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 · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 948: The Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements (P.A.V.E.) Act.

HB 948, the P.A.V.E. Act, amends North Carolina law to allow Mecklenburg County to levy an additional 0.5% local sales tax specifically for public transportation systems. The bill defines "public transportation system" broadly to include buses, transit facilities, bike/pedestrian infrastructure, and automated transport tunnels, while excluding general roads. Funds collected must supplement, not replace, existing public transit funding and can only be used for financing, building, operating, or maintaining these systems. The tax proceeds would be distributed monthly to Mecklenburg County and its public transportation authorities per a financial plan, with the bill taking effect only if Mecklenburg levies this tax.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllows Mecklenburg County to levy new 0.5% sales tax specifically for public transit infrastructure, supplementing existing funding without replacement.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAuthorizes 0.5% sales tax for public transit expansion including buses, bike/pedestrian infrastructure, and automated tunnels, supplementing existing funding without replacing it.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jun 27, 2025

HB 1012: Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part II.

HB 1012 redirects over $64 million in existing state funds to support communities affected by Hurricane Helene and wildfires in Western North Carolina. It transfers $25 million from the Environmental Quality budget for water infrastructure repairs, $12.5 million for school closures, $5 million for university facility repairs, and $2.25 million for election operations in impacted areas. The bill applies to counties designated under federal disaster declarations for Hurricane Helene (per Section 1.4) and addresses wildfire recovery efforts hampered by the storm (per Section 1.5). These funds are drawn from unspent allocations in existing state programs, not new taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $64M in existing state funds for disaster recovery, including infrastructure and education repairs, demonstrating fiscal management to fund essential services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $12.5M for school closures (K-12) and $5M for university facility repairs, directly funding educational infrastructure recovery in disaster-impacted areas.95% 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

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 552: Agricultural Manufacturing Economic Development.

HB 552 establishes the Agricultural Manufacturing Investment Grant Account within North Carolina's One North Carolina Fund, allocating up to $5 million for new economic development incentives. This account provides competitive grants to eligible agricultural manufacturers in the state. The Department of Commerce will administer these grants, prioritizing projects in less developed areas, those using advanced agricultural technologies, or those with significant research and development. To qualify, recipients must commit to investing at least $5 million of private funds, employ a minimum of 25 full-time employees, and meet specific wage requirements. Grants are capped at $100,000 annually per recipient for up to five years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $5M from One NC Fund for agricultural manufacturing grants, advancing economic development spending within state budget framework.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyPrioritizes grants for agricultural manufacturers using advanced technologies, R&D, and AI/IT, explicitly linking to emerging tech and STEM development within the bill's subjects.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 283: Small Business Investment Grant Program.

House Bill 283 establishes the Small Business Investment Grant (SBIG) Program within the One North Carolina Fund, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses looking to establish or expand facilities in the state. The bill allocates up to $10 million from the Fund to this new account. Through the SBIG Program, competitive grants are offered to businesses meeting specific criteria, such as having 250 or fewer employees or less than $5 million in annual revenue, investing $10-$30 million, and creating new jobs with competitive wages. Grants are capped at $500,000 annually per recipient, up to $2.5 million total, over a maximum of five years. Additionally, the bill renames the "One North Carolina Small Business Account" to the "Small Business Research and Technology Account," which continues to support federal SBIR/STTR grant incentive and matching programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $10M from existing One NC Fund to create small business grants, advancing economic development through targeted fiscal spending within budget framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 94: Disabled Veteran Homestead Exclusion Prequalification.

HB 94 allows disabled veterans and their unremarried surviving spouses to prequalify for the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion. This means individuals can apply to determine their eligibility for the tax benefit before they purchase a permanent residence. Applicants submit a prequalification form with their disability certification, and the county assessor must notify them of their eligibility within 30 days. The bill aims to help taxpayers and lenders account for this tax relief when making home purchase decisions. After prequalification, a separate application for the exclusion is still required once a permanent residence is acquired.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption for disabled veterans, reducing their tax burden and aligning with tax relief indicators for lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax exemption prequalification for disabled veterans purchasing homes, reducing housing costs and promoting affordability for a vulnerable group.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill enables disabled veterans to prequalify for property tax exclusion, removing barriers to accessing financial benefits through streamlined eligibility determination.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 909: State Infrastructure Bank Board.

This bill creates a new State Infrastructure Bank Board in North Carolina to manage federal, state, and private funding for transportation, water, and sewer infrastructure projects. The Board will be composed of six state officials including the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and Environmental Quality, along with the State Treasurer, Auditor, and Budget Officer, and will operate independently within the Department of Commerce. It authorizes the Board to provide loans and financial assistance to local governments and toll authorities for infrastructure development, requiring repayment with interest and security based on project revenues or other assets. The legislation also establishes specific accounting procedures for the bank's funds, outlines rules for loan approval, and transfers existing infrastructure bank funds to this new Board, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates infrastructure bank to manage funding for transportation, water, and sewer projects, advancing state budget management and fiscal investment in public infrastructure.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill creates State Infrastructure Bank Board to manage funding for transportation infrastructure projects, directly advancing transportation development.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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