NC S155

Increases penalties for littering violations under G.S. 14-399, including raising fines for first offenses from $250-$1,000 to $500-$2,000 and for subsequent offenses from $500-$2,000 to $1,000-$4,000 for Class 3 misdemeanors involving up to 15 pounds of litter.

Increases infraction penalties for littering amounts up to 15 pounds from $100 maximum to $200 for first offense and from $200 to $400 for subsequent offenses within three years.

Raises penalties for larger littering amounts (15-500 pounds and over 500 pounds) across both misdemeanor and infraction categories, with corresponding increases in required community service hours.

Establishes a "Cops Clean NC" grant program allocating $500,000 from the Highway Fund to sheriffs' offices in rural counties (population under 150,000) to provide overtime pay for litter cleanup efforts, with maximum grants of $10,000 per county.

Allocates $500,000 from the Highway Fund for marketing and advertising campaigns to raise awareness and participation in five anti-litter programs: Adopt-A-Highway, Litter Sweep, Sponsor-A-Highway, Swat-A-Litter Bug, and Cops Clean NC.