This bill proposes to remove an outdated legal restriction from the town charter of Stedman, North Carolina, that previously limited the sale of alcoholic beverages. By repealing a specific section of a 1913 state law incorporated into the local charter, the legislation would eliminate the statutory basis for those sales controls. The change directly affects the town of Stedman and allows its local government to manage alcohol regulations without being bound by that century-old provision. Once enacted, the bill takes effect immediately, leaving the specific details of future alcohol policies to the town's current rules and ordinances.
This bill restricts the City of Rocky Mount from using money earned by its electric utility to fund general city expenses beyond specific operational needs. It mandates that revenue from electric rates must primarily cover the costs of running the power system, paying off related debts, and keeping rates low for customers. The only exception allows the city to transfer a limited amount of surplus funds to other municipal accounts, capped at the greater of 3% of the system's assets or 5% of its annual revenue. Effective July 1, 2026, these rules apply exclusively to Rocky Mount, preventing the transfer of electric utility profits to the city's general fund for unrelated purposes.
HB 1040 updates the financial and operational rules for the Pitt County-City of Greenville Airport Authority by clarifying how the county and city fund airport operations and expansions. The bill allows the two governments to share costs for running the airport and building new facilities, using money from airport fees, land sales, or voter-approved taxes and bonds. It also confirms the authority's power to manage the property, enforce safety zoning rules, and issue debt for improvements if voters agree. This legislation primarily affects the local county and city officials who oversee the airport's budget and development plans.
This bill updates the list of counties eligible for specific vacancy procedures on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners. It adds Rowan County to a state law that currently governs how vacant commissioner seats are filled in certain other counties. The change ensures that future vacancies in Rowan County are handled using the same legal process as those in the other listed counties. This measure only affects the administrative method for filling open seats and does not alter the number of commissioners or their duties.
HB 1215 authorizes the Town Manager of Garner to settle specific claims up to $10,000 without requiring full council approval, streamlining the process for smaller disputes. The bill also allows Garner to settle certain eminent domain claims related to approved capital projects. Additionally, the legislation permits municipalities in Wake County that collect prepared food and beverage taxes to share those revenues with other local governments to fund travel and tourism promotion efforts.
HB 83 increases criminal penalties for adults who share inappropriate content with minors under 13 (Class G felony) or under 16 (Class H felony), and creates a new felony for habitual indecent exposure near minors (two prior convictions). It requires courts to consider sex offender registration for these offenses and prohibits transportation companies (like ride-share services) from serving unemancipated minors without parental consent. The bill directly affects adults sharing content with minors, individuals exposing themselves to minors, and transportation companies serving minors. It focuses on concrete policy changes to strengthen protections for minors through stricter penalties and registration requirements.
HB 481 (General Statutes Commission Technical Corrections 2025 Part 2) makes minor, non-substantive updates to North Carolina's legal terminology. It standardizes terms like changing "e-mail" to "email," "Internet" to lowercase, and "rule making" to "rulemaking" across multiple statutes. The bill affects all state laws containing these specific terms but does not create new policies, change legal requirements, or impact any specific group of people. It is purely a technical correction to improve consistency in the General Statutes.
HB 376 makes various changes to regulations concerning on-site wastewater systems and the professionals who manage them in North Carolina. The bill establishes term limits for members of the On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board. It also modifies the certification and renewal requirements for various on-site wastewater roles, such as contractors, inspectors, and evaluators, by detailing specific education, experience, examination, liability coverage, and continuing education criteria. Additionally, the bill revises the process for local boards of health to adopt more stringent wastewater system rules, requiring an agreement and approval from the Department, along with public hearings for such proposals.
SB 528 (Child Care Regulatory Reforms and Flexibilities) allows five years of documented work experience in a licensed North Carolina child care facility to count as equivalent to the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential for lead teachers and star ratings. It also increases the maximum group size for toddlers from 18 to 20 children in centers maintaining a 1/9 staff-to-child ratio, while adjusting nap-time supervision requirements. These changes directly affect licensed child care centers, administrators, lead teachers, and staff by providing alternative pathways to meet credentialing requirements and adjusting operational standards for group sizes. The bill aims to increase flexibility for providers while maintaining safety and quality standards under North Carolina’s child care regulations.
HB 332 modifies Nash County's occupancy tax by allowing the county to add a 2% tax on top of the existing 3% tax for hotel/motel stays. This affects hotels, motels, and similar accommodations in Nash County (excluding nonprofits) and directs the new tax revenue to two entities: two-thirds to the Nash Tourism Development Authority for tourism promotion, and one-third to the City of Rocky Mount for approved tourism projects. The bill specifies that all funds must be spent exclusively on tourism-related activities like marketing, convention centers, or promoting travel within Nash County. It requires the county to first implement the base 3% tax before adding the additional 2% levy.
HB 169 ends Haywood County's ability to collect an occupancy tax (typically on short-term lodging like hotels) by repealing the legal authority for this tax. It directly affects Haywood County, its Tourism Development Authority, and businesses subject to the tax. The bill requires the Tourism Development Authority to spend any remaining funds within six months for tourism purposes, after which the Authority must dissolve. The repeal takes effect on July 1, 2025.
SB 595 makes technical adjustments to North Carolina's tax code to align with federal rules and clarify existing provisions. It modifies S-corporation loss deductions (effective 2025), limits net operating losses for individuals/estates (retroactive to 2022 for some changes), updates estate/trust taxation rules, revises residency definitions, and adjusts employer withholding schedules. The bill primarily affects taxpayers, S-corporations, estates, trusts, and employers by changing how tax calculations and filings are handled. These are administrative updates, not new taxes or policy shifts, and they aim to improve consistency with federal tax systems.
