Budget & Taxes

in committee · North Carolina · House May 4, 2026

HB 1179: Senior Property Tax Relief Modernization Act.

HB 1179 modifies North Carolina's property tax relief programs to help seniors and disabled homeowners by allowing them to combine two existing benefits and removing a strict income cutoff that previously denied aid to those just above the limit. The bill introduces a gradual phaseout for the elderly homestead exclusion, reducing benefits by 3.33% for every 1% of income earned above 55% of the state median, while also permitting eligible owners to stack this relief with the circuit breaker program. Additionally, the legislation clarifies rules for seniors living in shared or inherited properties to ensure they can receive full relief if no other non-spouse owner resides there. To offset the increased costs for local governments, the bill requires the state to reimburse counties for revenue losses and provides funding to support more frequent property tax reappraisals.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides property tax relief for seniors and disabled homeowners, expanding benefits and removing income cutoffs.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill expands property tax relief for seniors and disabled homeowners, increasing affordability and protecting housing access for vulnerable groups.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes

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died · North Carolina · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 950: School Meals for Every Child.

This bill mandates that all public schools in North Carolina, including charter and laboratory schools, provide free breakfast and lunch to every student starting in the 2026-2027 school year. To support this requirement, the state will allocate $116 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction, with additional flexibility to use existing state aid if necessary. The legislation outlines specific criteria for distributing these funds, such as school size, the number of eligible students, and the quality of food provided, while ensuring that state money supplements rather than replaces other funding sources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly allocates $116M from the General Fund to fund free school meals, directly increasing state budget spending on education.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates free meals for all students and allocates $116M in state funding to support the program, directly enhancing educational access and student welfare.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding Student Health

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Apr 22, 2026

SB 781: Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit.

This bill creates a tax credit for North Carolina businesses that pay wages to employees to cover their health insurance premiums. To qualify, a business must employ individuals who work at least 35 hours per week and are subject to state tax withholding. Each eligible employee can generate up to a $400 tax credit for the business, but the total credits available in any given year are capped at $5 million. Applications for this credit will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and the state will track and report the number of applications and approvals by county. The provisions of this act will take effect for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a tax credit for businesses, providing fiscal relief and encouraging employee health coverage.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides tax credits to businesses for employee health insurance premiums, expanding coverage and financial support for healthcare.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Insurance

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 28, 2026

HB 1053: Additional Funding for School Supplies.

HB 1053 directs the North Carolina General Assembly to allocate additional state funds to the Department of Public Instruction for classroom supplies and equipment. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, the bill provides $28.6 million, with further increases of $15.1 million and $22.6 million planned for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 fiscal years respectively. These recurring funds are intended to increase the specific allotment given to schools for instructional materials and equipment. The legislation becomes effective on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $28.6M plus future increases for school supplies, directly strengthening public education funding.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates additional state funds for classroom supplies and equipment, directly strengthening educational resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Libraries School Funding Student Health

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died · North Carolina · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 951: Critical Funds for North Mecklenburg.

This bill directs $34.88 million in state funds to three North Carolina entities for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support emergency services, public safety, and affordable housing. The Town of Davidson receives $20.44 million to build a fire station, buy an emergency vehicle, and purchase police and breathing apparatus equipment. The Town of Cornelius is allocated $10 million for land acquisition for a future public safety facility, replacing a fire engine, improving pedestrian safety, and constructing a recreation center. Additionally, the Lake Norman Community Development Corporation gets $4 million to develop affordable housing in Cornelius, including specific funding for the Smithville community. These nonrecurring funds are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $34.88M in state funds to support emergency services, public safety, and affordable housing.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allocates funds for emergency services, public safety, and law enforcement equipment, strengthening local criminal justice infrastructure.75% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allocates $10M for land acquisition to support affordable housing initiatives in North Mecklenburg.70% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Affordable Housing Community Development Property Development

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 1066: Alternative Bridge Funding Formula.

This bill directs North Carolina's Department of Transportation to create a new method for funding bridge replacements that operates separately from the current Strategic Mobility Formula. To accomplish this, the state will allocate $100,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support the development of this alternative plan, which must include a prioritization process and a specific revenue source. The department is required to submit its proposed formula and legislative recommendations to various committees by December 1, 2026, and the law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $100k to develop a new funding formula for bridge replacements, directly advancing infrastructure budgeting and capital spending.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates funding to develop an alternative formula for bridge replacements, directly strengthening transportation infrastructure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Bridges Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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in committee · North Carolina · House May 4, 2026

HB 1167: 2026 Governor's Budget.

HB 1167 establishes the 2026 Governor's Budget for North Carolina by providing specific funding amounts to state departments, institutions, and agencies for their current operations. The bill directly affects a wide range of public services, including education, health and human services, agriculture, justice, and general government functions. Key provisions include allocating funds for public schools, universities, healthcare programs, and law enforcement, with detailed dollar amounts specified for each fiscal year of the 2025-2027 biennium. Any unused funds from these appropriations will revert to the appropriate state funds at the end of the fiscal year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly establishes the 2026 Governor's Budget, allocating funds to state departments and agencies for operations and public services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates specific funding amounts to public schools, universities, and related educational agencies for current operations.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates specific funding amounts to state health and human services departments for current operations and healthcare programs.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates funding to the Transportation Dept and Highway Fund, indicating financial support for transportation infrastructure and operations.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Government Spending State Budget

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passed · North Carolina · Senate Jun 9, 2026

SB 832: Washington Deannexation.

This bill removes a specific 18.93-acre parcel of land from the official boundaries of the City of Washington in Beaufort County, North Carolina. The property is defined by a detailed survey with precise coordinates and distances, and the change will take effect on June 30, 2026. Once the bill becomes law, the land will no longer be subject to municipal taxes imposed for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, although any outstanding tax liens from before that date will remain valid.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill removes land from city boundaries, eliminating future municipal tax revenue and reducing local government fiscal capacity.85% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 1077: NC Working Families Economic Relief Act.

HB 1077 creates a grant program for North Carolina community colleges to train students as tax preparers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, allowing them to help low-income individuals, people with disabilities, and limited English speakers file their taxes for free. The bill provides $1.38 million in initial funding and $610,000 in recurring funds to support curriculum development, faculty incentives, and paid work-based learning opportunities where students earn hourly wages during tax season. Additionally, the legislation allocates $840,000 to the United Way of North Carolina to expand its VITA services by increasing the number of locations, hiring dedicated staff, and improving outreach and financial education resources. These measures aim to help an estimated 225,000 eligible North Carolina filers claim the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which has an average value of about $2,894 per person. The act takes effect on July 1, 2026, and includes provisions for training and technical assistance to ensure the program runs effectively.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $1.38M in initial funding and recurring funds to expand tax assistance for low-income individuals.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides funding for community college tax preparer training, expanding educational access and student programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Curriculum

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 805: Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC.

This bill aims to improve access to dental care in North Carolina by increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to dentists. Starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the state will allocate $80 million from the General Fund to raise these payment rates, which have not significantly changed since 2008. The legislation seeks to encourage more private dental providers to join the Medicaid program, thereby expanding the network of available dentists for patients. By making it more financially viable for dentists to accept Medicaid, the bill intends to help reduce the number of people relying on emergency departments for urgent dental needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $80M from General Fund to increase Medicaid dental reimbursement rates, directly funding public health services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates and allocates $80M to expand dental care access and provider participation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Medicaid

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