Education

died · North Carolina · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 954: Learning and Enrichment in Afterschool Programs.

This bill creates a new advisory council and grant program in North Carolina to support high-quality after-school activities for children and youth up to age 18. It establishes the LEAP Advisory Council to guide the Department of Public Instruction on grant criteria, program quality standards, and strategies to serve rural and underserved communities. The legislation also sets up the LEAP Fund, which will be financed by state appropriations, federal funds, private donations, and any legal settlements against social media companies, to distribute grants to eligible community-based organizations and schools. These grants, limited to a maximum of two years per award, must provide structured programs with adult mentors focused on positive youth development rather than basic classroom instruction. The bill ensures that grant funds supplement existing programs and includes requirements for evaluating outcomes such as attendance, skill development, and community engagement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a grant program and advisory council to fund and improve after-school activities for youth, expanding educational access and support.95% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 1066: Child Care Stabilization and Affordability Act.

HB 1066, the Child Care Stabilization and Affordability Act, aims to address North Carolina's child care shortages by redirecting funds from the Opportunity Scholarship Program to support child care services. The bill reduces scholarship funding for private school vouchers, with the savings used to expand child care subsidies, stabilize existing programs, and improve early childhood educator pay and benefits. It also streamlines administrative rules for child care providers and clarifies regulations for religious programs. These changes directly affect families seeking child care subsidies, private school scholarship recipients, and child care providers across the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill redirects funds to expand child care subsidies and improve educator pay, directly strengthening essential public services and early childhood education funding.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill redirects funds from the Opportunity Scholarship Program, reducing private school voucher funding and limiting educational access for private school students.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill redirects funds to expand child care subsidies and improve early childhood educator pay, strengthening access to essential health and developmental services.75% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill improves early childhood educator pay and benefits, directly supporting worker compensation standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Student Financial Aid Teachers

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in committee · North Carolina · House May 5, 2026

HB 1204: Require Seat Belts on School Buses.

This bill mandates that all school and activity buses purchased, leased, or rented by public schools, private schools, charter schools, and regional schools in North Carolina must be equipped with seat belts at every designated seating position. While the requirement applies to all new vehicles, the law allows for exceptions regarding integrated child safety restraint systems, students with disabilities, and other federally approved restraint methods. The legislation also updates existing state regulations to include specific equipment standards for diesel engines and warning devices alongside the new seat belt mandate.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill improves school infrastructure and student safety, directly supporting the education topic.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill mandates seat belts on school buses, directly enhancing transportation safety standards and protecting students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety School Transportation Traffic Safety

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in committee · North Carolina · House May 4, 2026

HB 1146: 2026 Governor's Budget.

HB 1146 establishes the 2026 Governor's Budget for North Carolina by allocating specific funding amounts to state departments, institutions, and agencies for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. The bill directly affects public education, health and human services, agriculture, justice, and general government entities by setting their operational budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Key provisions include detailed dollar amounts for various programs, such as funding for public instruction, university operations, and health services, while also allowing for savings to revert to the state fund if not fully utilized. This legislation provides the financial framework necessary for state agencies to carry out their mandated duties and services during the specified period.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes the 2026 Governor's Budget, explicitly allocating funding to state departments and agencies, thereby advancing and funding the budget topic.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes the 2026 Governor's Budget, explicitly allocating specific funding amounts to state departments including public education and higher education institutions.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates funding to the Transportation Department and Highway Fund, indicating financial support for transportation infrastructure and operations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Government Spending State Budget Higher Education

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 1076: The Innovations Waitlist Reduction Act.

This bill expands access to North Carolina's Innovations waiver for families with children who have significant medical needs by adding 6,635 new slots and funding them with $240 million starting in 2026. It also modifies the Opportunity Scholarship Program to prioritize students from lower-income households by capping eligibility at 200% of the federal free lunch income threshold and adjusting grant amounts based on family income levels. To support these changes, the legislation reduces the overall scholarship fund by $240 million while simultaneously directing substantial recurring funding to the program's reserve for the next 15 years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $240M to expand medical access and modifies scholarships to prioritize lower-income families, directly increasing funding for essential public services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands access to education waivers and scholarships, adds funding slots, and prioritizes lower-income students.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands Medicaid waiver slots and funds them with $240M, directly increasing access and funding for health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid Student Health Medicaid

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 782: Safe Schools Transparency Act.

This bill requires North Carolina public schools to immediately notify parents and guardians of credible threats against students, staff, or the campus, such as violence, weapons, or lockdowns. It mandates that these alerts be sent through at least two different methods, including a phone call for high-level emergencies, and must include details about the threat and the school's response. The legislation also establishes penalties for schools that fail to provide these notifications, which can include financial fines, corrective action plans, or the termination of responsible administrators. Additionally, the bill creates a School Safety Fund and reinstates a task force to oversee these safety measures and annual transparency reports.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances student safety and school security, protecting the educational environment and staff.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Safety

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 783: School Mental Health Support Act.

This bill creates a $50 million grant program to help North Carolina public schools hire mental health professionals like counselors and social workers, with funding prioritized for schools serving students with limited access to care. It also establishes a loan repayment program that offers eligible school mental health workers up to $15,000 annually to pay down their student loans, provided they work in high-need areas and graduated from a UNC system institution. The legislation requires the state to report annually on how these funds are used and to ensure grants supplement rather than replace existing resources.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $50M for mental health professionals and offers loan repayment to educators, directly strengthening school resources and student support.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates $50M in grants and loan repayment to expand mental health services in schools, directly strengthening healthcare access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Mental Health

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 820: Safe Schools and Educational Access Act.

SB 820, the Safe Schools and Educational Access Act, aims to protect students in North Carolina public schools and colleges from discrimination based on their immigration status or national origin. The bill prohibits schools from denying enrollment or sharing student information with immigration authorities unless a judge orders it, effectively designating schools as safe zones for learning. Additionally, the legislation allocates $181 million in state funding to support services for students with limited English proficiency, such as hiring bilingual teachers and providing translation resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly allocates $181 million in state funding to support educational services and safe school initiatives.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $181M in funding and designates schools as safe zones to protect student access and enrollment.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill protects students from discrimination based on immigration status, limits school cooperation with immigration authorities, and allocates funding for immigrant services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health DACA & Dreamers

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 822: Every School Has Resources Act.

The Every School Has Resources Act creates a grant program to help smaller, rural, and lower-wealth school districts in North Carolina hire a Development Director to find outside funding. This position would be responsible for securing money from sources like private foundations and corporate sponsors to reduce reliance on local property taxes and state aid. The program offers full government funding for the first year of the role, but requires the school district to contribute matching funds in the second and third years if the director successfully raises additional money. To qualify, schools must submit a detailed plan showing how they will hire and manage the new staff member, and the state will prioritize applications from districts serving the most economically disadvantaged students. The initiative runs for three years, ending in June 2029, and includes strict reporting rules to ensure taxpayer money is used effectively.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a grant program to fund development directors, explicitly aiming to reduce reliance on local property taxes and state aid by securing outside funding.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a grant program to fund Development Directors in rural/low-wealth districts to secure outside funding, directly increasing resources and reducing reliance on local taxes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

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died · North Carolina · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 997: Nursing Fellows and Curric. Support Funds/WSSU.

This bill establishes the Nursing Fellows Program at Winston-Salem State University to support students pursuing degrees in nursing or nursing education. The legislation creates a trust fund that provides forgivable loans to high-achieving students who commit to working as nurses or instructors within North Carolina after graduation. Funds from the trust are used to cover tuition and fees, with loan amounts increasing for those who plan to become nursing instructors. The program includes provisions for mentoring, administrative costs, and extracurricular activities to enhance student success.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes a funding program to support nursing students and instructors through forgivable loans, enhancing educational access and professional training.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes funding for nursing education and creates a loan program to increase the number of nurses in North Carolina, directly strengthening healthcare workforce capacity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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