AN ACT to amend the Constitution of North Carolina to disallow the compensation and allowances of members of the General Assembly from the end of the fiscal year until a budget is ratified.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 16 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution reads as rewritten:

Sec. 16.  Compensation and allowances.

The members and officers of the General Assembly shall receive for their services the compensation and allowances prescribed by law. An increase in the compensation or allowances of members shall become effective at the beginning of the next regular session of the General Assembly following the session at which it was enacted. If the General Assembly fails to ratify by June 30 a comprehensive budget of the anticipated revenue and proposed expenditures of the State for the ensuing fiscal period, the compensation and allowances of the members of the General Assembly from July 1 until the earlier of the ratification of the comprehensive budget or the commencement of the next regular session shall be forfeited.

SECTION 1.(b)  The amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on November 3, 2026, which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing elections at that time. The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be:

[ ] FOR          [ ] AGAINST

Constitutional amendment to disallow the annual salary and other allowances for members of the General Assembly if the General Assembly has not passed a budget by June 30 of a year for a period beginning July 1 and continuing until a budget is ratified or the term of the Legislature ends, whichever occurs first.

SECTION 1.(c)  The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the referendum conducted under subsection (b) of this section. If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall enroll the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of votes cast on the question are against the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the amendment shall have no effect.

SECTION 1.(d)  If the certification from the State Board of Elections under subsection (c) of this section reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section is effective upon certification.

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