A bill submitted by State Sen. Jay J. Chaudhuri is designed to improve how North Carolina manages and disposes of its surplus and unused government properties, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
Registered as SB 802 and introduced on April 21 during the 2025 regular session, the measure is officially titled: ‘Agency Vacant Property.’
Our summary below is based on the actual bill text, and clarifies key elements of the proposed legislation.
This legislation directs the Department of Administration to expand its recordkeeping for state lands and buildings, detailing vacancies and potential liabilities, as well as actively manage and dispose of both surplus and long-vacant real estate. It establishes a system for surplus property disposal, outlining the process for identifying such properties and requiring either sale, auction, or transfer to local governments for economic development if a sale is not closed within six months. Distribution of proceeds from any sale is detailed in the text and a report on vacant buildings is mandated within three months of the law’s enactment. Implementation is set for July 1, 2026, with $100,000 in recurring funding included in the state budget starting in fiscal 2026-27.
Of the legislators sponsoring this bill, Jim Burgin introduced the most bills (71) during the 2025 regular legislative session.
North Carolina law requires bills to go through a multi-step legislative process to become law. This starts with lawmakers filing a bill for assignment to committees. The measure must then pass three readings in each chamber. If any changes are made after passage in the first chamber, both must agree on identical language. Final versions approved by both chambers go to the governor for signature, veto or, if not acted on in 10 days (or 30 when the legislature is out of session), can become law automatically.
Chaudhuri earned his bachelor’s from Davidson College in 1991 and his JD from North Carolina Central University in 1999.
As a Democrat, Chaudhuri was elected to represent District 15 in the North Carolina Senate beginning in 2019, succeeding Terry Van Duyn.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Jim Burgin | SB 802 | 04/21/2026 | Agency Vacant Property. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Jim Burgin, and Kevin Corbin | SB 797 | 04/21/2026 | Hands Free NC. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Caleb Theodros, and DeAndrea Salvador | SB 562 | 03/25/2025 | Cybersecurity and Quantum Resilience Study. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Jim Burgin, and Michael V. Lee | SB 581 | 03/25/2025 | Revise Neglected Juvenile Definition. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Sophia Chitlik | SB 592 | 03/25/2025 | Statewide Child Care Investment Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Sophia Chitlik | SB 593 | 03/25/2025 | Grant Our Kids Care Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Sophia Chitlik | SB 594 | 03/25/2025 | Care Center Cost Support Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Mujtaba A. Mohammed, and Sydney Batch | SB 606 | 03/25/2025 | Language Access & State Holidays Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Caleb Theodros, and Woodson Bradley | SB 640 | 03/25/2025 | AI Ethics and Literacy Across Education. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Caleb Theodros, and DeAndrea Salvador | SB 667 | 03/25/2025 | Government Modernization. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Sophia Chitlik, and Terence Everitt | SB 677 | 03/25/2025 | SOS (State Owned Structures) Childcare Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Sophia Chitlik | SB 678 | 03/25/2025 | Onsite Childcare for State Employees Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Michael Garrett, and Sophia Chitlik | SB 680 | 03/25/2025 | Comprehensive Capital for Childcare Expansion. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Graig Meyer | SB 744 | 03/25/2025 | Voucher School Accountability Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Jim Burgin | SB 745 | 03/25/2025 | Child Care Center Capacity Amendment Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Kandie D. Smith, and Natalie S. Murdock | SB 392 | 03/24/2025 | Safeguard Fair Elections. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Jim Burgin | SB 393 | 03/24/2025 | Betting and Addiction in Pers. Finance Course. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and Ralph Hise | SB 404 | 03/24/2025 | RIC FLAIR Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Val Applewhite | SB 409 | 03/24/2025 | Ban Ghost Guns & Undetectable Firearms. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri and Jim Burgin | SB 465 | 03/24/2025 | Agency Vacant Property. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Mujtaba A. Mohammed, and Sophia Chitlik | SB 358 | 03/20/2025 | Hate Crimes Prevention Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Graig Meyer, and Natalie S. Murdock | SB 350 | 03/19/2025 | Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri | SB 351 | 03/19/2025 | Right to Start Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Dan Blue, and Gale Adcock | SB 156 | 02/25/2025 | SchCalFlex/Wake/CC. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri, Lisa Grafstein, and Sydney Batch | SB 107 | 02/17/2025 | Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act. |
| Jay J. Chaudhuri | SB 111 | 02/17/2025 | 15th Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
