Sen. Michael Garrett

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $319 million from the state's General Fund to North Carolina's Medicaid program to cover anticipated changes in enrollment, service costs, and federal funding rates. The money is designated for the Department of Health and Human Services to use starting in the 2025-2027 fiscal year, with the funding officially beginning retroactively on July 1, 2025. By adjusting available funds based on projected healthcare shifts, the legislation aims to ensure the Medicaid program has sufficient resources to operate as demographics and costs evolve.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill requires that the salaries of state legislators be held in escrow if the General Assembly does not pass a budget by June 30, 2026. If the Senate and House do not ratify a state budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year by that deadline, the pay earned by legislators from July 1, 2026, forward will be withheld. The withheld funds will be released only after the legislature ratifies a budget or adjourns for the year. The legislation also sets aside ten thousand dollars to cover the administrative costs of managing the escrow account.

Maddy summaryThe Carolina Housing Promise Act aims to improve housing affordability and accessibility across North Carolina by empowering the state's Housing Finance Agency to issue up to $18 billion in bonds for residential projects. A key provision increases an existing excise tax on real estate transfers, directing half of the new revenue to fund a new Housing Innovation Office within the agency. This office will utilize the funds to support the construction and maintenance of affordable homes, develop innovative funding models, and provide technical assistance for housing solutions. The bill also updates the legal authority for the agency to issue various types of debt instruments to finance these housing initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special fund within the state's Highway Fund to provide financial relief to airport workers in North Carolina who lose pay due to federal funding lapses. The program offers interest-free loans to eligible airports, which then distribute funds to Transportation Security Officers and Air Traffic Controllers who have not been paid for at least 14 consecutive days. These loans are designed to be automatically repaid when the federal government issues back pay to the affected workers. The state has appropriated $25 million for this purpose, and the Department of Transportation will oversee the fund's administration and reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the North Carolina Children's Safe Screens Act to protect minors under 18 from online harms by regulating large internet platforms. It creates a new Online Safety Division within the Department of Justice to enforce rules that ban deceptive design tactics, require parental notification for child accounts, and mandate strict privacy settings by default. Covered platforms, defined as those with over five million users in the state and $25 million in annual revenue, must submit annual impact assessments and provide tools for parents to manage screen time and content. The legislation empowers the Attorney General to file civil lawsuits against non-compliant companies, with potential fines of up to $500,000 per violation, while funding enforcement through a dedicated state fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the North Carolina Small Business Capital Access Act to help small businesses and companies in underserved areas get the money they need to start, run, and grow. It creates a new state office and an oversight board to manage a program that includes loan guarantees, direct investments, and technical assistance for eligible businesses. The loan guarantee component is designed to encourage private lenders to provide financing by covering up to 90% of the loan amount for businesses in the most disadvantaged regions. The program specifically targets small businesses with fewer than 500 employees and those operating in low-income or rural census tracts.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill creates a new program to help workers who lose their jobs due to artificial intelligence or automation. It establishes a $50 million fund to pay for job retraining and education, with a focus on skilled trades like healthcare and advanced manufacturing. The law also requires companies receiving state economic incentives to report any layoffs caused by AI or automation. Finally, it directs the State Education Assistance Authority to transfer the necessary funds to the Department of Commerce to launch this program on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1045, titled the Utility Profit Oversight Act, requires the North Carolina General Assembly to explicitly approve any proposed electric utility rate increases that would raise the utility's authorized return on equity. Under this bill, the Public Service Commission must immediately suspend such rate changes until the legislature passes a specific act ratifying them, ensuring that significant profit increases receive direct legislative oversight. The legislation also mandates a study by the Commission to evaluate the cost of equity capital for electric utilities in the state. By shifting the approval power for these specific financial adjustments from the regulatory commission to the state legislature, the bill aims to add a layer of political accountability to utility pricing decisions.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill creates a new Human Trafficking Records Commission within the Department of Justice to review and release records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, while redacting victim information. The legislation modifies existing laws on legislative privilege to allow the commission to investigate lawmakers and authorizes the State Bureau of Investigation to assist with inquiries into individuals identified in the released documents. Additionally, the bill establishes a legal mechanism for courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders that temporarily remove firearms from people named in the commission's records. To support these new operations, the act appropriates ten million dollars in state funds for the commission and investigative activities for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to amend the North Carolina Constitution to remove the provision that defines marriage strictly as a union between one man and one woman. If passed by the legislature, the measure would be placed on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide whether to repeal that specific constitutional language. Should a majority of voters approve the change, the amendment would officially take effect on January 1, 2027, allowing the state to no longer recognize that definition in its constitution. The bill does not alter current laws regarding marriage licenses but instead changes the constitutional framework that currently mandates the one-man, one-woman definition.