HB 116: Jacksonville Annexation and Conforming Changes. - North Carolina

Edition 3 → Ratified · 7 edits

MODERATE

HB 116 was completely replaced between Edition 3 and the Ratified version. Edition 3 dealt with partisan election reform for the Columbus, Gaston, and Johnston County Boards of Education. The ratified version is an entirely different bill that annexes portions of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Stones Bay into the City of Jacksonville, while explicitly limiting the city's regulatory and jurisdictional powers over the annexed federal property.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed entirely from school board election reform in three counties to municipal annexation of federal military installations into Jacksonville, with significant limitations on the city's authority over the annexed territory.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding partisan election of Columbus County, Gaston County, and Johnston County Boards of Education were removed, including residency district requirements, staggered four-year terms, vacancy-filling procedures, and repeal of conflicting session laws.

New bill annexes described territories of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (including the Greater Sandy Run Training Area), Marine Corps Air Station New River, and Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Stones Bay into the City of Jacksonville.

Section 3 prohibits Jacksonville from annexing any territory south of NC Highway 24.

Section 4(a) prohibits Jacksonville from exercising Chapter 160D municipal powers in any area beyond its contiguous corporate limits, and Section 4(b) provides for relinquishment of jurisdiction over non-contiguous areas effective on the date the section becomes law, with development regulations remaining in effect until the period provided in G.S. 160D-202(h).

REQUIREMENT

Section 1(b) explicitly states the annexation does not create or increase any right for Jacksonville to regulate or influence federal government activities or operations on the military installations.

TIMELINE

The annexation becomes effective June 30, 2026. Property in the described territory as of January 1, 2026 is subject to municipal taxes for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2026.

ENFORCEMENT

Section 2 limits Jacksonville police arrest powers to within 1 mile of corporate limits north of NC Highway 24, with an exception for transporting persons in custody to court proceedings anywhere in the state.

Ratified → SL 2026-56 · 1 edit

MINOR

The changes are purely administrative, reflecting the transition from a ratified bill to an enacted session law. The header was updated to include the Session Law number 2026-56 and page headers were reformatted accordingly. No substantive policy changes were made.

TECHNICAL

Header changed from 'Ratified Bill' to 'Session Law 2026-56' with version bumped from v-4 to v-5, reflecting enactment into law.

Edition 2 → Edition 3 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was expanded from applying only to Columbus County to also include Gaston and Johnston County Boards of Education. The text for Gaston County was added to establish its specific residency districts and election rules, while the Columbus County text was reorganized into a single consolidated section.

Scope change

The bill's scope was broadened from a single county (Columbus) to three counties (Columbus, Gaston, and Johnston).

SCOPE

Added provisions for the Gaston County Board of Education, including specific residency districts and election terms, to align it with the partisan election rules established for Columbus County.

Added a reference to the Johnston County Board of Education to the bill's title and scope, though specific operative text for Johnston County was not included in the provided diff.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the Columbus County provisions from multiple separate sections into a single consolidated Section 1 with subsections (a) through (e) to accommodate the addition of the other counties.

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a first draft to a committee substitute version, incorporating specific legal citations and updating the repeal list to reflect current statutes. The core policy remains unchanged: making the Columbus County Board of Education partisan elections while excluding the Whiteville area.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on Columbus County, but the text was updated to explicitly cite conflicting General Statutes (G.S. 115C-35 and 115C-37) that are being overridden, clarifying the legal mechanism for the change.

TECHNICAL

Added explicit references to specific General Statutes (G.S. 115C-35 and 115C-37) in the opening sections to clarify which laws are being superseded.

Updated the list of repealed laws in Section 5 to remove outdated session laws and add new ones, ensuring the repeal list matches current legal records.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from 'when it becomes law' to a fixed date of the first Monday in December 2026, providing a clear implementation schedule.

REQUIREMENT

Refined the vacancy filling process to specify that successors must be selected from the same residency district as the vacating member.

Filed → Edition 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted to add a new bill number and session date, while the substantive text of the legislation remained unchanged. The primary change is the addition of 'Columbus County' to the list of jurisdictions where board elections are partisan, replacing a previous reference to the county in a repealed section.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes Columbus County in the list of jurisdictions where school board elections are partisan, whereas the original draft referenced the county in a section that was later repealed.

SCOPE

Added Columbus County to the list of jurisdictions with partisan school board elections in Section 5(d).

TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill header and bill number (DRH40089-NG-31A), replacing them with the standard 'House Bill 116' format.

Updated the sponsor list to direct readers to the General Assembly website for a complete list.

Jacksonville Annexation and Conforming Changes.

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