The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina expands State Auditor investigative powers and information technology procurement exemptions
Last action · July 29, 2025: Ch. SL 2025-83Sponsors: Brenden Jones and 9 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
North Carolina expands the State Auditor's authority to investigate private entities handling public funds, grants individuals or entities who receive public funds or state grants under audit scope, and exempts the Office of the State Auditor from certain state rules. The act applies when it becomes law on July 29, 2025.
Private contractors, grant recipients, and state agencies face broader investigative access and direct record audits by the State Auditor, while the Auditor's office gains independent authority over its information technology purchases and personnel exemptions.
- The State Auditor of North Carolina is an independently elected constitutional officer responsible for examining the financial affairs of state agencies, local governments, and recipients of state grants. context
- House Bill 549 was introduced during the 2025 legislative session and signed into law on July 29, 2025. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State Auditor
The office gains broader statutory powers, independent information technology procurement authority, and explicit subpoena-like court enforcement mechanisms for record access.
Private corporations and individuals receiving public funds
They become explicitly subject to records examination, property inspection, and continuous audit oversight by the State Auditor regarding public grants and contracts.
Department of Revenue
The department receives mandatory notifications from the State Auditor to collect funds owed to State agencies based on audit findings.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What entities are newly subject to the State Auditor's investigative reach under this act?
What happens if a private organization or individual refuses to grant access to records requested by the Auditor?
How does the act handle money discovered to be owed to a State agency during an audit?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law over the governor's veto.
Procedural history
39 actions- Jul 29, 2025SenateVeto Overridden
- Jul 29, 2025SenatePlaced on Today's Calendar
- Jul 29, 2025SenateVeto Received From House
- Jul 29, 2025HouseVeto Overridden
- Jul 3, 2025HousePlaced On Cal For 07/29/2025
- Jul 2, 2025HouseReceived from the Governor
Show 33 earlier actions
- Jun 24, 2025HouseOrdered Enrolled
- Jun 24, 2025HouseConcurred In S Com Sub
- Jun 23, 2025HousePlaced On Cal For 06/24/2025
- Jun 19, 2025HouseCal Pursuant 36(b)
- Jun 19, 2025HouseSpecial Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
- Jun 19, 2025SenateSpecial Message Sent To House
- Jun 19, 2025SenatePassed 3rd Reading
- Jun 19, 2025SenatePassed 2nd Reading
- Jun 18, 2025SenateReptd Fav
- Jun 18, 2025SenateRe-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Jun 18, 2025SenateCom Substitute Adopted
- Jun 18, 2025SenateReptd Fav Com Substitute
- Jun 11, 2025SenateRe-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Jun 11, 2025SenateWithdrawn From Com
- May 7, 2025SenateRef To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- May 7, 2025SenatePassed 1st Reading
- May 7, 2025SenateRegular Message Received From House
- May 7, 2025HouseRegular Message Sent To Senate
- May 6, 2025HouseOrdered Engrossed
- May 6, 2025HousePassed 3rd Reading
- May 6, 2025HousePassed 2nd Reading
- May 6, 2025HouseAmend Failed A2
- May 6, 2025HouseAmend Adopted A1
- May 1, 2025HousePlaced On Cal For 05/06/2025
- May 1, 2025HouseCal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- May 1, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 29, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 29, 2025HouseReptd Fav Com Sub 2
- Apr 8, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On State and Local Government
- Apr 8, 2025HouseReptd Fav Com Substitute
- Mar 31, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Judiciary 1, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Mar 31, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 26, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Auditor Jurisdiction over Private Entities
The legislation broadens the Auditor's reach from traditional state agencies to encompass any entity receiving state or federal funds, backed by direct judicial enforcement.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools