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 116 changes Columbus County's school board election system to require partisan races for its five-member board, replacing the current non-partisan process. The bill establishes five single-member districts where voters elect one representative per district, with candidates required to reside in the district they seek to represent (excluding the Whiteville School Administrative Unit from the countywide vote). It mandates partisan elections during even-numbered year general elections and repeals nine outdated election statutes specific to Columbus County. The changes take effect December 1, 2026, for future elections, though current 2022/2024 board members will serve their full terms.
SB 857 updates the statutes governing the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service and amends various licensing programs within the Department of Insurance. The bill primarily reorganizes existing laws by recodifying sections to improve clarity and adds new definitions for terms such as alkaline hydrolysis, funeral chapels, and embalming facilities. These changes clarify what constitutes a funeral establishment versus a separate chapel or embalming site and specify how certain religious or private preparations are treated. The legislation affects funeral directors, embalmers, and related businesses by refining the rules they must follow regarding facility operations and terminology.
This bill proposes administrative and technical updates to North Carolina laws governing state retirement systems, primarily affecting teachers, state employees, and local government workers. It reinstates previously forfeited military service credits for eligible retirees who purchase that service back after January 1, 2027, ensuring their military time counts toward their pension calculations. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that fully contributory death benefits cannot be reduced to cover overpayments or errors in other retirement benefits. The bill also introduces a contribution-based benefit cap to limit pension payments for certain members and modifies rules regarding the offset of erroneous payments against retirement allowances.
This bill directs the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the Ferry Division within the Department of Transportation. The audit will examine financial spending, operational efficiency, and the current route system to identify ways to reduce costs and increase revenue. Additionally, the review will explore options for diversifying funding sources to support capital projects and cover operating expenses. The State Auditor must submit a final report detailing these findings to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division by October 1, 2026.
HB 206 modifies North Carolina's process for handling firearms surrendered under domestic violence protective orders. It requires defendants to immediately surrender firearms, ammunition, and permits to the sheriff when such orders are issued, with a 24-hour deadline if immediate surrender isn't possible. The bill clarifies that sheriffs must store these items, may charge reasonable storage fees, and must conduct criminal background checks before returning firearms after the order ends. This directly affects domestic violence defendants, victims, and sheriffs managing firearm storage and retrieval.
