Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 143C-1-2

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3

(a) Appropriation Required to Withdraw State Funds From the State Treasury. – In accordance with Section 7 of Article V of the North Carolina Constitution, no money shall be drawn from the State treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. A law enacted by the General Assembly that expressly appropriates funds from the State treasury is an appropriation; however, an enactment by the General Assembly that describes the purpose of a fund, authorizes the use of funds, allows the use of funds, or specifies how funds may be expended, is not an appropriation.

(b) Reversions. – Unless otherwise provided by law, at the end of the fiscal year the unexpended, unencumbered balance of an appropriation reverts to the fund from which the appropriation was made; except that (i) an appropriation to the General Assembly shall not revert unless otherwise provided by the Legislative Services Commission, (ii) an appropriation for a capital improvement project shall revert as provided by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143C-8-11, and (iii) an appropriation for the implementation of information technology (IT) projects shall not revert until the project is implemented or abandoned. (2006-203, s. 3; 2019-250, s. 5.11.)