Sen. Hollo files bill in North Carolina Senate revising surface water transfer rules

A new bill filed by Sen. Hollo seeks to update procedures and criteria for surface water transfers between river basins to better protect source basins and manage environmental impacts, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 428 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘IBT Reforms.’

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

In essence, this bill revises North Carolina’s regulations on transfers of surface water between river basins. It recodifies and amends definitions related to interbasin transfers, establishes detailed procedures for obtaining a certificate for such transfers, and requires public notice and comment. Applicants must prepare an environmental document analyzing potential impacts, alternatives, and mitigation measures and hold public hearings. The bill sets out criteria for the Commission to consider before approving a transfer, including the potential effects on both the source and receiving basins and the availability of alternatives. The bill mandates that certificates include water conservation and drought management plans and allows the modification of certificates under certain conditions. It emphasizes protecting the source river basin’s future water needs over the receiving basin’s needs and permits requirements for funding drought mitigation infrastructure. The act is effective upon becoming law and applies to pending and future petitions for water transfer certificates.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Timothy D. Moffitt proposed the most bills (52) 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.

Hollo graduated from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 1980 with a BS.

Hollo, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2025 to represent the state’s 45th Senate district, replacing previous state senator H. Dean Proctor.