143C-5-2. Order of appropriations bills.
(a) Each house of the General Assembly shall first pass its version of the Current Operations Appropriations Act on third reading and order it sent to the other chamber before placing any other appropriations bill on the calendar for second reading. This section does not apply to the following bills:
(1) An appropriations bill to respond to an emergency as defined by G.S. 166A-19.3.
(2) An appropriations bill making adjustments to the current year budget.
(3) An appropriations bill authorizing continued operations at current funding levels.
(4) In even-numbered years, an appropriations bill that contains a statement that the General Assembly does not intend to enact a Current Operations Appropriations Act that year.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall apply to each fiscal year of the biennium.