SB 465 requires North Carolina's Department of Administration to maintain detailed inventories of all state-owned land and buildings, including location, condition, costs, and vacancy status. It mandates the department to develop a comprehensive five-year facilities plan identifying needed space, analyzing current property utilization, and recommending disposal or consolidation of underused properties. The bill also establishes space planning standards for state agencies based on federal benchmarks, requiring annual audits to ensure compliance with utilization metrics. This directly affects all state agencies that own or lease buildings, aiming to reduce costs by optimizing existing property use rather than acquiring new facilities. The law focuses on administrative procedures for managing state real estate, not new funding or services.
SB 390 requires North Carolina's local governments and school districts to use competitive bidding annually for publishing legal notices in newspapers. It mandates selecting the lowest-cost bidder while considering newspaper quality, circulation reach, and compliance with existing rules. The bill also updates payment rules to ensure notices are paid at standard commercial rates, requiring newspapers to file current rate statements with courts. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
This bill changes North Carolina's tax treatment for real estate investors using 1031 exchanges (where property is swapped to defer capital gains taxes). It allows investors to deduct, from their state taxable income, the amount of "non-like-kind" property (like cash or different property) received in such exchanges, but only up to the original cost basis of the property sold. This adjustment aligns North Carolina's tax code with federal rules for this specific portion of exchange gains. The change applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2025, and directly affects real estate investors conducting 1031 exchanges in North Carolina.
SB 450, the Novel Opioid Control Act of 2025, updates North Carolina's Controlled Substances Act by adding specific synthetic opioids, fentanyl derivatives, nitazene compounds, and related substances to Schedule I. The bill directly affects individuals or entities producing, distributing, or possessing these newly listed chemicals, including substances like Brorphine, AP-237, and various fentanyl analogs. Its key mechanism bans entire chemical classes - defined by structural characteristics (e.g., substitutions on fentanyl or nitazene molecular frameworks) - rather than listing each compound individually. This prevents legal loopholes for new variants created through minor chemical modifications. The law applies to all such substances unless specifically excepted for medical research or approved pharmaceutical use.
SB 385 (Amend Dangerous Dog Statutes) creates a process for dog owners to request removal of a "potentially dangerous dog" designation after 18 months. Owners must submit a written application with a fee and a professional behavior assessment of their dog, approved by animal control. The animal control authority will review the request, considering the dog's current behavior, management since the original designation, and any changes due to training or environment. The authority's decision to remove or deny the designation is final, with no appeals allowed. This bill directly affects owners of dogs previously labeled "potentially dangerous" under North Carolina law.
SB 425 caps disciplinary fees for chiropractors at $2,000 per case, including all costs like attorney fees, investigative expenses, and meeting costs. It also requires the North Carolina Chiropractic Board to maintain detailed meeting minutes, recording speaker names, comments, and vote outcomes for public transparency. The bill applies to all disciplinary actions starting October 1, 2025, directly affecting chiropractors facing disciplinary proceedings and the Board's procedural practices.
SB 463 requires North Carolina Medicaid to cover doula services during pregnancy and the postpartum period, directly affecting Medicaid-enrolled pregnant and postpartum individuals and doulas seeking to provide these services under Medicaid. The bill mandates the state health department to develop coverage rules, including reimbursement rates and provider requirements focused on doula training in areas like childbirth education, lactation support, and cultural awareness. It appropriates $1 million annually from the state general fund (matching $1.8 million in federal funds) for Medicaid coverage changes and $550,000 annually for doula workforce support services. The coverage must be implemented upon federal CMS approval, with a report to lawmakers by March 1, 2026.
SB 393 requires North Carolina public schools to include instruction on the costs of gambling - including sports betting - and gambling addiction in all required personal financial literacy courses. This policy change directly affects all K-12 students in the state, as it amends existing curriculum standards to add this specific topic. The bill mandates that schools cover these topics alongside other financial literacy elements like credit costs, mortgages, and credit scoring. The requirement will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. This is a concrete addition to the curriculum, not a procedural change.
SB 440, the "Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2025," allocates base budget funding for North Carolina's state departments, agencies, and universities for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. It specifies exact funding amounts for all state operations, including $12.94 billion for public instruction, $8.83 billion for health and human services, and $4.24 billion for the University of North Carolina system. The bill directs all state entities to spend within these allocated amounts, with unused funds reverting to the appropriate fund at year-end. As a routine budget measure, it does not create new policies or affect specific groups beyond funding existing state services.
SB 430 revises North Carolina's child passenger safety law to update requirements for restraining children in vehicles. It mandates that children under 8 years old or weighing less than 80 pounds and under 57 inches tall must use a weight- and height-appropriate car seat or booster seat, with newborns starting in rear-facing seats. Drivers must secure children under 5 years old in the rear seat unless the vehicle lacks a rear seat, lacks airbags, or the car seat is airbag-compatible. The law becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to all drivers transporting children meeting these criteria.
SB 396 creates a new pathway for physicians, physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants to obtain a North Carolina medical license through "endorsement," allowing them to practice in the state if they hold an active license in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least five years (with two years of post-residency practice for physicians). Applicants must provide employer verification of a full-time job offer in North Carolina, proof of good standing with no recent disciplinary actions, and documentation of active practice (averaging 20+ hours weekly). The bill also establishes higher application fees for endorsement pathways (e.g., $825 for physicians vs. $400 for standard applications) and requires licensees to submit additional documentation within 120 days to keep their endorsement license active. This bill directly affects out-of-state medical professionals seeking to practice in North Carolina.
SB 415 requires all medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals (like radiographers, sonographers, and radiation therapists) to hold a state license before performing procedures on patients. It mandates that these professionals complete approved education and pass examinations to demonstrate competence, directly affecting healthcare facilities that employ them and the professionals themselves. The bill establishes a new "Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board of Examiners" to oversee licensing, replacing voluntary certification with a standardized state requirement. Facilities must ensure staff are licensed, and unlicensed individuals cannot perform these procedures or imply they are qualified. This aims to enhance patient safety by ensuring only trained personnel handle imaging equipment and radiation therapy.
