Sen. Hanig introduces pilot shoreline stabilization bill in NC Senate

State Sen. Bobby Hanig has put forth a bill in the North Carolina Senate to combat coastal erosion by authorizing pilot shoreline stabilization projects in high-risk areas, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

Filed as SB 1008 on April 30 for the 2025 regular session, the legislation carries the short title: ‘Pilot for Shoreline Stabilization Projects.’

The following summary is based on the official bill text and features interpretation for clarification where needed.

Essentially, this legislation would create a statewide pilot effort enabling construction of shoreline stabilization measures, including sheet pile walls and wave attenuation systems, at oceanfront properties at immediate risk of erosion-loss. Under the proposal, the North Carolina Collaboratory would select and recommend a limited number of projects based on criteria such as erosion urgency, neighboring property impacts, scientific monitoring opportunities, adherence to local policies, and economic effects. Project funding, permitting, and financial assurance for removal would be the responsibility of local governments or homeowners associations, and such projects would temporarily receive exemptions from certain current erosion control regulations during the pilot phase. The bill designates $850,000 for the Collaboratory to research, update the state’s Beach and Inlet Management Plan, and deliver a revised plan by Dec. 1, 2027. The Department of Environmental Quality would also be tasked with modifying its coastal management policies to reflect the statute. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law.

Hanig is one of three sponsors of this measure and filed the most legislation (63 bills) in the 2025 regular session.

New bills in North Carolina must go through a multi-step process before adoption. Bills are initiated when a legislator files the proposal. Each bill is sent to a committee, read three times in both chambers, and requires both to agree on the same final text. Once passed by both chambers, the governor has 10 days (or 30 days if not in session) to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature.

For more on state bills and recent actions, visit this page.

Hanig, a Republican, was elected in 2025 as the senator for North Carolina’s 1st Senate district, succeeding Norman Sanderson.