Education

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 3, 2025

SB 125: Various Education Changes.

SB 125 reorganizes North Carolina's community college statutes and makes specific changes to education policy. It prohibits community colleges from using a secondary school's accreditation status (like certification) as a factor in admissions, financial aid, or scholarships for students. The bill also requires community colleges to report annually on college transfer program performance, including student success rates at four-year institutions, and mandates detailed reporting on the 2+2 E-Learning Initiative for teacher training. These provisions directly affect community college students, institutions, and educators seeking teacher licensure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits using secondary school accreditation in admissions/financial aid (expanding access) and mandates transfer program reporting (enhancing outcomes), directly advancing higher education access and accountability.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 2, 2025

HB 928: Allow Physical Therapists in School Concussion Protocol.

HB 928 allows physical therapists licensed in North Carolina to evaluate student athletes for concussions and provide written clearance for returning to play or practice after a head injury during school sports. It directly affects student athletes in North Carolina public schools who exhibit concussion symptoms during athletic activities. The bill amends existing law to specifically include licensed physical therapists as authorized professionals (alongside doctors and other specialists) who can assess head injuries and issue the required written clearance. This change expands the pool of qualified healthcare providers available for school concussion protocols without altering the core requirement that athletes must be cleared before returning to sports.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands school safety protocols for student athletes by allowing physical therapists to evaluate concussions, directly protecting student health in educational settings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 77: School Contracted Health Services.

SB 77 allows parents of students with disabilities to choose their preferred nurse for school-based nursing services required by an Individualized Education Program (IEP), provided specific conditions are met. The bill requires schools to assign the parent's chosen nurse if that nurse previously provided care to the student, the nursing agency agrees to contract under standard terms, and the rate matches other contracted nurses. This directly affects families of students needing nursing services under IEPs and ensures schools honor parent preferences without altering their obligation to provide a free appropriate public education. The policy applies starting the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables parent choice in nursing services for IEP students, enhancing educational access and support for children with disabilities within school health services.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables parent choice in school nursing services for IEP students, improving access to continuity of care and patient-centered healthcare access within education settings.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 959: Various Education Changes.

HB 959 requires North Carolina public schools to adopt internet safety policies by January 2026, limiting student access to age-appropriate content and blocking social media except for teacher-directed educational use. It mandates annual social media literacy instruction in all grades, covering mental health impacts, misinformation, online safety, and identifying cyberbullying. The bill also establishes rules for wireless device use during class, prohibiting personal device use except for educational purposes, medical needs, or special education plans. These provisions directly affect all K-12 public schools and students across North Carolina, with policies to be implemented starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates social media literacy education, safety policies, and device use rules to enhance student digital safety and curriculum, aligning with educational strengthening indicators.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student social media access during class and mandates safety policies, limiting technology use in schools per bill's content.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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 Education

signed · North Carolina · House Jun 26, 2025

HB 373: UNC Tuition Discounts for Certain Students.

HB 373 allows University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions to offer tuition discounts to two specific groups: military students receiving federal or North Carolina National Guard tuition assistance, and students enrolled in employer-sponsored financial support programs approved by UNC. The discount covers the difference between the military/employer funding and full tuition, without creating new free tuition programs. UNC must report annually to the legislature on the number of students receiving these discounts and their financial impact on institutions. The policy takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition discounts for military and employer-supported students, expanding access to higher education without new free tuition programs.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill provides tuition discounts for military students, including veterans receiving military tuition assistance, directly advancing veterans' educational benefits without creating new free programs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

passed · North Carolina · House Jun 24, 2025

HB 578: The Jason Flatt Act of North Carolina.

HB 578, the Jason Flatt Act, requires all North Carolina public K-12 schools to implement suicide prevention education and training for school staff. It mandates that licensed educators complete at least one hour of annual suicide prevention training, while staff working with grades 6-12 must receive guidelines for identifying at-risk students and procedures for referrals. Schools must adopt a mental health plan including these elements, with initial staff training of six hours (within six months of hire) and two hours annually thereafter. The law applies to all public schools, charter schools, regional schools, and lab schools starting the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates suicide prevention training for K-12 staff, enhancing mental health support within educational settings per bill requirements.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates suicide prevention training and mental health plans in schools, strengthening mental health services under public health initiatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · North Carolina · House Jun 9, 2025

HB 150: Expedite Surplus Property.

HB 150 allows certain educational organizations to quickly obtain unused federal equipment and property for educational use. It specifically exempts qualifying nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) groups focused on education) from standard state transfer rules when acquiring such items directly from federal agencies. The bill removes barriers in existing law that previously required these organizations to follow lengthy processes for federal surplus materials. This change applies only to property used for educational purposes, not for resale or other commercial activities. The bill does not alter federal acquisition rules but streamlines the state-level process for eligible schools and nonprofits.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves bureaucratic barriers for educational orgs to access federal surplus equipment, enhancing resource availability for schools per bill's explicit purpose.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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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

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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

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