House Bill 1185 would create a narrow exception to North Carolina’s existing prohibition on mowing state highway rights-of-way during the month of May. Under the bill, the Department of Transportation would be required to mow rights-of-way within a five-mile radius of a qualifying sporting event if a local government requests it at least 30 days in advance and the event is expected to draw at least 5,000 attendees. The mowing would have to occur no earlier than seven days and no later than two days before the event.
The bill also directs DOT to coordinate litter removal with mowing as it already does for other road maintenance, and it requires mowing/litter-removal contractors to comply with the new May-event exception. In addition, the bill appropriates $10,000 in nonrecurring General Fund money for the 2025-26 fiscal year to cover DOT administrative and operational costs associated with the requested mowing.
Impact
The bill would amend G.S. 136-28.12, which currently bars DOT from scheduling highway-right-of-way mowing in May, by adding a specific event-based exception for major sporting events requested by local governments. It would affect DOT operations, district engineers, and any contractors performing mowing or litter removal on state-maintained roads, while also creating a small new General Fund appropriation for implementation costs.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from legislative debate. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears practical and targeted, aimed at helping local governments present a cleaner roadside appearance around large sporting events while preserving the general May mowing restriction elsewhere.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the carve-out from North Carolina’s long-standing May mowing prohibition, which exists to protect roadside wildflowers and pollinator habitat. Environmental advocates or others concerned with habitat preservation could view the exception as a weakening of that policy, while local governments and event organizers may support it as a limited, tourism- and appearance-focused accommodation. Another possible issue is whether the $10,000 appropriation is sufficient for the added workload, though the bill frames the change as narrow and request-driven.