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SB 404

An Act amending the act of November 26, 1978 (P.L.1375, No.325), known as the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act, providing for county conservation district stream reconstruction emergency permit authorizations.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lisa Baker and 9 co-sponsors

Funds a one-time $500k DNCR feasibility study to evaluate a North Carolina professional wrestling museum, with findings due by July 1, 2026.

Referred to Environmental & Natural Resource Protection
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 404

SB 404 — "RIC FLAIR Act" — Bill Summary

Status: Passed 1st Reading
Introduced: February 14, 2025
Subject areas: Appropriations; Cultural resources; Natural & Cultural Resources Dept.; Museums; Public reports; Sports; Studies; Named laws

Main purpose

Authorize and fund a one‑time feasibility study on creating a professional wrestling museum in North Carolina, and require the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) to report the study’s findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

Key provisions

  • Appropriation: Nonrecurring General Fund appropriation of $500,000 to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for fiscal year 2025–2026.
  • Use of funds: Conduct a feasibility study on establishing a professional wrestling museum in the State (scope not specified in text, but typically would include market analysis, site options, cost estimates, governance/operational models, and projected economic/tourism impacts).
  • Reporting requirement: DNCR must submit findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources by July 1, 2026.
  • Effective date: The act becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • Department of Natural and Cultural Resources — receives and administers the study funds and produces the report.
  • Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources — recipient of the report.
  • Potential stakeholders: local governments, tourism and economic development agencies, museums and cultural organizations, the professional wrestling community (promoters, talent, collectors), and businesses in prospective host communities.
  • General public and tourists — potential beneficiaries if a museum is later established.

Expected outcomes and potential impacts

  • Short term: DNCR will commission and complete a feasibility study (market demand, site selection options, capital and operating cost estimates, governance and revenue models, partnerships).
  • Medium/long term: The study may inform future legislative or executive decisions to fund, site, or create a museum; could lead to new tourism‑oriented infrastructure and jobs if pursued.
  • Economic: If a museum is later established, it could generate visitation, local spending and employment; the study will estimate those impacts.
  • Cultural: Recognizes professional wrestling as element of popular culture and may preserve related artifacts and history.
  • Budgetary: $500,000 is a one‑time, nonrecurring cost in FY2025–26; additional funding would be required to develop and operate a museum if recommended.

Limitations & considerations

  • The bill only funds a feasibility study; it does not authorize creation, site selection, or capital/operating funds for a museum.
  • Any future museum project would need separate approvals and appropriations.
  • Practical implementation issues the study should examine include intellectual property/licensing (use of names/likenesses), artifact provenance and conservation, governance model (public, private, public‑private), long‑term operating subsidy needs, and community impact.

Timeline

  • Effective July 1, 2025 (bill becomes law).
  • DNCR completes and delivers the feasibility report by July 1, 2026.

If you want, I can expand this into a checklist of recommended study elements DNCR should include (site criteria, visitation projections, governance models, funding strategies, intellectual property issues, marketing plan, etc.) to help legislators assess the report.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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