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Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina Directs Collaboratory to Study County Tier Designation System Changes Under HB 649
Last action · April 30, 2025: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action)Sponsors: Jake Johnson and 26 others
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What This Bill Would Do
North Carolina directs the North Carolina at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study potential changes to the , with a preliminary report due by December 31, 2025, and a final report by December 1, 2026.
The study will evaluate how alterations to county ranking criteria impact all 100 counties, economic development programs, and business operations across the State.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
North Carolina Collaboratory
Must conduct the study of county tier designations and submit preliminary and final reports to legislative committees.
Department of Commerce
Must be consulted by the Collaboratory in conducting the county tier designation study.
Department of Health and Human Services
Must be consulted by the Collaboratory in conducting the county tier designation study.
Department of Public Instruction
Must be consulted by the Collaboratory in conducting the county tier designation study.
All 100 counties
Rankings under the county tier designation system will be evaluated under proposed changes.
Key Facts
- The North Carolina Collaboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is directed to study potential changes to the county tier designation system under G.S. 143B-437.08.
- The study focuses on changing the criteria used to rank counties, the way tier designations are assigned, and the time frame in which counties are ranked.
- The study must evaluate the impact of proposed changes on all 100 counties, programs using the tier designation system, and the ease of doing business in the State.
- The Collaboratory must consult with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Public Instruction.
Show all 8 facts
- The study must evaluate whether the proposed changes align with economic development goals, use reliable data, implement easy-to-understand methodology, and accurately identify distressed areas.
- A preliminary report is due no later than December 31, 2025, to the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division.
- A final report is due no later than December 1, 2026, to the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division.
- The act becomes effective July 1, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is conducting the county tier designation study?
What agencies must be consulted during the study?
When are the study reports due?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
14 actions- Apr 30, 2025SenateRef To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Apr 30, 2025SenatePassed 1st Reading
- Apr 30, 2025SenateRegular Message Received From House
- Apr 30, 2025HouseRegular Message Sent To Senate
- Apr 29, 2025HousePassed 3rd Reading
- Apr 29, 2025HousePassed 2nd Reading
Show 8 earlier actions
- Apr 28, 2025HousePlaced On Cal For 04/29/2025
- Apr 28, 2025HouseCal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- Apr 28, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 15, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 15, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 2, 2025HouseRef to the Com on State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 2, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Apr 1, 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
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Review of County Tier Rankings
The state is undertaking a multi-agency evaluation to potentially overhaul how North Carolina classifies counties for economic development purposes.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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