HB 542 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Child Care Mental and Behavioral Services/Funds.

HB 542 appropriates $7.5 million annually from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to expand mental and behavioral health services for children, families, and staff in North Carolina child care facilities and out-of-school programs. The funds, managed by the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), must supplement existing services and cannot replace current funding, with unused funds remaining available until fully spent. NCPC must distribute the funds to local partnerships and submit annual progress reports detailing services provided, participants served, and recommendations for future initiatives. The bill also establishes a special fund to hold unexpended funds, allowing NCPC to retain up to $5 million in cash annually for future use.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 26, 2025 Last action Mar 27, 2025

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What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was formally introduced and filed with the North Carolina General Assembly on March 26, 2025. The primary substantive change is the addition of multiple sponsors to the bill, expanding it from a single sponsor to four primary sponsors (Lambeth, Arp, Paré, and Rhyne). The core legislative text regarding child care funding and administrative requirements remains unchanged from the previous version.

TECHNICAL

Added four additional primary sponsors (Representatives Arp, Paré, and Rhyne) to the bill, expanding the original single sponsor to a bipartisan group.

Added a reference directing readers to the North Carolina General Assembly website for a complete list of all sponsors.

Updated the bill reference number from 'DRH30215-LUa-85' to 'H542-v-1' and changed the header from 'FILED' to 'HOUSE BILL 542' with Session 2025 information.

Added a referral date of March 27, 2025 to the Appropriations, Rules, Calendar, and Operations committees.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 27, 2025

Committee

Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 15 co-sponsors