Rep. Rhyne files bill in North Carolina House to require water safety equipment at public piers

A new bill filed by State Rep. Rhyne seeks to improve public safety by requiring water rescue equipment at state and local government piers and public water access facilities, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 845 on April 9 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Reduce Drowning Risk/Public Docks.’

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

In essence, this bill mandates the installation and maintenance of public water safety rescue equipment at piers and public water access facilities owned by state agencies and local governments in North Carolina. It defines covered facilities as those open to public access and describes areas of high drowning incidents within 100 feet of a pier or access point. Required equipment includes ring life buoys that meet U.S. Coast Guard standards, which must be stored to prevent weather exposure and be highly visible. The bill allocates $25,000 from the General Fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year to the Wildlife Resources Commission for compliance and offers grants of up to $500 to local governments in economically disadvantaged areas. Section 2 of the act takes effect on July 1, 2025, while the rest becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Mitchell S. Setzer proposed the most bills (40) 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.

Rhyne graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998.

Rhyne, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2024 to represent the state’s 97th House district, replacing previous state representative Jason Saine.