AN ACT to appropriate funds for infrastructure development, higher education support, and nonprofit initiatives across Swain, Jackson, and Transylvania counties.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Part I. Infrastructure and Specific Projects by County

SECTION 1.1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of thirteen million one hundred ninety‑one thousand five hundred dollars ($13,191,500) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Swain County to be used as follows:

(1)        One million ninety‑three thousand five hundred dollars ($1,093,500) for the Bryson City Fire Department as follows:

a.         Five hundred five thousand dollars ($505,000) for a new water tanker.

b.         Sixty‑five thousand dollars ($65,000) for installation of fire alarm and carbon monoxide detection systems to protect firefighters.

c.         Twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for a generator and transfer switch to maintain continuity of operations during power outages.

d.         Forty‑eight thousand dollars ($48,000) for replacement of three existing apparatus bay doors.

e.         Four hundred fifty thousand five hundred dollars ($450,500) to complete replacement and repairs to Bryson City's out‑of‑service fire hydrants.

(2)        Ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for Bryson City water and sewer infrastructure improvement.

(3)        One million dollars ($1,000,000) for a multipurpose building to house the emergency management departments, including fire, rescue, and law enforcement.

(4)        Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for a communication tower that would allow for better and more reliable communication during outages.

(5)        Five hundred ninety‑eight thousand dollars ($598,000) to replace equipment and a fire engine for the Qualla Fire Department.

SECTION 1.2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of eighteen million six hundred one thousand five hundred fifty‑three dollars ($18,601,553) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Jackson County to be used as follows:

(1)        Two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) to renovate an existing building for town offices, meeting and classroom space, and public facilities in the Town of Dillsboro.

(2)        Five million dollars ($5,000,000) for new facilities for the Canada Fire Department to include shelter, bunk space for personnel, and updated housing for equipment and supplies.

(3)        Ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for new facilities for the Cashiers Fire Department to include shelter, bunk space for personnel, and updated housing for equipment and supplies.

(4)        Thirty‑five thousand five hundred ninety‑two dollars ($35,592) for a drone with Flir capability, spotlight, and grappling hook to be housed at the Cherokee Fire & Rescue Fire Station l.

(5)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for an addition and upgrade to the current bus garage in Sylva for the Jackson County Public Schools.

(6)        Three hundred fifteen thousand nine hundred sixty‑one dollars ($315,961) to purchase and upfit five new School Resource Officer (SRO) vehicles for the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

(7)        One million dollars ($1,000,000) to install and maintain the stream gage in the Town of Webster.

SECTION 1.3.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of sixty‑five million two hundred fifty‑six thousand four hundred dollars ($65,256,400) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide directed grants to Transylvania County to be used as follows:

(1)        Fifty‑two million dollars ($52,000,000) to the Town of Brevard for wastewater treatment.

(2)        Eleven million nine hundred eighty‑four thousand four hundred dollars ($11,984,400) to the Town of Rosman for water and sewer infrastructure.

(3)        One million dollars ($1,000,000) to Cedar Mountain Volunteer Fire Rescue, Inc., a nonprofit organization, for a new fire engine and equipment upgrades.

(4)        Seventy‑two thousand dollars ($72,000) to the Town of North Transylvania Fire Rescue, Inc., a nonprofit organization, for emergency signal lights.

(5)        Two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for a full body scanner for the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office to use at the jail.

SECTION 1.3.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of twenty‑eight million four hundred fifty‑four thousand six hundred ninety‑seven dollars ($28,454,697) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide directed grants to the Transylvania County Board of Education to be used as follows:

(1)        Seventy‑five thousand dollars ($75,000) for projects at StudyVille.

(2)        Twenty‑one million six hundred forty‑seven thousand two hundred dollars ($21,647,200) for projects at Brevard High School.

(3)        Six million seven hundred thirty‑two thousand four hundred ninety‑seven dollars ($6,732,497) for projects at Rosman Elementary.

part ii. Colleges and Universities

SECTION 2.1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of four million five hundred thousand dollars ($4,500,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Southwestern Community College to use as follows:

(1)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the final phase of the Dental Assisting/Hygiene building.

