Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Aug 6, 2025

HB 125: Continuing Budget Operations.

HB 125 establishes budget operations for North Carolina's 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, primarily allocating $142 million in one-time funds for agricultural disaster relief related to 2024 crop losses. It requires recipients to first seek insurance or federal aid before using state funds, and to return state funds if alternative sources are secured. The bill directly affects farmers, institutions of higher education, and other entities receiving disaster aid, mandating transparency through reporting to the State Auditor. Crucially, it prohibits the Governor from using these disaster funds for general budget adjustments or reallocations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $142M for agricultural disaster relief within budget operations, directly funding a specific program through state appropriations.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 29, 2025

HB 402: Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs.

HB 402 requires North Carolina state agencies to assess the financial impact of proposed permanent rules. If a rule would cost affected individuals or businesses $20 million or more over five years, it must be approved by the General Assembly before taking effect. For rules with a $1 million or more annual cost impact, agencies must prepare a fiscal note for review by the Office of State Budget and Management. The bill also mandates a two-thirds vote by agency boards to adopt rules exceeding the $1 million cost threshold. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and the businesses or residents who would bear the costs of those rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires fiscal impact assessments and legislative approval for costly rules, promoting fiscal responsibility in budget management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 7, 2025

SB 706: County Waste Management Assistance.

SB 706 restores funding for counties to address scrap tire disposal by increasing the portion of tax revenue allocated to local governments from 50% to 75%. It directs the Department of Environmental Quality to use these funds to grant counties assistance for cleaning up scrap tire disposal sites and managing tire-related waste, prioritizing areas with severe disposal problems and financial need. The bill requires counties to demonstrate higher disposal costs than prior tax reimbursements to qualify for grants and mandates annual reporting on fund usage. This directly affects North Carolina counties struggling with scrap tire accumulation, particularly those with limited resources for waste management.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax revenue allocation to counties from 50% to 75% for waste management grants, directly enhancing fiscal support for local government services.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRestores funding for scrap tire cleanup and waste management, directly addressing environmental pollution through DEQ-directed grants for disposal site remediation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 2, 2025

SB 387: Brownfields Property Reuse Act Revisions.

SB 387 revises tax benefits for properties cleaned up under North Carolina's Brownfields Property Reuse Act. It establishes a 5-year tax exclusion schedule for qualifying improvements on brownfields sites: 90% exclusion in year one, decreasing to 10% in year five. This directly affects property owners who have entered brownfields agreements with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for contaminated land cleanup. The bill also adds new fees: a $2,000 application fee, a cost-recovery fee for DEQ services (paid in two installments), and penalties for non-compliance, all funding the Brownfields Implementation Account. The changes take effect for taxes in 2025 and later.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides 90% tax exclusion for brownfields cleanup (reducing property tax burden), aligning with tax relief indicators. Directly revises tax treatment under property taxation.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentProvides tax incentives (90% exclusion year one) for brownfields cleanup under DEQ oversight, directly encouraging remediation of contaminated sites per ENVIRONMENT and REMEDIATION & CLEANUP subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 378: Various Education Law/Tax Account/Name, Image, and Likeness Changes.

HB 378 requires North Carolina public schools to evaluate long-term technology costs - including repair expenses and resale value - when purchasing devices like computers and tablets. Schools must report annually on the "break/fix rate" (the percentage of devices malfunctioning or needing repair before their expected lifespan), total device counts, and repair costs to the State Board of Education. The State Board will compile these reports and provide an annual summary with recommendations to the legislature for reducing device repair rates. This bill directly affects all public school units, including charter schools, by adding these reporting requirements to existing education laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires schools to evaluate long-term tech costs and report repair rates, promoting fiscal responsibility in existing budget management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · North Carolina · Senate Jun 26, 2025

SB 101: Protect Tax-Advantaged Accts. and Living Donors.

SB 101 protects funds in North Carolina's 529 education savings accounts and ABLE accounts (for people with disabilities) from being seized by creditors. It ensures that money used for qualifying purposes - like education expenses for 529s or disability-related costs for ABLEs - cannot be claimed through liens, garnishments, or judgments. The bill repeals an existing law that previously allowed such claims and applies to actions filed after September 1, 2025. This directly affects account owners, beneficiaries, and contributors who use these funds for permitted purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProtects tax-advantaged accounts (529/ABLE), preserving tax benefits and preventing creditor seizures, directly supporting tax policy integrity and fiscal management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 5, 2025

HB 97: Support Firefighters Fighting Cancer.

HB 97 adds stomach cancer (gastric cancer) to the list of occupationally related cancers that qualify firefighters for "killed in the line of duty" benefits under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. This means firefighters who die from stomach cancer directly linked to their firefighting duties will automatically be eligible for death benefits, easing the process for families seeking compensation. The bill appropriates $500,000 annually from 2025-2027 to cover these benefits. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to qualifying deaths occurring on or after that date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $500k annually for firefighter cancer death benefits, directly funding a public safety program under budgeting provisions.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands death benefits for firefighters with job-related stomach cancer, strengthening workplace safety protections and worker benefits under Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House Feb 27, 2025

HB 48: Increase Unemployment Insurance Maximum Benefit/2025 Unemployment Insurance Tax Credit.

HB 48 raises North Carolina's maximum weekly unemployment benefit from $350 to $400 for claimants filing on or after March 2, 2025, directly affecting unemployed workers. It also creates a 2025 tax credit for employers, allowing them to offset unemployment insurance taxes paid on 2024 fourth-quarter wages against their 2025 tax liability. The credit applies only to contributions remitted by January 31, 2025, and must be claimed via a specific report. The bill ratifies a governor's temporary disaster-related unemployment expansion but focuses on permanent changes to benefit levels and employer tax treatment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRaises unemployment benefits funding and creates employer tax credit, advancing public assistance and tax relief within budget/tax framework.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRaises max unemployment benefit from $350 to $400, directly expanding worker benefits for unemployed claimants.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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