North Carolina coastal town wins exemption from federal storm-protection rules

What it does

This bill directs the Interior Secretary to remove certain parcels from a federal coastal protection zone (Unit L06 of the Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System) in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina. Specifically, it excludes any land parcels that local zoning ordinances designate for non-conservation purposes as of the bill's enactment. The effect is to lift federal development restrictions on those parcels, allowing them to be developed without triggering the federal coastal barrier protections that normally apply.

Why we flagged it

The bill functions as a targeted exemption from federal coastal protection law, removing environmental safeguards for a specific municipality. It is framed as a technical map correction but operationally deregulates development in a federally protected coastal zone.

What the text implies

• Removal from the Chafee system may trigger a cascade: parcels no longer subject to federal flood insurance requirements, potentially shifting flood-risk costs to state/local governments and individual property owners.
• Local zoning ordinances can change; the bill locks in the ordinances 'as of the date of enactment,' creating a static exemption that may outlast the original policy rationale.
• Precedent risk: a single-municipality carve-out may invite similar bills for other coastal towns, fragmenting the national coastal barrier system.
• The bill does not require environmental review or public comment on the exclusion, despite the Chafee Act's purpose being to protect coastal resources from development.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens in and near North Topsail Beach lose federal coastal protection on designated parcels, increasing vulnerability to storm surge, erosion, and flooding—risks that may be borne by taxpayers through disaster relief and infrastructure repair. The bill privileges local zoning (which may permit development) over federal environmental safeguards designed to protect coastal ecosystems and public safety.

Who stands to gain

• real estate developers in North Topsail Beach
• property owners holding parcels designated for non-conservation use
• construction and development firms operating in the area

Named in the bill

Town of North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, U.S. Department of the Interior, John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System, Unit L06, Coastal Barrier Resources Act

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Mar 5, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 5, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• May 20, 2025 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $0 in lobbying spend. A filing names 2 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Gregory Murphy, the sponsor, reported $1,068,698 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Ferguson Group LLC on Behalf of Ward&smith (for Tispc, Nc) — $0 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jun 19, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.