AN ACT appropriating funds to the department of health and human services, division of aging, to expand access to temporary emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness when severe weather is expected.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging, the sum of one million seven hundred twenty thousand dollars ($1,720,000) in recurring funds for each year of the 2025‑2027 fiscal biennium to be used to establish a Cold Weather Shelters Grant Program (Program). The purpose of this Program is to provide grants to municipalities and nonprofit organizations to implement or expand programs designed to provide temporary emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness when severe weather is expected.

SECTION 1.(b)  The Division of Aging shall, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, develop application materials and selection criteria for the Program. The selection criteria shall take into consideration the availability of other funds available to the applicant and the incidence of poverty in the area served by the applicant. The Division of Aging shall make the final decision about awarding grants under this Program, but no single grant award shall exceed two hundred fifteen thousand dollars ($215,000) for any fiscal year.

SECTION 1.(c)  The Division of Aging may use up to five percent (5%) of the funds appropriated for the Program for each fiscal year to cover administrative costs associated with administering the Program.

SECTION 2.  Annually by April 1, beginning April 1, 2027, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging, shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division on the use of the funds appropriated by Section 1 of this act during the preceding fiscal year. Except as otherwise provided, each report shall include at least all of the following:

(1)        For the first report due on April 1, 2027, an explanation of the plan developed in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management.

(2)        The total number of grants awarded.

(3)        The identity and a brief description of each grant recipient and the amount of each grant award.

(4)        The municipality in which the grant recipient is located and the incidence of poverty in the area served by the grant recipient.

(5)        An explanation and supporting documentation of how each grant recipient used the grant funds to implement or expand a Cold Weather Shelter program.

(6)        The number of people served by each Cold Weather Shelter program that benefited from the funds authorized by Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.