SB 474: Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium. - North Carolina

Ratified → SL 2026-47 · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein on July 7, 2026, changing its status from a 'Ratified Bill' to 'Session Law 2026-47'. The core text regarding property tax adjustments for counties with populations under 150,000 remains unchanged, but the document now includes the official signature and approval timestamp.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope and applicability remain unchanged; the update reflects the completion of the legislative process and the official enactment of the law.

TIMELINE

Added the Governor's signature and the specific approval date (July 7, 2026, at 9:45 a.m.), finalizing the bill as Session Law 2026-47.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document title from 'Ratified Bill' to 'Session Law 2026-47' and changed the version identifier from S474-v-6 to S474-v-7.

Edition 5 → Ratified · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill was finalized as a ratified law, changing its status from a draft substitute to an enacted statute. The primary substantive change is the update of the referenced legislation from the 2025 session to Session Law 2026-8, aligning the reappraisal moratorium rules with the current legislative session. The core policy regarding property tax relief for counties remains identical, including the moratorium on reappraisals for qualifying counties and protections for public service company values.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a proposed substitute version to a ratified law, and the specific statute it amends was updated to reflect the 2026 legislative session (S.L. 2026-8) instead of the 2025 session.

TIMELINE

The bill was updated from the 'Fifth Edition' of the 2025 session to the 'Ratified' version of the 2026 session, with signatures from the Governor and legislative leaders added.

SCOPE

The act it amends was changed from 'Senate Bill 889, 2025 Regular Session' to 'Session Law 2026-8' to reflect the current legislative session.

REQUIREMENT

The exemption criteria for counties were restructured to clearly distinguish between a 'General exemption' (based on population or tax rate) and a 'Revenue-neutral property tax rate exemption' (for affected areas), adding a specific condition about adopting a tax rate at or below the revenue-neutral rate.

Edition 4 → Edition 5 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was updated to a Fifth Edition with a revised title that explicitly includes preventing reductions in public service company values. A new Section 1.5 was added to create a special tax assessment class for public service company property in affected counties, ensuring these values are protected under the reappraisal moratorium.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to specifically address and protect public service company property values, which were not explicitly covered in the previous version.

SCOPE

Added a new Section 1.5 to designate public service company property as a special class, preventing its value from being reduced under the reappraisal moratorium.

TITLE

Updated the short title to clarify that the bill also prevents reductions in public service company values.

TIMELINE

Minor formatting adjustments to the bill's edition dates and page headers.

Edition 3 → Edition 4 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to change its purpose from creating a new oversight division (DAVE) to adjusting property tax reappraisal rules for specific counties. The original text establishing a new agency to audit state spending and eliminate vacant positions was removed and replaced with provisions modifying how property tax values are applied in counties with reappraisals effective January 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from state government internal accountability to local property tax administration. The new version applies only to specific counties meeting population and reappraisal criteria, whereas the original applied to all state agencies.

SCOPE

Entirely removed the creation of the Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency (DAVE) and its mandate to audit state agencies and eliminate vacant positions.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new eligibility criteria for counties subject to a property tax reappraisal moratorium, including population thresholds of 15,000 or greater and specific reappraisal effective dates.

Added exemptions for counties with populations under 12,000, specific population limits under G.S. 105-286, high tax rates, or those in affected areas defined by S.L. 2025-2.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective dates and taxable years from 2025 to 2026 and 2027, aligning with the new property tax schedule.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced requirements for agencies to report on public money usage and vacant positions with rules on how counties must use existing or previous schedules of values for tax calculations.

Edition 2 → Edition 3 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from the Second Edition to the Third Edition. The most significant substantive change involves the Division's authority to gather information for agency assessments; the version removed a clause allowing the Division to independently employ individuals for artificial intelligence analysis, while the new version adds a requirement to consult with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations before employing such tools. Additionally, the list of factors to be examined was renumbered, shifting from four items to three items in the text, though the content of the remaining factors remains the same.

Scope change

The scope of the Division's investigative authority regarding artificial intelligence was modified to require consultation with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Division to consult with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations before employing individuals to use artificial intelligence for examining state agency budgets.

TECHNICAL

Renumbered the list of examination factors from items (1) through (4) to items (1) through (3), removing the specific text regarding 'Any other factor demonstrating fiscal soundness' from the list structure, though the text appears later in the document.

Updated bill metadata including the edition number, adoption date, and page footer to reflect the Third Edition.

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove the sponsors and referral information, which are administrative details rather than policy changes. The core policy text remains largely the same, but the Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency (DAVE) was granted new authority to organize its internal operations as needed. Additionally, the Division now has the discretion to require annual reports from state agencies and reassess them yearly, and the act's expiration date was extended to December 31, 2028.

Scope change

The bill's operational scope expanded by giving the Division ongoing authority to collect annual data and reassess agency efficiency, rather than a one-time assessment.

TECHNICAL

Removed the list of primary sponsors and the committee referral status from the header.

REQUIREMENT

Added language allowing the State Auditor to organize and administer the new Division in any manner deemed necessary to conduct its work.

Granted the Division discretion to require state agencies to submit reports annually and reassess that information on an annual basis.

TIMELINE

Extended the expiration date of the act from the original effective date to December 31, 2028.

A1: ABAXFR-56-V-3 → Edition 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from a procedural amendment regarding property tax reappraisal moratoriums into a substantive new law establishing the 'DAVE Act.' This new legislation creates a new division within the State Auditor's office to review state agency spending, identify vacant positions, and recommend the dissolution of agencies or elimination of positions based on fiscal effectiveness.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from a narrow property tax issue affecting specific counties to a broad mandate for statewide government accountability and potential agency restructuring.

SCOPE

Removed all text related to property tax reappraisal moratoriums and special assessment classes for public service company property.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for all state agencies to report public money usage and details on vacant positions lasting six months or more by October 1, 2025.

Authorized the new division to use artificial intelligence tools to analyze state agency budgets and spending effectiveness.

Mandated that the division report recommendations to dissolve agencies or eliminate positions by December 31, 2025.

DEFINITION

Created a new Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency (DAVE) within the Department of the State Auditor.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from July 2026 to immediate upon becoming law.

A2: ARI-25-V-2 → A1: ABAXFR-56-V-3 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transferred from the Senate to the House, changing its version number and the sponsoring official from Senator Moffitt to Representative Blust. The amendment instructions were significantly rewritten to add a new section establishing a special tax assessment class for public service company property in counties under a reappraisal moratorium, while repealing a conflicting existing statute. This change introduces new eligibility criteria for specific property types and sets a new effective date of July 1, 2026, for the tax provisions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a specific mechanism for assessing taxes on public service company property in counties subject to a reappraisal moratorium, creating a new special class of property under state law.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new section designating public service company property in moratorium counties as a special class of property for tax assessment purposes.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date for tax provisions to taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, and expiration to July 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Repealed G.S. 105-284(b) to remove a conflicting provision regarding the assessment of this special property class.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect House sponsorship by Representative Blust and changed the bill identifier from A2 to A1.

Filed → A2: ARI-25-V-2 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to formally adopt the text and add a specific procedural instruction for the Senate to modify a single line regarding the Division's ability to consult with a joint commission and employ individuals to use artificial intelligence. The substantive policy content regarding agency reporting and assessments remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability is unchanged; the amendment only adds a procedural step for the Senate to edit the text before final passage.

TECHNICAL

Added a formal amendment header indicating the bill has been adopted by the Senate and includes a specific instruction for the Senate to rewrite one line about consulting with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and using artificial intelligence.

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium.

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