Karl Gillespie Legislative report

THE LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

The Legislative Review continues its analysis of legislation passed during the 2023-2024 session that includes provisions with effective dates of July 1, 2024 through January 1, 2025.

Legislation with Effective Dates of July 1, 2024 through January 1, 2025

The following legislation was passed during the 2023-2024 legislative session and includes provisions with an effective date of July 1, 2024:

SB355, North Carolina Farm Act of 2024, is an act to make various changes to the agricultural laws of this state. Sections 21 and 22(b) have an effective date of July 1, 2024.

SB425, HHS Omnibus, makes modifications to laws pertaining to health and human services. Sections 13 and 18 are effective beginning July 1, 2024.

SB527, ABC Omnibus 2023-2024, makes various changes to the alcohol laws of this state. Sections 9, 16, 17, 20 and 38(b) are effective as of July 1, 2024.

SB559, Charter Schools/Pension/ ESOP, is an act to enable the Board of Directors of certain charter schools to elect to participate in the North Carolina State Health Plan for teachers and state employees; to create additional flexibility for charter schools to become a participating employing unit in the State Health Plan, and more. Sections 5 and 6 are effective as of July 1, 2024.

HB250, Public Safety/Other Changes, is an act to make revisions pertaining to death investigations under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, to modify certain laws related to limited driving privileges and restoration of a license after certain driving while impaired convictions, among other things.  As of July 1, 2024, Sections 5 and 9 are state law.

Did You Know?

Record Unclaimed Cash Payouts in 23-24

For the fourth year in a row, the Unclaimed Property Division (UPD) of the Department of State Treasurer (DST) has set a record for returning unclaimed money, putting over $115 million back into the pockets of the rightful owners, State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell announced.

“Go to NCCash.com and search your name for free. Look for your parents’ names, your children’s names, your maiden name. It’s possible your church, business, Little League, civic group or other organizations to which you belong have money waiting to be returned,” Treasurer Folwell said.

Under state law, NCCash.com is currently safeguarding nearly $1.3 billion in funds that are escheated, or turned over, to DST. The money is awaiting return to the rightful owners after being lost, misdirected or overlooked.  

The unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. 

Unclaimed property can result from a person or entity forgetting they are due money, or from a move of location and forgetting to provide a new address. It also could result from a typing error in a house number or zip code in an address, a name change, or data loss from a business converting its computer system.  As society becomes more mobile and steadily moves to electronic transactions, the risk of having unclaimed property has increased. 

Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smokies, see Record Economic Impact in 2023

The mountains have once again proven to be big economic contributors to our state's economy. The Smokies contributed to more than $2.2 billion in visitor spending in 2023. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which sprawls across a half-million acres of rugged, forested terrain in Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, is routinely one of the most-visited national parks in the country, with some 13.3 million visitors in 2023. 

But the most visited unit of the National Park Service is still the historic Blue Ridge Parkway, with 16.7 million visiting the winding park in 2023, according to the NPS.

Here is a good summary at the Asheville Citizen Times.