NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1029

SENATE BILL 751

 

 

AN ACT TO REPEAL CHAPTER 617 OF THE SESSION LAWS OF 1973 AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF FACILITIES OF THE NATIONAL DRIVING CENTER, INC., TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA.

 

Whereas, the General Assembly of 1965 established the Highway Safety Research Center in The University of North Carolina and that Center has been in operation since 1965, deriving about ten percent (10%) of its operating budget from legislative appropriations to The University; and

Whereas, the National Driving Center, Incorporated, was incorporated by the State of North Carolina in 1973 as a private, nonprofit corporation; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in 1973 and 1974 appropriated two hundred ninety‑five thousand dollars ($295,000) a year to operate the National Driving Center, Incorporated, for 1973-74 and 1974-75; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in 1973, by Session Laws 1973, Chapter 617, appropriated funds for the purpose of acquiring land in the Research Triangle Park and constructing thereon and equipping facilities to house the National Driving Center, Incorporated; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in 1976 determined that it was desirable that the Highway Safety Research Center and the National Driving Center, Incorporated, be merged to the end that there might be one organization and program in highway safety sponsored or aided by the State, rather than two such organizations and programs; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in 1976, by Session Laws 1975 (Second Session), Chapter 983, Section 57, authorized the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to establish a Council on Transportation Research and Education as the policy‑making body of the Highway Safety Research Center and an Institute for Transportation Research and Education for the purpose of coordinating and merging the highway safety programs of the Highway Safety Research Center and the National Driving Center and coordinating other highway safety activities of The University of North Carolina, and directed that the Department of Transportation provide to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina from the appropriation for the Governor's Highway Safety Program up to one hundred sixty-eight thousand dollars ($168,000) for 1976-1977 as a nonrecurring appropriation to assist in doing these things; and

Whereas, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina has established and the President of The University of North Carolina has appointed a Council on Transportation Research and Education and plans have been prepared for an Institute of Transportation Research and Education; the Board of Directors of the National Driving Center, Incorporated, has been reconstituted so that its membership is identical with that of the Council on Transportation Research and Education; the National Driving Center, Incorporated, has been merged functionally with the Highway Safety Research Center; and the assets, personnel, and programs of the National Driving Center, Incorporated, have been transferred to The University of North Carolina; and

Whereas, it is therefore appropriate that the facilities provided by State funds for the National Driving Center, Incorporated, be assigned to The University of North Carolina, so that they may continue to be used for appropriate educational and research purposes; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 617 of the 1973 Session Laws is repealed.

Sec. 2.  The land acquired, the building erected, and the furnishings and equipment acquired at State expense for the National Driving Center, Incorporated, pursuant to Session Laws 1973, Chapter 617, are transferred to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina. This transfer shall take effect notwithstanding any existing conflicting action or policy of the Department of Administration or of the Council of State, and notwithstanding any existing conflicting provision of law.

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1977.