Conference report to the 5th edition makes the following changes. Makes technical, clarifying, and organizational changes.

Part I

Section 1.4

Adds term Disaster Relief Reserve to refer to the OSBM Disaster Relief Reserve, Budget Code 23009 (Reserve) to the act’s definitions.

Part II

Section 2A.1

Now directs the State Controller to transfer $299 million (was, $307,991,704) from SERDRF to the Helene Fund. 

Section 2A.2

Decreases the total appropriations from the Helene Fund from $532,991,704 to $524 million and makes the following changes to the lined allocations:

• Notwithstanding GS 143B-1040(c), decreases funding back to $120 million (was, $140 million) to the Department of Commerce (DOC), Division of Community Revitalization (DCR), for the Home Reconstruction and Repair Program, as described.
• Increases funding from $192,491,704 to $200 million to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) for the Agricultural Disaster Crop Loss Program as created in Subpart II-D of the act. Makes conforming changes to account for removal of Subpart II-E, discussed below. Removes provisions directing DACS how to use any remaining funds. 
• Caps grants awarded under the $10 million allocated to the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) at $500,000.
• Modifies the grantees of the $10 million allocated to NCEM to be member organizations of Volunteers Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) (was, nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code).
• Increases funds allocated to the Department of Commerce (DOC) for the nonprofit corporation with which DOC contracts pursuant to GS 143B-431.01(b) for targeted media campaigns from $3 million to $4 million. No longer allows funds to be used for grants to local tourism development offices in the affected areas. Requires the nonprofit corporation to also promote, as described, awareness that segments of the Blue Ridge Parkway that are, or subsequently become, open to the public.
• Increases funds allocated to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for the School Extension Learning Recovery Program from $4.5 million to $9 million.

Section 2A.4

Reduces the money allocated for the Hurricane Helene Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP Program), a federal program to provide food assistance to low-income households with food loss or damages caused by Hurricane Helene that ended in November 2024 by $4 million (was, $2 million) so that the funds can be redirected to DOC for the tourism related allocations discussed above. Makes conforming change to Section 2.1(a) of SL 2024-53 to account for change.  

Section 2B.2

Now directs the Controller to transfer the following amounts from the following sources to the Reserve as follows (was, for allocation to the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Recovery and Resilience [NCORR]):

• $121 million (was, $104,300) from the Savings Reserve.
• $96 million (was, $104,300) from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF).

Removes specified appropriation from the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund (Florence Fund) and instead directs the Directs the Controller to transfer all funds remaining in the Florence Fund that remain unexpended as of the date of the act becomes law to the Savings Reserve. Now directs that all of the funds allocated above are appropriated within the Reserve to NCORR for the completion of the homeowner recovery program for Hurricanes Matthew and Florence (was, only $112,708,296 of the funds). Removes provisions stating the act’s intent to appropriate future funds for unmet needs. Removes provisions limiting future State funding to NCORR to future enactments of a general law by the NCGA.

Removes the April dates from the schedules set forth under the Notices to Proceed to program-selected contractors for homeowner projects for the homeowner recovery programs for Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Removes the May benchmark from the schedule pertaining to the percentage of the overall total number of projects for the history of the homeowner recovery program. Decreases all of that schedule’s benchmarks, starting with the May 2025 benchmark (from 91% to 88.5%) and ending with the July 2025 benchmark (from 94% to 91.5%). Increases the allowed maximums of the amount of homeowner projects that are not awarded to contracts starting with May 2025 (from 50 to 100 projects) and ending with July 2025 (from 10 to 40 projects).

Section 2C.1

Changes the amount that NCEM may use for administrative costs for the Private Road and Bridge Repair and Replacement Program (RBP) from $500,000 to 2%. Reduces the proportion of NCEM’s share as part of cost-sharing agreement with an HOA to repair a qualifying private road or bridge from 75% to 50%.

Section 2D.1

Modifies the General Assembly’s intent so that its intent is to: (1) review the funds appropriated by Congress for agricultural disaster relief and to consider actions needed to address any remaining unmet needs and (2) to review the adequacy of the agricultural relief measures funded by the act at that time. Directs the State Controller to transfer $100 million from SERDRF to the Reserve. Appropriates those funds for Agricultural Disaster Crop Loss Program (ADCLP). Allocates those funds, along with those appropriated in Section 2A.2, above, as follows: $200 million for verifiable losses from Hurricane Helene in the affected area and $100 million for verifiable losses, excluding Hurricane Helene. Directs DACS to use other specified funds from SL 2022-74 for the same purpose.

Modifies the eligibility criteria for financial assistance to (1) refer to affected counties instead of affected areas; (2) remove requirement that the agricultural commodity not be harvested on or before the effective date; and modifies the time period for actions pertaining  to agricultural commodities to be before the eligibility date (was, on or before the eligibility date). Now excludes livestock and poultry from definition of agricultural commodity. Adds defined term, USDA. Allows the DACS Commissioner to use the funds appropriated for ADCLP for purposes related to Hurricane Helene recovery for farmers, including storm debris removal, streambank restoration, stream restoration, and cropland restoration in the affected area, if the applicant identifies that unmet need to DACS in the application. Makes technical changes. 

Removes Subpart II-E pertaining to debris removal in the affected areas.

Section 2G.1

Changes the definition of participating school unit required to offer a School Extension Learning Recovery Program (SELRP) to refer to local school administrative units in the thirteen listed counties (was, a local school administrative unit or charter school that deemed as complete 15 or more instructional days or equivalent instructional hours). Makes conforming changes, including to account for increased appropriation, listed above. Directs that funds appropriated to DPI revert to the Helene Fund on October 15, 2025.

Section 4.2

Modifies the time the Governor must submit the required report to the State Auditor on all disaster relief funds allocated to Hurricane Helene relief that have been disbursed as of the enactment of the section so that it is by no later than fifteen (was, seven) business days after the act becomes law. Removes provisions directing that failure by the Governor’s office to comply with the reporting deadlines will trigger a hearing by the specified NCGA commission as described. Removes requirement for State Auditor to report to the specified NCGA commission if the Governor fails to meet a reporting deadline.

Section 5.6

Modifies the time period that the Board of Funeral Services (Board) may suspend the requirements governing funeral establishments under GS 90-210.27A(a1) from one year to two years. Allows for an extension by the Board for up to two years (was, one year). Extends the time period that a court may further extend the time period from two years from the date of loss to three years from that date. 

Section 5.8

Adds schools in Ashe County, Buncombe County, Burke County, Haywood County, Henderson County, McDowell County, Rutherford County, Transylvania County, and Watauga County to those schools provided calendar flexibility for any instructional days or equivalent hours missed due to inclement weather during the months of December 2024 through February 2025. Requires DPI to report to the specified NCGA committee and the Fiscal Research Division on the specified information for each public school unit listed by May 1, 2025.