Rep. Butler files bill in North Carolina House on poultry operation permits

A new bill filed by State Rep. Butler seeks to regulate poultry operations and assess their environmental and health impacts in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 867 on April 9 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Poultry Waste Management.’

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

In essence, this bill establishes a permitting program for dry litter poultry operations in North Carolina and directs the Environmental Review Commission to study the environmental and health impacts of these facilities. It aims to assess the number and location of poultry farms, the waste management practices they employ, and their potential effects on the environment and public health. The bill outlines the need for a waste management plan for poultry facilities managing 30,000 or more birds, requires the submission of these plans, and sets guidelines for their content, including best management practices for waste disposal. Additionally, it prohibits construction of animal waste management systems in 100-year floodplains. The bill appropriates $25,000 for educational resources and technical assistance for compliance and mandates certain disclosures about farm operations. It has sections that become effective starting July 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Pricey Harrison proposed the most bills (48) during the 2025 regular session.

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.

Butler graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1983 with a BA and again in 1986 from Wake Forest University School of Law with a JD.

Butler, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 18th House district, replacing previous state representative Susi Hamilton.