A new bill filed by State Rep. Mike Clampitt in the North Carolina House seeks to provide financial support to short-line railroads damaged by Hurricane Helene, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 232 on Feb. 26 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Funds/Short-Line Railroad Disaster Assistance.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill allocates $16.4 million in nonrecurring funds for the fiscal year 2025-26 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division to assist short-line railroads affected by Hurricane Helene. The funds will be transferred from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Reserve to the Freight Rail & Rail Safety Improvement Fund. Specifically, $14 million is designated for the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, LLC, for line restoration, while approximately $2.4 million is allocated to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, LLC, for track rehabilitation, facility repairs, and compensating for revenue loss. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
Of the two sponsors of this bill, Clampitt proposed the most bills (12) 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.
Clampitt graduated from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in 1976 with an AA.
Clampitt, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 119th House district, replacing previous state representative Joe Sam Queen.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Clampitt and Mark Pless | HB 232 | 02/26/2025 | Funds/Short-Line Railroad Disaster Assistance. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 215 | 02/25/2025 | Protect Charlotte Firefighters’ Ret. System. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 216 | 02/25/2025 | CAM Accessibility & Sustainability Act. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 183 | 02/24/2025 | Various Local Provisions II. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 185 | 02/24/2025 | Transylvania Rural Development Authority. |
| Mike Clampitt, Diane Wheatley, Donna McDowell White, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 141 | 02/17/2025 | The Joe John Remembrance Act. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 148 | 02/17/2025 | SchCalFlex/Jackson,Swain,Transyl/Open Cal. |
| Mike Clampitt, Brian Echevarria, Eric Ager, and Keith Kidwell | HB 108 | 02/12/2025 | The Sober Operator Act of 2025. |
| Mike Clampitt, Bill Ward, Jarrod Lowery, and Rodney D. Pierce | HB 103 | 02/11/2025 | NC Am. Indian Hunting/Fishing Rights. |
| Mike Clampitt, Brian Echevarria, Mark Brody, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 64 | 02/05/2025 | Const. Amend. – Gubernatorial Clemency. |
| Mike Clampitt, Edward C. Goodwin, and John M. Blust | HB 57 | 02/04/2025 | Adopt State Veterans Museum. |
| Mike Clampitt | HB 29 | 01/30/2025 | Use Tribal ID for Alcohol & Tobacco Purchase. |
