NC Sen. Lee introduces measure to revise bridge replacement funding and assessment process

State Sen. Michael V. Lee has introduced a bill designed to overhaul the method for assessing and funding bridge replacement initiatives throughout North Carolina, as outlined by the North Carolina State Senate.

Known as SB 1066 and filed on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, the bill carries the short title: ‘Alternative Bridge Funding Formula.’

Below is an overview prepared from the official bill text, which may contain summaries clarifying certain sections.

This legislation tasks the North Carolina Department of Transportation with creating an alternative formula to the existing Strategic Mobility Formula, currently a part of the Strategic Transportation Investments Act, specifically for the planning and prioritization of bridge replacement projects. The proposed system must outline a project ranking approach and designate a corresponding funding source. By Dec. 1, 2026, the department must deliver the new formula and any related legislative recommendations to designated legislative committees and the Fiscal Research Division. The bill allocates $100,000 in nonrecurring Highway Fund resources for fiscal year 2026-27 and is set to take effect July 1, 2026.

Among the bill’s three designated sponsors, Lee was the most active, introducing 54 measures during the 2025 regular session.

Legislation in North Carolina typically follows a multi-step process before becoming law. A legislator starts the process by filing a bill, after which it is sent to a committee for evaluation. Each chamber reads the bill three times; if amendments are made, both chambers must approve a single version. Once both chambers pass the identical measure, it moves to the governor, who then has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is out of session) to sign, veto, or allow it to take effect without a signature.

Additional information about pending bills and legislative actions can be found here.

Lee holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earned in 1991, and a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University Law School, obtained in 1997.

Lee, a Republican, began representing North Carolina’s 7th Senate district in 2023, following the tenure of former state senator Jim Perry.