5/22/2020
The Daily Bulletin: 2020-05-22 | Legislative Reporting Service
UNC
SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
The Daily Bulletin: 2020-05-22
PUBLIC/HOUSE BILLS
H 1 168 (2019-2020) MURPHY BRANCH CORRIDOR REDUCTION. Filed May 22 2020, AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE
REDUCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S INTEREST IN A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE ANDREWS TO
MURPHY RAIL CORRIDOR WITHIN THE LIMITS OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
Reduces the Department of Transportation's interest in the specified portion of the former Murphy Branch rail corridor
between Andrews and Murphy by 25 feet on each side of the center line of the corridor's tracks, and transfers any
corresponding real property interest without consideration to current adjacent real property owners. Provides for clarification
where there is more than one track. Allows for adjacent real property owners to petition DOT to provide a quitclaim deed to
evidence the real property transferred, with preparation and recording expenses borne by the petitioning party. Specifies that
the transfers are not subject to Council of State approval. Requires DOT to retain an easement for right of entry and access for
track and structure maintenance and repair, parallel to each side of the retained portion of the corridor and 15 feet in width.
Provides for application for conveyance by any person owning an underlying fee simple interest in a portion of the corridor
DOT determines is not needed for future transportation or utility purposes, subject to federal law.
Repeals Section 35.18 of SL 2016-94. which authorizes DOT to lease or convey specified portions of the Great Smoky
Mountain Railroad, formerly the Andrews to Murphy rail line, to the Coimty of Cherokee and the Towns of Andrews and
Murphy for public recreation use, as well as mandates revitalization of rail lines for the operation of excursion trains, if
applicable.
Appropriates $100,000 in nonrecurring funds from the Highway Fund to DOT to implement the act. Effective July 1. 2020.
Intro, by Corbin, McNeely. APPROP, UNCOD1F1ED, Cherokee
Development, Land Use and Housing, Property and Housing,
Government, Budget/Appropriations, State Agencies,
View summary
Department of Transportation, State Government, State
Property, Transportation
H 1169 (2019-2020) ELECTIONS 2020. Filed May 22 2020, AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE LAWS RELATED TO
ELECTIONS AND TO APPROP R1A
ТЕ
FUNDS TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONA VIRUS
PANDEMIC.
Section 1
Provides the following requirements for elections held in 2020.
Requires returned absentee ballots to be accepted and processed by the county board of elections (county board) if the voter
marked the ballot in the presence of at least one person who is at least 18 years old and is not disqualified understate law, so
long as the person signed the application and certificate as a witness and printed that person's name and address on the
container-return envelope, and all other absentee ballot requirements are met. Allows the State Board of Elections (State
Board) to prepare applications for each container-return envelope accordingly.
Requires county boards to ensure that at least one precinct assistant is a registered voter of the precinct, and allows for the
appointment of otherwise qualified registered voters in the same county to serve as precinct assistants, if there are an
insufficient number of precinct assistants to meet the precinct residency requirement for a precinct. Requires county boards to
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