North Carolina Sen. Mcinnis water quality certification bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Tom McInnis seeks to update the water quality certification process by requiring timely fee notifications and establishing a rapid review for certain permit applications, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, four Democrats and 62 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 45 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, two Democrats and 29 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 15 Democrats voted against it.

Mcinnis filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on March 24 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 472, was passed on June 24 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Amend 401 Certification Process.”

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

In essence, this bill proposes changes to the process for 401 water quality certifications issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. It mandates that the Department notify applicants of the required fee within five business days of application receipt, rather than requiring fee payment upfront. The application review will only begin once the fee is paid. The bill directs the Environmental Management Commission to amend the Water Quality Certification Rules accordingly, with the new rules mirroring the proposed changes and becoming effective as though 10 or more objections had been received. It also requires the Department to seek approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for modifying the Programmatic Agreement to align with existing review timelines. The Department must also establish a rapid review process for applications under a Nationwide Permit, aiming to complete reviews within five days of application receipt, with non-action resulting in an automatic waiver of requirements. The act takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Tom McInnis (Republican-21st District), Sen. Steve Jarvis (Republican-30th District), and Sen. Timothy D. Moffitt (Republican-48th District).

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.

Mclnnis, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 21st Senate district, replacing previous state senator Ben Clark.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.