AN ACT authorizing the legislative research commission to study paper towns in north carolina.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  The Legislative Research Commission (LRC) shall study the current status of paper towns in North Carolina. For purposes of this act, the term paper town means a town that exists in fact but does not provide adequate services, as required by law, to its residents. As part of the study, the LRC shall do the following:

(1)        Determine whether towns incorporated by the General Assembly since 1995 are currently providing the services proposed by the petitioners in the petition to incorporate submitted to the then existing Joint Legislative Commission on Municipal Incorporation.

(2)        Determine whether the services currently being provided by each town are sufficient to sustain the incorporation for purposes of continued taxation, zoning, and regulation of the right to control private property.

(3)        Determine whether the General Assembly should take action regarding any of the towns studied, including suspension or revocation of the charter, due to the failure of the town to provide critical services sufficient to sustain the incorporation.

(4)        Review the statutory criteria for incorporation as provided in Part 2 of Article 20 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes to determine what, if any, changes should be made to ensure that towns continue to provide a sufficient level of services after being incorporated, including those proposed in the petition to incorporate, to justify continued incorporation of the town.

SECTION 1.(b)  The LRC shall make a final report on its study, including any proposed legislation, to the 2026 Regular Session of the 2025 General Assembly upon its convening.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.