H732 Summary

• Increases the number of private partnership agreements the Department of Transportation may enter from one pilot project to up to five agreements, with projects required to be in the State Transportation Improvement Plan and ranked in the top 30 projects under G.S. 136-188.

• Allows private entities to assign, transfer, or convey their rights and interests in partnership agreements to lenders, bondholders, and other parties, while clarifying that such assignments do not create additional state debt obligations.

• Grants the Department and the Turnpike Authority authority to retain, enforce, and collect tolls and fees, and permits assignment of these powers to private entities under partnership agreements.

• Expands eligible uses of Turnpike Project revenues to include debt service and return on investment for private entity partnerships, and requires excess toll revenues to be used for transportation projects within the applicable metropolitan planning organization or rural planning organization jurisdiction.

• Clarifies toll collection procedures for open road tolls by allowing the registered owner to prove another person had care, custody, and control of the vehicle, thereby shifting liability to that person, and establishes a 90-day billing requirement with processing fees capped at $6.00 per unpaid bill.