H819 Bill Summary

• Amends coastal area definition to explicitly list 20 counties designated as coastal-area counties as of July 1, 2012, including Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Carteret, Dare, New Hanover, Onslow, and others.

• Establishes new sea-level policy framework prohibiting state agencies from adopting sea-level change rates for regulatory purposes before July 1, 2016, with the Coastal Resources Commission as the only authorized state agency to define such rates.

• Requires the Coastal Resources Commission's Science Panel to deliver a five-year updated assessment of sea-level rise by March 31, 2015, including comprehensive peer-reviewed literature review and economic/environmental cost-benefit analysis, with public hearing and General Assembly report by March 1, 2016.

• Allows replacement of single-family and duplex dwellings constructed before August 11, 2009 without meeting current ocean hazard setback requirements if the replacement does not exceed original footprint and meets minimum setback standards.

• Directs the Coastal Resources Commission to study feasibility of creating a new Area of Environmental Concern at the Cape Fear River mouth (by December 31, 2013) and eliminating the Inlet Hazard Area of Environmental Concern (by January 31, 2015).