A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to streamline environmental review for housing, define timelines for state agency decisions in residential construction, exempt small‑scale infill projects from extended reviews, accelerate infrastructure, and create housing and infrastructure dashboards.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 113A‑10 reads as rewritten:
"§ 113A‑10.  Provisions supplemental.
The policies, obligations and provisions of this Article are supplementary to those set forth in existing authorizations of and statutory provisions applicable to State agencies and local governments.
(1)	In those instances where a State agency is required to prepare an environmental document or to comment on an environmental document under provisions of federal law, no separate environmental document shall be required to be prepared or published under this Article so long as the environmental document or comment meets the provisions of this Article.
(2)	In those instances where a State agency is required to prepare an environmental document or to comment on an environmental document under provisions of local law for a residential development that are (i) within existing residential development zones, (ii) do not impact protected environmental areas, and (iii) meet defined density and footprint thresholds, no separate environmental document shall be required to be prepared or published under this Chapter so long as the environmental document or comment meets the provisions of this Chapter. This subsection is not intended to override local zoning authority, eliminate environmental safeguards, weaken water or air quality standards, and bypass public notice requirements."
SECTION 2.  All agencies involved in the predevelopment phase, including the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Transportation, licensing boards, and the Department of Public Safety, of residential construction shall provide written decisions on qualifying housing projects by personal delivery, email, or first‑class mail no later than 60 days from receipt of the submission of the related application. An agency that fails to deliver notice of determination within the 60‑day period prescribed herein shall be subject to escalation to agency leadership for review. A written explanation must be provided for delays past the prescribed period herein no later than 30 days past the prescribed period. This section is not intended to override local zoning authority, eliminate environmental safeguards, weaken water or air quality standards, and bypass public notice requirements.
SECTION 3.  Article 4 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 160D‑403.1.  Expedited review for certain classes of buildings in residential zones.
In all areas and districts zoned for residential use, a local government shall be exempt from extended review requirements, and no amendment to zoning regulations or conditional use permit shall be required, duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and small multi‑family units. This section is not intended to override local zoning authority, eliminate environmental safeguards, weaken water or air quality standards, or bypass public notice requirements."
SECTION 4.  The Department of Environmental Quality shall provide rules for and manage processes for expedited reviews of water and sewer expansions supporting housing, child chare facility construction, workforce housing tied to major employers, and broadband expansion supporting new housing. This section is not intended to override local zoning authority, eliminate environmental safeguards, weaken water or air quality standards, and bypass public notice requirements.
SECTION 5.  Local housing authorities shall create publicly available dashboards that track average permit review time, agency backlog, and project approval timelines. The housing authorities shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly on program performance and funds allocated.
SECTION 6.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Quality the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in recurring funds beginning with the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to be used for staffing support to implement the North Carolina Let Them Build Act.
SECTION 7.  This act will become effective when it becomes law.