SL 1981-622; SL 1983-764; Section 4 of SL 1987-1042; SL 1989-808; SL 1997-163; Section 51 of SL 1997-456; SL 2003-16; SL 2009-70; and SL 2022-19.

Specifies that this section is intended to codify the provisions of SL 1957-1436, as amended, with the changes reflected in the act. Continues the Game Commission of Currituck County created in the SL as the Game Commission of Currituck County under the new Article 22C. Requires the members and clerk continue to serve for the remainder of their respective terms and appointments.

Requires that licenses issued, rules adopted, decisions rendered, and all other actions taken under SL 1957-1436 that are in effect on the effective date of this section remain in effect and be treated as if issued, adopted, rendered, or taken under new Article 22C. Specifies that the repeals listed above do not abate or affect any proceeding, prosecution, or appeal pending on the effective date of this section, or any liability for an offense committed before that date.

Effective December 1, 2026, and would apply to offenses committed on or after that date and applications for licenses filed on or after that date.

Part III.

Amends Hickory’s Charter, SL 1961-323, as amended, to require that if more than two candidates file to represent a single ward, a nonpartisan primary must be conducted with only qualified voters of that ward voting in that nonpartisan primary.

Part IV.

Removes described property from Leland’s corporate limits, effective June 30, 2027. Provides that this does not affect the validity of any liens of the Town of Leland for ad valorem taxes or special assessments outstanding before the effective date of this section. Provides that property in the described territory as of January 1, 2027, is no longer subject to municipal taxes for taxes imposed for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes a technical change.