Rep. Kyle Hall

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 568 modifies North Carolina's labor laws primarily to streamline safety inspections and administrative processes. It restricts subpoenas against Department of Labor staff during safety investigations (except in enforcement cases or with written consent), limits public hearings for adopting federal safety standards identical to federal rules, and requires medical examiners to share workplace injury reports with the Labor Commissioner within 30 days. The bill also clarifies that safety inspection documents remain admissible in court without witness testimony unless reliability is in question. These changes affect the Department of Labor, employers, and workers' safety investigators by altering how evidence is handled and shared in workplace safety cases.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 543 requires all applicants for athlete agent registration in North Carolina to undergo a criminal history background check as a condition of obtaining or renewing their license. This directly affects individuals seeking to work as athlete agents within the state, including new applicants and those renewing existing registrations. The bill mandates that applicants pay a $250 fee for the check (as specified in Section 2 of the bill), consent to fingerprinting, and allows the State Bureau of Investigation to conduct the check using state and federal records. All background information remains confidential and is not considered a public record under North Carolina law.

Maddy summaryHB 506, the 2025 State Investment Modernization Act, reorganizes North Carolina's existing investment laws by restructuring Chapter 147 of the General Statutes into five new parts. It creates the North Carolina Investment Authority as an independent agency within the State Treasurer's Department to manage state investment programs, including retirement funds. The bill primarily affects state financial management operations by clarifying the authority's structure, independence from other state departments, and fiduciary responsibilities for funds like teachers' and state employees' retirement systems. This is a procedural reorganization of legal frameworks, not a policy change altering how investments are managed or funded.

Maddy summaryHB 478 changes how North Carolina fills vacancies in district attorney (DA) offices. It requires the Governor to appoint a replacement from a list of up to three candidates recommended by the political party of the outgoing DA (or by the General Assembly if the DA was unaffiliated), within 30 days of the vacancy. If recommendations aren't provided in time, the Governor can appoint directly. This affects all unexpired DA terms in the state, ensuring appointments align with the political party of the vacating official.

Maddy summaryHB 74 is a technical corrections bill that extends deadlines for unspent state grants. It prevents certain nonrecurring grants (originally set to revert to the state on December 31, 2024) from reverting, keeping them available for expenditure until used or until the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year. This directly affects non-state entities (like local governments or nonprofits) that received these grants but hadn’t spent them by the original deadline. The bill makes no new policy changes - only adjusts existing budget rules to avoid unintended loss of funds. It is purely procedural, with no substantive policy shifts.

Maddy summaryHB 976 enacts the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, establishing specific procedures for dividing or selling real property commonly owned by relatives, referred to as "heirs property." This bill affects cotenants involved in partition proceedings for such property. It requires courts to first determine if the property qualifies as heirs property and then mandates a fair market value appraisal. A key provision allows cotenants who wish to retain the property to buy out the interests of those who requested a sale, based on the determined value.

Maddy summaryHB 92, titled the "NC Digital Assets Investments Act," authorizes the North Carolina State Treasurer to invest various state funds in qualifying digital assets. This includes funds from the General Fund, Highway Fund, and numerous retirement and special funds. The bill specifies that eligible digital assets must be exchange-traded products with an average market capitalization of at least $750 billion over the preceding 12 months. Additionally, investments in digital assets cannot exceed 10% of a fund's balance, and the State Treasurer must use a defined "secure custody solution" if managing these assets internally.

Maddy summaryHB 797, titled "Residential Property Wholesaling Protection," clarifies that residential property wholesaling and related transactions are considered real estate brokerage activity, requiring those involved to be licensed. The bill grants homeowners a non-waivable right to cancel purchase contracts related to residential property wholesaling until midnight of the 30th day after execution or until deed conveyance. It also mandates that these contracts include specific disclosures about this cancellation right, printed in at least 14-point font. Failure to provide this right to cancel is deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice.