Bills signed by Gov. Easley on Aug. 9, 2008

Senate Bill 685, “An act to prohibit the placing of a burning cross on any public place; to raise the penalty for burning a cross with the intent to intimidate; to raise the penalty for placing an exhibit with the intent to intimidate; to raise the penalty for placing an exhibit while wearing a mask, hood, or other disguise; to clarify that the term "exhibit" includes objects such as nooses; to raise the penalty for offense committed because of victim's background; to study the impact of recent cross burnings and noose hangings across the state; and to make recommendations for modification to the criminal laws of the state.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird (D-Orange and Person counties). Portions of the law become effective upon the governor’s signature and Dec. 1, 2008.

Senate Bill 845, “An act to amend certain environmental and natural resources laws to: (1) Provide that private drinking water wells are to be tested for certain additional parameters; (2) Authorize the Board of Agriculture to adopt rules governing euthanasia of animals; (3) Rename the Blue Crab Research Program the Blue Crab and Shellfish Research Program; (4) Clarify that the Department of Transportation or any other unit of government shall make oyster shells available to the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources without remuneration; (5) Specify that the Environmental Management Commission may not begin the procedure to adopt a temporary or permanent rule that governs the management of stormwater runoff in the coastal counties pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (3) of G.S. 143-214.7(b) prior to 1 October 2011, specify that any such additional rules shall not become effective prior to 1 October 2013, and specify that rules adopted by the Environmental Management Commission pursuant to any other state statutory authority that govern the management of stormwater runoff in the coastal counties shall not become effective in the coastal counties prior to 1 October 2011; (6) Clarify the procedure for recordation of restrictions and protective covenants that specify certain coastal stormwater management requirements; (7) Provide that a person who becomes the owner or operator of a commercial petroleum underground storage tank may pay, under protest, unpaid annual operating fees that were the obligation of a previous owner or operator for the purpose of obtaining an operating permit for the underground storage tanks, require the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to diligently seek to collect unpaid fees from the person who was originally responsible for payment, and provide that a person who pays fees under protest may be reimbursed to the extent that the fees are collected from another person; (8) Improve water quality and promote groundwater recharge in areas of the state that are not subject to the stormwater management requirements of certain water quality programs by requiring either that no more than eighty percent of certain areas used for vehicular parking be impervious or, in the alternative, that runoff from at least twenty percent of certain impervious vehicular parking areas flow to bioretention areas; (9) Declare the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aggressively compel persons who are responsible for contamination of groundwater that results in contamination of drinking water to assess and remediate the groundwater contamination as required by law; (10) Consolidate certain environmental reporting requirements; and (11) To make clarifying, conforming, and technical corrections to various laws related to the environment and natural resources, as recommended by the Environmental Review Commission.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Charles Albertson (D-Duplin). Portions of the bill become effective upon the governor’s signature; Oct. 1, 2008; April 1, 2009; and Oct. 1, 2009.

Senate Bill 1652, “An act to make technical amendments to the general statutes to clarify legislative confidentiality of Program Evaluation Division documents.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Daniel Clodfelter (D-Mecklenburg). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1766, “An act to provide liability protection for private associations, private corporations, and private nonprofit entities and organizations when responding to in-state incidents, as recommended by the Joint Select Committee on Governmental Immunity and the Joint Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Recovery.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Tony Rand (D-Cumberland). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1797, “An act to implement the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee Study of Tire Retread Processes, as recommended by the committee.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Clark Jenkins (D-Edgecombe). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1799, “An act to authorize the Department of Justice to provide to the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation the criminal history of applicants and employees, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee; to authorize the use of black-and-white photographs of license holders on drivers licenses; and to authorize alternate mail delivery of drivers licenses for applicants who are ineligible for residential postal service.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Clark Jenkins (D-Edgecombe). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1925, “An act to authorize the construction and the financing, without appropriations from the General Fund, of certain capital improvements projects of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina; to revise university general obligation indebtedness; to allow the University of North Carolina to create an airport authority to support the mission of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or the University of North Carolina Health Care System; to authorize the State Education Assistance Authority to set the interest rate for three scholarship loan programs at a rate not to exceed ten percent per annum; and to modify the responsibilities of the North Carolina Federal Tax Reform Allocation Committee.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. John Kerr (D-Wayne). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1946, “An act to codify the standards governing energy efficiency and water use for major facility construction and renovation projects involving state, university, and community college buildings in order to reduce the consumption of energy and water, as recommended by the Environmental Review Commission, and to allow the state, the University of North Carolina system, and the North Carolina Community College System to install photo luminescent exit signs when permitted by the state building code.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Janet Cowell (D-Wake). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1955, “An act to provide for the limited release of certain prisoners into the custody of immigration officials for removal.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Tony Rand (D-Cumberland). The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 1967, “An act to provide for improvements in the management of stormwater in the coastal counties in order to protect water quality.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Julia Boseman (D-New Hanover). Portions of the law become effective upon the governor’s signature and Oct. 1, 2008.

Senate Bill 2081, “An act to require reporting of involuntary mental commitment to the National Instance Instant Criminal Background Check System; and to provide for a restoration process to remove the commitment bar to the purchase, possession, and transfer of firearms.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Tony Rand (D-Cumberland). Portions of the law become effective upon the governor signature and Dec. 1, 2008.

House Bill 15, “An act to provide that teachers are not penalized for taking personal leave time under certain circumstances.” The bill was sponsored by Reps. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), Edith Warren (D-Pitt), Earline Parmon (D-Forsyth) and Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus.. The law becomes effective upon the governor’s signature.

House Bill 819, “An act to amend the requirements governing management of discarded computer equipment, to provide for management of discarded televisions, to delay the effective date until 1 January 2010, and to make other conforming and technical changes, as recommended by the Environmental Review Commission.” The bill was sponsored by Reps. Lucy Allen (D-Franklin) and Pryor Gibson (D-Anson). Portions of the law are effective on the governor’s signature, Jan. 1, 2010, July 1, 2010 and Jan. 1, 2011.

House Bill 2530, “An act to make administrative changes to the Solid Waste Disposal Tax and to allow a refund for all unsalable other tobacco products.” The bill was sponsored by Reps. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), Ty Harrell (D-Wake), Paul Luebke (D-Durham) and Charles Thomas (R-Buncombe). Portions of the law become effective upon the governor’s signature and Oct. 1, 2008.

House Bill 2558, “An act to require licensed home inspectors to obtain a privilege license.” The bill was sponsored by Rep. Deborah Ross (D-Wake). The law becomes effective July 1, 2008.

House Bill 2768, “An act to amend the law prohibiting hunting and fishing on private property in Orange County without written permission from the landowner or lessee, to increase the fees collected from participants in the Disabled Sportsman Program administered by the Wildlife Resources Commission, and to provide that holders of hunting and fishing licenses issued to the disabled are eligible to participate in the Disabled Sportsman Program.” The bill was sponsored by Rep. Bill Faison (D-Orange). Portions of the law become effective upon the governor’s signature and Oct. 1, 2008.