Requires the North Carolina Collaboratory (Collaboratory) at UNC-Chapel Hill to study the potential effects of the changes in this act on the county tier designation system under GS 143B-437.08.

Requires a focus on proposed changes to the criteria used to rank counties, changes to the way in which tier designations are assigned, and changing the time frame in which counties are ranked. Requires evaluating the impact of the proposed changes on the county rankings, on programs that use the tier designations, and on the ease of doing business in the state. Sets out agencies that the Collaboratory must work with on the study. Requires evaluating if the changes align with the State's economic development goals; use current, reliable, timely and high-quality data; implement a method that is easy to understand; and accurately identify areas of distress.

Requires a preliminary report on the study by December 31, 2025, to the specified NCGA committee and division and a final report by December 1, 2026.

Effective July 1, 2025.