FILED SENATE
Mar 12, 2019
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 231
SESSION 2019 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS35094-MQ-34
Short Title: Study Military Economic Zones. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators D. Davis, Brown, and Perry (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
3 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO STUDY THE CREATION OF
4 ECONOMIC ZONES AROUND COMMUNITIES THAT HOST MILITARY
5 INSTALLATIONS.
6 Whereas, North Carolina has a proud tradition of mutually beneficial cooperation
7 with the military; and
8 Whereas, North Carolina has the fourth-largest population of military personnel of
9 any state; and
10 Whereas, the military accounts for over a half million jobs, $66 billion in gross State
11 product, and represents 10% of the overall economy of this State; and
12 Whereas, North Carolina is home to many military installations; and
13 Whereas, some of those installations may be vulnerable to closure as part of the
14 federal Base Realignment and Closure initiative; and
15 Whereas, a failure to adequately strengthen and protect the military in this State would
16 make military installations in the State vulnerable to closure under the federal Base Realignment
17 and Closure initiative; and
18 Whereas, a strong economy benefits both the military installations in this State and
19 the communities that surround and support those installations; and
20 Whereas, the people of this State recognize the interdependence of the military and
21 the communities that surround and support its operations; and
22 Whereas, it is in the best interest of the State to support the economic growth of the
23 communities that surround and support our military installations; and
24 Whereas, the economic growth and success of one community in this State benefits
25 us all; and
26 Whereas, this State has developed strategies to foster economic growth in targeted
27 areas by categorizing those areas within distinct zones; and
28 Whereas, the use of economic prosperity zones has strengthened and bolstered the
29 communities of our State to the benefit of all of its citizens; and
30 Whereas, this State must use its resources to determine similar ways to strengthen and
31 bolster the economic growth of the communities that surround and support our military
32 installations; and
33 Whereas, strong supporting communities are invaluable to the military institutions in
34 our State and benefit the military as a whole and its continuing operations throughout the nation;
35 Now, therefore,
36 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
*DRS35094-MQ-34*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019
1 SECTION 1. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with
2 the Department of Commerce, shall study the creation of military economic zones around
3 communities that host the military installations in this State. The study shall consider at least all
4 of the following:
5 (1) The feasibility of creating economic zones in and around the communities that
6 host and support the military installations of this State.
7 (2) Methods of incorporating existing economic development programs,
8 including Collaboration for Prosperity Zones, into prospective military
9 economic zones.
10 (3) Opportunities to leverage the unique and valuable characteristics of the
11 regions and communities that support our military installations.
12 (4) Ways to create synergies among the duties and missions of the various
13 Department of Commerce entities that specialize in economic development,
14 such as the Rural Infrastructure Authority, Rural Economic Development
15 Division, and the NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center, as well as the
16 North Carolina Military Affairs Commission.
17 (5) The criteria used for previous recommendations for closures of military
18 installations by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission and
19 the extent to which economic development initiatives can bolster the
20 efficiency and effectiveness of the military installations in this State in
21 advance of future BRAC recommendations.
22 (6) Best practices from other states for economic development for communities
23 hosting military installations.
24 SECTION 2. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall report the
25 findings of the study and any legislative recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight
26 Committee on General Government and the Fiscal Research Division on or before January 1,
27 2020.
28 SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law.
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