GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

 SESSION 2011

H                                                                                                                                                   3

HOUSE BILL 981*

Corrected Copy 5/21/12

Committee Substitute Favorable 5/31/12

Short Title:        Dix Property Sale to Require GA Approval.	(Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:

May 17, 2012

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to prohibit any conveyance of State-owned real property encompassing the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus without the approval of the general ASSEMBLY, and to establish the intent of the general assembly that the net proceeds from any disposition of that Real property be used for mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services programs.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 146-27 reads as rewritten:

"§ 146-27.  The role of the Department of Administration in sales, leases, and rentals. rentals; conveyance of Dix Campus.

(a)        General. - Every sale, lease, rental, or gift of land owned by the State or by any State agency shall be made by the Department of Administration and approved by the Governor and Council of State. A lease or rental of land owned by the State may not exceed a period of 99 years. The Department of Administration may initiate proceedings for sales, leases, rentals, and gifts of land owned by the State or by any State agency.

(b)        Large Disposition. - If a proposed disposition is a sale or gift of land with an appraised value of at least twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), the sale or gift shall not be made until after consultation with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.

(c)        Expired effective September 1, 2007.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State-owned real property encompassing the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus shall not be sold, leased, rented, or gifted without the prior approval of the General Assembly."

SECTION 2.  It is the intent of the General Assembly that the net proceeds from any disposition made of the real  property encompassing the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus be used to facilitate reform of the mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services system and provide start-up funds and operating support for programs and services that provide more appropriate and cost-effective community treatment alternatives for individuals currently residing in the State's mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services institutions.  Funds made available from the net proceeds of such a disposition shall be provided in addition to, and not supplant, appropriations for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services institutions.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.