HB 377 establishes North Carolina's Uniform Electronic Wills Act, allowing residents to create legally valid wills using electronic means. It requires electronic wills to be in readable format, signed by the testator, and witnessed by two people, with provisions for self-proving and converting existing paper wills to electronic format. The bill also specifies that certified paper copies - not the original electronic files - can be submitted to court for validation during probate. This directly affects individuals creating or updating wills in North Carolina, making digital execution and storage legally recognized under state law.
HB 96 creates a new process for property owners or their authorized representatives to quickly remove "unauthorized persons" (those occupying residential property without legal right, no rental agreement, and no rent paid) from their homes. To use this process, the property owner must complete a sworn affidavit at the courthouse ($25 fee) proving all legal conditions are met, then provide it to local law enforcement. Law enforcement must remove the person within 24 hours of receiving the affidavit. This applies only to residential property and excludes tenants who stayed past their lease term. The bill directly affects property owners, law enforcement agencies, and individuals occupying property without legal authorization.
HB 958 updates North Carolina's election laws with several key changes. It prohibits the State Board from using voter education to influence party affiliation (Section 1), requires most challenged ballots to still count unless the voter died before election day (Section 2), and mandates at least one early voting site per 30,000 registered voters with specific security and staffing rules (Section 4). The bill also requires random hand-counting of ballots for statewide elections to verify electronic results (Section 5) and clarifies timelines for counting provisional ballots (Section 6). These changes directly affect voters, county election boards, and the State Board of Elections in administering elections.
SB 445 automatically adopts federal temporary waivers or modifications issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under specific Social Security Act sections (1135 or 1812(f)) for North Carolina hospitals during declared emergencies. This means hospitals in disaster zones no longer need separate state approval to implement federal rule changes, directly affecting hospitals operating under such declarations. Key provisions include automatically waiving state hospital regulations to align with federal waivers and allowing temporary increases in bed capacity without additional state review. The bill streamlines emergency hospital operations by eliminating bureaucratic delays in applying federally authorized relief measures.
HB 562, the Healthcare Investment Act, updates qualification standards for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse professionals in North Carolina. It allows individuals with an associate degree in human services to qualify as Associate Professionals (with less than two years of experience) or Qualified Professionals (with two years of supervised experience). The bill also creates a new pathway for Qualified Substance Abuse Prevention Professionals (QSAPPs) to qualify with an associate degree and two years of supervised experience in addiction prevention - before completing a bachelor's degree. These changes will expand the pool of eligible professionals for state-funded services under the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.
HB 268 authorizes the University of North Carolina system to finance specific capital projects at UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Wilmington using alternative funding sources like gifts, grants, and revenue bonds - instead of state general funds. It specifically covers major projects including Chapel Hill's electrical system upgrade and Fetzer Hall addition, plus Wilmington's parking deck and student housing. The bill allows the university board to issue special obligation bonds up to 5% over the project costs to cover expenses, with potential adjustments approved by the state budget director. This directly affects the two universities by enabling them to fund these infrastructure improvements through non-state appropriations.
House Bill 834, titled the "Sportsman's Voter Act," requires that individuals applying for a hunting or fishing license in North Carolina be offered the opportunity to register to vote. It also mandates that these applicants be offered the chance to participate in the state's Organ Donor Registry. The bill directs the Wildlife Resources Commission to create rules for implementing these offers during the license application process, in consultation with the State Board of Elections and the Division of Motor Vehicles. This act will take effect on July 1, 2025.
SB 1092 authorizes the North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore and House Speaker to appoint individuals to various public offices based on their recommendations. The bill directly affects numerous community college boards, professional licensing boards, and state commissions by adding new members or reappointing current ones to specific terms. These appointments cover a wide range of roles, including judicial positions, educational oversight, healthcare administration, and regulatory boards for industries like real estate and massage therapy. By ratifying these selections, the legislation formalizes the leadership of these organizations for their designated terms.
This joint resolution establishes a schedule for the 2025 North Carolina General Assembly to pause and resume in four specific stages throughout late 2026. The bill directs the legislature to adjourn on four set dates in August, September, and October, with each break lasting approximately three weeks before reconvening at noon on a Monday. During these interim sessions, lawmakers are restricted from introducing new legislation and may only consider specific items such as overriding gubernatorial vetoes, handling appointments, addressing election laws, resolving litigation, or proposing constitutional amendments. Ultimately, the resolution provides a structured timeline for the legislative body to finish its work and formally end the session sine die by the end of November 2026.
HB 147 removes a specific 6.89-acre parcel (Lot 1, Mount Hermon Township) from the corporate limits of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. This change directly affects the property owner (Storage to Go, LLC) and the city's tax jurisdiction, as the land will no longer be subject to municipal taxes for tax years beginning July 1, 2025, or later. The bill preserves existing tax liens for pre-2025 taxes, ensuring the city can still collect outstanding property taxes on the land after the removal takes effect on June 30, 2025.
HB 308 reclassifies strangulation as a Class H felony (up from Class G) and clarifies "serious bodily injury" to include permanent disfigurement or prolonged hospitalization. It clarifies that certain domestic violence misdemeanors cannot be treated as lesser offenses under related statutes and creates a new "habitual misdemeanor assault" offense for repeat offenders involving domestic violence. The bill prohibits expunging criminal records for individuals with pending charges and requires judges to review criminal history when setting pretrial release conditions in domestic violence cases. Judges must also impose specific conditions like staying away from victims' homes or abstaining from alcohol for those charged under domestic violence laws.
HB 199 establishes a regulatory framework for nonconsensual towing businesses that attach devices (boots) or tow vehicles without the owner's consent on private property. The bill creates a Towing and Recovery Commission within the Department of Public Safety to issue permits, set maximum fees for booting/towing/storage (considering vehicle type and regional costs), and require standardized billing forms. The Commission must maintain a public database of businesses, handle complaints, and submit annual reports starting in 2027. This law directly affects nonconsensual towing businesses, property owners who may face unauthorized towing, and the public by introducing oversight and fee transparency.
