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Bill Summary · SB 249

SB 249 — Realign Congressional Districts 2025 (North Carolina)

Short summary: SB 249 is a redistricting bill that (re)establishes the State of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. Congressional districts with new boundary definitions. The law prescribes district composition down to voting‑tabulation districts (VTDs) and, in many instances, Census blocks. It was enacted as Session Law 2025‑95 and ratified by the General Assembly on October 22, 2025 (see “Timeline” below). An attempted amendment (A1) failed during floor consideration.

Main purpose and intent

  • To realign North Carolina’s congressional district boundaries for future federal elections by replacing the prior statutory district descriptions with new, legislatively‑defined district maps.
  • The bill’s text provides precise geographic descriptions — counties, VTDs, and Census blocks — so the statute itself contains the legal district lines to be used for nomination and election of U.S. House members.

Key provisions / changes

  • Establishes 14 numbered congressional districts and lists the geographic composition of each district. The bill specifies counties included and, where necessary, identifies VTDs and individual Census blocks to define split jurisdictions.
    • Example: District 1 lists a set of counties (Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Edgecombe, Gates, etc.) and enumerates many VTDs and Census block IDs used to refine lines.
    • Example: District 3 similarly lists counties (Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Duplin, Hyde, Jones, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt, Sampson) and includes VTD/block details.
  • Because the statutory text fixes district boundaries, counties and precincts in multiple parts of the state are reassigned to new districts.
  • Conforming administrative duties implicitly fall to the State Board of Elections and county election officials (update precinct maps, ballots, voter notifications, candidate filing guidance).
  • No substantive policy changes beyond redistricting were included (the bill is purely boundary/description focused).

Who is affected

  • Voters and residents in the counties and precincts that are reassigned to new districts.
  • Incumbent members of Congress and prospective candidates (may face different electorates or be drawn into new districts).
  • County and state election administrators (must implement the new maps for future elections).
  • Political parties and civic organizations engaged in outreach, candidate recruitment, and get‑out‑the‑vote efforts.

Procedural / timeline highlights

  • Introduced and considered in 2025 (multiple committee referrals and floor actions documented).
  • Floor amendment A1 failed (recorded on October 22, 2025).
  • Ratified by the General Assembly and enacted as Session Law 2025‑95 on October 22, 2025.
  • The statute takes effect upon becoming law (the session law indicates the act is effective when it becomes law); election officials must use these boundaries for subsequent congressional elections scheduled after enactment.

Practical implications and considerations

  • Precise statutory descriptions (VTDs/blocks) facilitate unambiguous implementation but require election officials to convert block‑level legal descriptions into election administration maps and ballot preparations.
  • The realignment may change partisan balance and incumbency dynamics in some districts; political and legal observers commonly review redistricting statutes for compliance with federal law (including the Voting Rights Act) and state constitutional provisions.
  • Implementation costs are generally administrative (mapping, voter notice, candidate filing updates), though those costs are typically absorbed by existing election budgets.

Where to find the full text

  • The enacted bill contains full, block‑by‑block district descriptions. For legal or administrative action, refer to the Session Law: SL 2025‑95 (enacted Oct 22, 2025) or the enrolled statute text in G.S. 163‑201(a) as amended.

If you want, I can:
- Extract and present a county‑by‑county list of the 14 districts in plain table form;
- Map your specific address or county to the new district;
- Summarize potential legal or electoral impacts for selected counties or incumbents.

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

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