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SB 988 North Carolina Senate · 2025-2026 Session

Protecting Workers in the Age of AI Act.

This North Carolina bill creates a new program to help workers who lose their jobs due to artificial intelligence or automation. It establishes a $50 million fund to pay for job retraining and education, with a focus on skilled trades like healthcare and advanced manufacturing. The law also requires companies receiving state economic incentives to report any layoffs caused by AI or automation. Finally, it directs the State Education Assistance Authority to transfer the necessary funds to the Department of Commerce to launch this program on July 1, 2026.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes a $50 million fund for worker retraining and mandates reporting on AI layoffs, directly advancing fiscal management and funding essential programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $50M for job retraining and education, directly funding educational programs for displaced workers.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates a $50M fund for AI-displaced worker retraining and mandates reporting of AI-caused layoffs, directly protecting workers and supporting employment stability.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill creates a $50M fund to retrain workers displaced by AI, promoting digital equity and workforce adaptation to emerging technology.85% confidence
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 30, 2026 Last action May 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill underwent a procedural update from its initial filing status to its first edition, reflecting its progression through the legislative process. The changes involve updating the document header with the official session date and reclassifying the bill's referral to the Senate Rules and Operations committee, which is a standard administrative step for bills entering the legislative queue.
TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the official filing date of April 30, 2026, and the session year was standardized to 2025.

A specific referral date of May 4, 2026, was added, indicating when the bill was assigned to the Rules and Operations of the Senate committee.

The previous placeholder text for the referral section was removed and replaced with the specific committee assignment.

The internal tracking number was changed from a generic filing code (DRS15428-LRa-178A) to a versioned bill identifier (S988-v-1), marking the transition from draft to official edition.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
5
Key actions
0
Committee
2
May 5, 2026
Committee
Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget
upper
May 4, 2026
Committee
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
upper
Apr 30, 2026
Introduced
Filed
upper
2 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Michael Garrett
Michael Garrett
DDemocratic
NC
27
P
Photo of Sydney Batch
Sydney Batch
DDemocratic
NC
17
Co
Photo of Caleb Theodros
Caleb Theodros
DDemocratic
NC
41
Co
Photo of DeAndrea Salvador
DeAndrea Salvador
DDemocratic
NC
39
Co
Photo of Joyce Waddell
Joyce Waddell
DDemocratic
NC
40
Co
Photo of Kandie Smith
Kandie Smith
DDemocratic
NC
5
Co
Photo of Natalie Murdock
Natalie Murdock
DDemocratic
NC
20