North Carolina would fund county economic forecasts at UNC–Chapel Hill

North Carolina would set aside $3 million each year from its General Fund for the North Carolina Economic Forecasting Initiative. The University of North Carolina Board of Governors would direct the money to Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC–Chapel Hill. The school's Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise would house the initiative. The initiative would collect county economic estimates for the present and future and share useful data with policymakers, businesses, community colleges, and other users in North Carolina. Annual funding would begin in the 2026–2027 budget year. The proposed act specifies July 1, 2026, as its effective date.

All North Carolina state and local government units would help the initiative by providing relevant data for accurate forecasts. The duty would cover data relevant to the initiative's economic forecasting work. Data requests would have to be reasonable in scope and allow governments a reasonable time to respond. The proposed act specifies July 1, 2026, as the start date for this requirement.

Kenan-Flagler Business School would provide a detailed report explaining how it used the initiative's money. The school would send the report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division. A report would be required only in a year when money is set aside under this section. Reports would be due December 1, 2026, and every December 1 thereafter in a funded year.