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HB 484

Honoring NC's Contributions to Civil Rights.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Eric Ager and 41 co-sponsors

The bill authorizes study and public input to establish civil rights monuments and markers in NC, with a $500,000 one-time appropriation to support marker placement.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 484

Summary — HB 484: "Honoring NC's Contributions to Civil Rights"

Status: Enacted as Act 22 — Signed by Governor April 30, 2025; effective July 1, 2025
Introduced: November 12, 2024
Primary Sponsors: Representatives Lofton and Quick

Purpose and intent

HB 484 directs the state to study and begin commemorating North Carolina’s role in the civil rights movement by authorizing the African American Heritage Commission to evaluate the feasibility of establishing monuments and by funding the placement of markers and related memorial signage along North Carolina’s Civil Rights Trail. The bill is intended to recognize events and people from the State who contributed to the movement and to solicit public input on commemoration.

Key provisions

  • Authorizes the African American Heritage Commission to study the feasibility of establishing monuments commemorating civil‑rights events and individuals in North Carolina.
  • Requires the Commission to hold public hearings/meetings to gather citizen input as part of its study.
  • Report requirement: The Commission must deliver findings and any legislative recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources by May 1, 2026.
  • Appropriates $500,000 (nonrecurring) from the General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, African American Heritage Commission, for fiscal year 2025–2026 to aid the Commission’s current work placing markers, signage, and other memorials along the State’s Civil Rights Trail.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • African American Heritage Commission (primary implementing body).
  • Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (administrative recipient of the appropriation).
  • Local governments, historic sites, education and tourism entities, and communities along the Civil Rights Trail that may host markers or memorials.
  • State budget/General Fund (one-time $500,000 appropriation).

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Commission report due: May 1, 2026 (to Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources).
  • One-time funding available in FY 2025–2026 only.
  • The bill authorizes (does not mandate) the study and does not itself create specific permanent monuments; it directs study, public engagement, and provides limited funds for markers and related work.

Potential impacts

  • Short-term: $500,000 nonrecurring expenditure to support marker placement and Commission activities.
  • Medium/long-term: Findings may prompt future legislation or additional appropriations to create monuments, develop interpretive programs, and expand heritage tourism tied to the Civil Rights Trail. Public hearings may shape priorities and site selections.

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

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