Senate Bill 481 - Emergency Management Reform Act

• Defines "emergency" to exclude ongoing occurrences or threats persisting more than six months, requiring the General Assembly to address such matters through legislation instead.

• Limits statewide emergency declarations to 30 calendar days unless extended by General Assembly enactment, while non-statewide emergencies expire when rescinded by the issuing authority.

• Requires Council of State concurrence for Governor to impose statewide prohibitions and restrictions, and limits gubernatorial emergency powers to assume only those powers delegated to local authorities within their jurisdictions.

• Establishes new constitutional rights protections requiring all emergency orders that curtail constitutional rights to be narrowly tailored to serve compelling public health or safety purposes, with limited duration, applicability, and scope.

• Routes all challenges to Governor executive orders through Wake County Superior Court three-judge panels appointed by the Chief Justice, with judges drawn from different judicial divisions statewide.