Education

passed · North Carolina · House May 8, 2025

HB 854: Require Licensure of Educational Interpreters.

HB 854 removes the current exemption for educational interpreters and transliterators from state licensure requirements. This means individuals who provide accessible communication services to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education will now be required to obtain a license. The bill also allows continuing education hours earned for license renewal to count towards their existing job-related training requirements. These changes are set to become effective on October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires licensure for educational interpreters, ensuring qualified staff for student accessibility in K-12 and higher education, strengthening educational access standards.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 8, 2025

HB 981: Local Schools Open Enrollment Study.

HB 981 establishes an open enrollment system, allowing students to attend any public school within their local school administrative unit (district) where they are domiciled. This bill requires local school boards to adopt open enrollment plans, including an application process with specific enrollment periods, a method for parents to declare school preferences, and a lottery system if a school has more applicants than capacity. Students accepted through this process can continue attending that school in subsequent years without reapplying. The bill outlines specific reasons for denying enrollment requests, such as lack of capacity or disciplinary issues, and establishes an appeal process for denied applications, first to the local board and then to the State Board of Education. This system will be effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands student access to public schools within district via open enrollment system, aligning with educational access support indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 918: Standardized Testing Choice Act.

HB 918, the "Standardized Testing Choice Act," establishes new requirements for standardized testing in North Carolina, beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. It mandates that the University of North Carolina system accept scores from the SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT) interchangeably for admissions and state-funded scholarships, including concordant minimum scores. The bill also requires local school administrative units to offer eighth through tenth-grade students the opportunity to take the CLT10, in addition to the PSAT/NMSQT or PreACT, at no cost. These provisions directly affect students applying to UNC institutions and those in North Carolina high schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands testing options for K-12 students and UNC admissions, supporting educational access through standardized assessment choice.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 414: 1-to-1 Credit for Career and College Promise.

HB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates 1-to-1 credit transfer for dual-enrollment students, expanding access to college courses while reducing testing barriers for Career and College Promise participants.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 346: Central Carolina Community College Multicampus Center Full-Time Equivalent Calculation.

HB 346 directs the State Board of Community Colleges to adjust how full-time equivalent (FTE) students are calculated for Central Carolina Community College's Harnett and Chatham main campuses. Specifically, it requires combining the FTE from each main campus with the FTE from its respective Health Sciences Center. This adjustment is made to help these campuses maintain their multicampus center status.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdjusts FTE calculation to maintain multicampus status, ensuring stable funding and operations for community colleges under higher education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 4: Sam's Law.

House Bill 4, also known as "Sam's Law," aims to improve seizure preparedness and response in North Carolina schools. The bill requires public school units, charter schools, and other educational institutions to develop individualized Seizure Action Plans for students diagnosed with seizure disorders, in collaboration with their parents. It mandates annual seizure education programs for all K-12 school personnel and requires principals, school counselors, and teachers to complete an annual self-study on seizure disorders. Furthermore, the bill ensures at least one employee in each school is trained to administer seizure medication and requires the posting of seizure first aid information in visible areas. Various educational boards are tasked with adopting policies to implement these requirements, with $50,000 appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for development costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates seizure safety plans and staff training in schools, enhancing student safety and access to education for students with seizure disorders, supporting the educational environment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 5, 2025

HB 875: DPI to Redesign Math Instruction.

House Bill 875 directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to establish a comprehensive system of mathematics support for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. This system requires DPI to provide approved lists of high-quality supplemental math systems for screening and progress monitoring, as well as instructional materials for intervention and core curriculum. These materials must utilize structured problem-based learning, explicit instruction, and provide responsive feedback to students. The bill also mandates DPI to offer approved professional development programs for K-8 teachers to implement these new instructional approaches effectively. Parents will be notified of any identified mathematical deficiencies, including characteristics of dyscalculia, and receive information on interventions and home strategies.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates DPI to redesign K-8 math instruction with structured problem-based learning and approved materials, enhancing curriculum quality and student support per education policy indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House May 5, 2025

HB 971: Career Development Adjustment.

House Bill 971 establishes a pilot program for Annual Career Development Plans in 12 selected North Carolina middle and high schools. This program will affect students entering seventh grade in those schools during the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, continuing until their high school graduation. Students will create and annually update individual plans with assistance from school counselors, aiming to align them for on-time graduation and college or career readiness. Parents are encouraged to participate and will receive information regarding their child's plan, course offerings, and financial aid options for postsecondary education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes a pilot program for career development plans to improve college/career readiness and on-time graduation, directly advancing student educational outcomes in K-12.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 69: Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act.

HB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access for veterans via in-state tuition benefits and admission deferral options at UNC institutions.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides in-state tuition and admission deferral for veterans, directly expanding educational benefits and access to UNC schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Apr 10, 2025

HB 397: Use of Epinephrine Nasal Spray.

HB 397 allows schools in North Carolina to use epinephrine nasal spray as an emergency treatment option alongside traditional auto-injectors for students experiencing anaphylaxis. The bill amends school health policies to include nasal spray devices in the definition of "epinephrine auto-injector delivery systems," requiring all schools to maintain at least two emergency epinephrine supplies (now including nasal spray) in secure but accessible locations. Schools must train staff to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms, store devices properly, and follow emergency action plans developed with school nurses. This applies to public schools, charter schools, and regional schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The policy directly affects school staff, students with severe allergies, and school health protocols.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances school safety protocols for student health emergencies, directly supporting student well-being and access to education through updated health policies.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands emergency anaphylaxis treatment options in schools by including epinephrine nasal spray, improving student access to life-saving care and aligning with public health goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track