SB 555 North Carolina Senate · 2025-2026 Session

Wetlands Protection and Restoration Act.

SB 555 establishes a $15 million Wetlands Restoration and Protection Fund to support wetland conservation in North Carolina. The bill allocates $5 million specifically for monitoring and research, and directs the Department of Environmental Quality to fund restoration projects, land protection agreements, public education, and enforcement of wetland laws. It directly affects landowners near wetlands and environmental programs by redefining "isolated wetlands" using pre-2020 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determinations and the 2010 North Carolina Wetland Assessment Manual, restoring protections lost under the *Sackett v. EPA* Supreme Court decision. The bill requires annual reports to legislators detailing fund usage, project outcomes, and research findings.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 25, 2025 Last action Mar 26, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The document transitioned from a filed draft version to the first official edition of Senate Bill 555. The changes are primarily administrative and formatting updates rather than substantive policy modifications. The bill's core content regarding wetlands protection remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Filed' date stamp and original document tracking number (DRS15210-MHa-72) from the header.

Added the official session header with page numbering and the new bill edition identifier (S555-v-1).

Added the referral information to the Rules and Operations of the Senate dated March 26, 2025.

Updated the footer page number to reflect the official Senate Bill 555-First Edition format.

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 26, 2025

Committee

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Introduced

Filed

upper

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors