Project Newsletter.

HB 518 requires North Carolina local governments and school districts to use competitive bidding annually for publishing official notices (like public meeting announcements), aiming to lower costs and ensure fair competition. It mandates that contracts be awarded to the lowest-cost bidder who meets quality and performance standards, considering factors like circulation and compliance with existing rules. The bill also updates legal advertising rules to limit payments to newspapers' published commercial rates and requires them to file those rates with courts. These changes apply to notices published on or after July 1, 2026.