FILED SENATE
May 2, 2024
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 892
SESSION 2023 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS35364-MTa-218A
Short Title: Student Voter ID Grant Program/CCs. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Marcus, Meyer, and Hunt (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF
3 COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO ESTABLISH THE STUDENT VOTER
4 IDENTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM AND TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY
5 COLLEGES TO APPLY FOR GRANTS UNDER THE PROGRAM.
6 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
7 SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community
8 Colleges System Office the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in nonrecurring
9 funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year for the State Board of Community Colleges to establish the
10 Student Voter Identification Grant Program (Program) to provide grants to community colleges
11 of up to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per community college to upgrade necessary
12 equipment and facilities to produce student identification cards that can be used to vote in person
13 in accordance with G.S. 163-166.16. The State Board shall develop a process for receiving
14 applications from community colleges and award grants no later than August 15, 2024, to any
15 community college that submits a reasonable and timely plan for the expenditure of funds
16 consistent with the purposes of the Program. No community college shall receive more than one
17 grant under the Program. No later than February 15, 2025, the System Office shall report to the
18 Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the identity of the community colleges
19 receiving grants under the Program and the purchases made with the funds awarded.
20 SECTION 1.(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the
21 State Board of Elections shall review and approve the application of any community college
22 receiving funds under the Student Voter Identification Grant Program established in subsection
23 (a) of this section that is submitted to the State Board by September 1, 2024, to have its student
24 identification cards approved for use as photo identification cards, if the application complies
25 with other requirements for such an application established by the State Board.
26 SECTION 2. It is the intent of the General Assembly (i) to encourage all community
27 colleges in the State that do not have student identification cards that can be used to vote in person
28 in accordance with G.S. 163-166.16 to apply to receive grants under the Student Voter
29 Identification Grant Program established pursuant to Section 1 of this act and (ii) that the Program
30 remove the existing financial barriers of community colleges to providing students with valid
31 photo identification for voting.
32 SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2024.
*DRS35364-MTa-218A*