Rep. Cohn files bill in North Carolina House to fund regional councils and emergency management

A new bill filed by State Rep. Bryan Cohn seeks to enhance support for local governments and improve disaster response capacity in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 374 on March 11 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘NCARCOG Funding/Operations Improvements.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill appropriates $3.95 million from the General Fund to the Department of Commerce to enhance the operations of the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments (NCARCOG) for the fiscal year 2025-26. The funds will be used to employ 32 finance professionals across 16 regional councils to aid small local governments and public authorities in returning to compliant status, with priority given to those with limited means. Additionally, the bill allocates $3.9 million to the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management from the General Fund for the same fiscal year. This allocation aims to develop and implement a disaster response plan that enhances capacity-building, assists in disaster recovery funding applications, and provides technical assistance for post-disaster needs. The plan will be developed in consultation with the Division of Emergency Management to improve disaster readiness and resilience. The act is effective July 1, 2025.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Carolyn G. Logan proposed the most bills (14) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Cohn, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 32nd House district, replacing previous state representative Frank Sossamon.