(2)        Two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) to complete the new library, small business and offices center.

SECTION 2.2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of seventy‑two million nine hundred twenty‑four thousand one hundred dollars ($72,924,100) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Western Carolina University to use as follows:

(1)        Four million one hundred thousand dollars ($4,100,000) for campus safety infrastructure priorities, including implementing critical strategies to enhance future disaster readiness.

(2)        Six million dollars ($6,000,000) for infrastructure and site preparation costs related to community housing and revitalization.

(3)        Sixty‑two million dollars ($62,000,000) for the completion of the engineering building at the desired square footage to meet regional industry needs.

(4)        Seven hundred ninety‑two thousand one hundred dollars ($792,100) to meet statutory compliance for Laboratory schools, including reimbursement for relocation costs associated with the unexpected Jackson County Public School eviction of the Catamount Laboratory School.

(5)        Thirty‑two thousand dollars ($32,000) for new, ongoing, and unbudgeted operational costs.

SECTION 2.3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of nine million eight hundred thousand dollars ($9,800,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Southwestern Community College for repair and renovation of the Almond Center.

SECTION 2.4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of one hundred nine million four hundred twenty thousand dollars ($109,420,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Blue Ridge Community College to use as follows:

(1)        Fifty‑one million dollars ($51,000,000) for facilities and capital needs of the Transylvania County Campus.

(2)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for budget stabilization and enrollment recovery.

(3)        One million five hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,550,000) for multicampus FTE relief.

(4)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for Hurricane Helene repairs and infrastructure renovations.

(5)        Forty million dollars ($40,000,000) for a regional fire and rescue training center.

(6)        One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for emergency shelter upgrades.

(7)        Six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) to purchase and install generators.

(8)        Three million one hundred thousand dollars ($3,100,000) for water and sewer expansions.

(9)        Two million four hundred thousand dollars ($2,400,000) for emergency grant funding.

(10)      Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for tuition assistance.

(11)      Three million two hundred seventy thousand dollars ($3,270,000) for program expansion of skilled trades, including engineering, health sciences, and public safety programs.

Part iii. Others and Nonprofit Requests

SECTION 3.1.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of one million five hundred twenty‑five thousand dollars ($1,525,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to provide directed grants to the following:

(1)        Five thousand dollars ($5,000) to Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry, Inc., a nonprofit organization, to provide free food to the residents of Jackson County and surrounding areas.

(2)        Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) to Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society, a nonprofit organization, for an outbuilding to provide additional storage space.

(3)        One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a nonprofit organization, to ensure that the gateway communities are ready for tourists as recovery from Hurricane Helene continues.

SECTION 3.1.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management the sum of eighteen million two hundred seventy‑eight thousand six hundred twenty‑four dollars ($18,278,624) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year and the sum of ninety‑one thousand three hundred seventy‑two dollars ($91,372) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year and two hundred twenty‑three thousand eight hundred sixty dollars ($223,860) in recurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to the University of North Carolina at Asheville for the procurement, installation, operation, and maintenance of three weather radar systems in locations across the State.

SECTION 3.1.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources the sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program. These funds shall be used to provide one‑time grants to science museums in Western North Carolina that have been engaged in relief efforts and whose normal operations were disrupted, causing a severe loss in revenue due to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Grant awards shall not exceed twenty‑five percent (25%) of the eligible museums' annual budget with the maximum awards not exceeding one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000). Any remaining funds shall be distributed equally among participating museums after the initial grants are awarded. Eligible museums include the following:

(1)        Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum.

(2)        Buncombe County Asheville Museum of Science.

(3)        North Carolina Arboretum.

(4)        Western North Carolina Nature Center.

(5)        Henderson County Hands On! Children's Museum.

(6)        Team ECCO Aquarium.

(7)        Macon County Highlands Nature Center.

(8)        Rutherford County KidSenses Children's Museum.

(9)        Transylvania County Cradle of Forestry, FIND Outdoors.

(10)      Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute.

Part iv. Effective date

SECTION 4.1.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.