Article 17.

Armory and Facility Development Projects and Plan.

§ 127A-210.  Armory and facility development project plan.

(a) Plan Prepared. - No later than July 1 of each year, the Department of Public Safety shall prepare a statewide plan for armories for a period of seven years into the future. The plan shall be known as the Armory and Facilities Development Plan. If the plan differs from the Armory and Facilities Development Plan adopted for the preceding calendar year, the Department shall indicate the changes and the reasons for such changes. The Department shall submit the plan to the Director of the Budget for review.

(b) Projects Listed. - The plan shall list the following armory and facilities projects based on their status as of May 1 of the year in which the plan is prepared:

(1) Projects approved by the Congress of the United States but for which federal funds have not been appropriated.

(2) Projects for which the Congress of the United States has appropriated funds.

(c) Project Priorities and Funding Recommendations. - The Department shall assign a priority to each project within each of the two categories listed under subsection (b) of this section, either by giving the project a number with "1" assigned to the highest priority, or by recommending no funding. The Department shall state its reasons for recommending the funding, deferral, or elimination of a project. The Department shall determine the priority of a project based on the following criteria: federal requirements, a project's proximity to transportation infrastructure and other critical State and federal assets, and a project's ability to further the mission of the National Guard.

(d) Distribution of the Plan. - The Director of the Budget shall provide copies of the plan to the General Assembly along with the recommended biennial budget and the recommended revised budget for the second year of the biennium.

(e) Budget Recommendations. - The Director of the Budget shall determine which projects, if any, will be included in the recommended biennial budget and in the recommended revised budget for the second year of the biennium. The budget document transmitted to the General Assembly shall identify the projects or types of projects recommended for funding.

(f) Definitions. - For purposes of this section, the terms "armory," "armory site," and "facilities" shall have the same meaning as in G.S. 127A-161. (2013-360, s. 36.11(e).)