AN ACT to allow the department of transportation to mow the highway rights‑of‑way located within a five‑mile radius of certain major sporting events in the month of may at the request of local governments, notwithstanding the prohibition on mowing in may; and to appropriate funds to the department of transportation to conduct the mowing.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 136‑28.12 reads as rewritten:

§ 136‑28.12.  Litter removal coordinated with mowing of highway rights‑of‑way.

(a)        For State‑maintained roads, the Department of Transportation shall coordinate litter removal and mowing as follows:

(1)        If the highway right‑of‑way to be mowed is part of the primary road system, the Department shall schedule the removal of litter before the right‑of‑way is mowed.

(2)        If the highway right‑of‑way to be mowed is part of the secondary road system, the Department shall schedule, to the extent practicable, the removal of litter before the right‑of‑way is mowed.

(3)        The Department shall not schedule mowing of highway rights‑of‑way during the month of May.May except as provided in this subdivision. Upon request of a local government in which a sporting event that expects no less than five thousand (5,000) attendees is scheduled to be held in the month of May, the Department shall mow highway rights‑of‑way located within a five (5) mile radius of the location of the sporting event. A local government shall submit such a request to the district engineer having jurisdiction no less than thirty (30) days prior to the date on which the sporting event is scheduled, and the Department shall mow the rights‑of way in the specified radius surrounding the event not more than seven (7) days and not less than two (2) days prior to the scheduled date for the event.

(b)        The Department shall require as a term of any contract to mow or remove litter that the contracting party agree to the provisions in subsection (a) of this section.

SECTION 2.  The sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the General Fund is appropriated to the North Carolina Department of Transportation in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year for administration and operational costs related to providing mowing requested by local governments.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.