This bill expands North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship program to include students enrolled in home schools, allowing them to receive state funding for educational expenses. Under the new provisions, eligible home school students would qualify for a fixed annual grant of $1,500 to cover required costs such as books, equipment, and other materials, though the funding does not cover transportation or tuition fees. The legislation amends existing state statutes to define home schools as eligible nonpublic institutions and authorizes the State Education Assistance Authority to award these funds alongside scholarships for private school students. Funding for this expansion would be appropriated through the existing Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve, maintaining the same income-based eligibility criteria used for other scholarship recipients.
SB 1024, titled 'My Power Bill Is Too High,' aims to protect North Carolina electricity customers by repealing the authority for multiyear rate plans that allow utility rates to increase automatically without annual review. The bill requires that all future electric utility rates be set only through a standard annual general rate case, eliminating preauthorized rate adjustments. Additionally, it modifies performance-based regulation rules to limit automatic rate increases to a maximum of four percent in the second and third years of any multiyear plan, while excluding large new generation projects from these automatic hikes. This legislation directly affects electric public utilities and their customers by ensuring more frequent regulatory oversight and greater transparency in how utility rates are determined.
The 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.
This bill updates North Carolina's foster care insurance rules to clarify how foster parents can remove coverage for children who no longer live with them and to create a new insurance program for foster youth. It requires the state insurance rate bureau to develop a specific policy option that allows foster children to be listed as named drivers on non-owner insurance policies, ensuring they can legally operate vehicles provided to them. Additionally, the legislation establishes a financial assistance program funded by $1 million to help cover the extra cost of adding foster children to a parent's insurance or to pay for separate non-owner policies, provided the youth has completed an approved driver's education course. These changes aim to ensure foster youth have valid liability coverage while reducing the financial burden on foster families and the state.
SB 316 requires North Carolina hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to publicly disclose detailed pricing information for common medical services, including full charges, negotiated rates, and reimbursements from Medicaid, Medicare, and major insurers. Beginning in 2015, these facilities must submit quarterly reports to the state health department on the 100 most frequent inpatient diagnoses (DRGs) and common surgical/imaging procedures. The data will be made publicly available online, enabling patients and employers to compare costs and make informed healthcare decisions. This bill directly affects healthcare providers by mandating transparency but does not alter insurance coverage or set price limits. Its key mechanism is standardized reporting of pricing data to foster competition and affordability in the healthcare market.
Senate Bill 229 authorizes and regulates agency contracts between student-athletes and athlete agents for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. The bill amends the existing Uniform Athlete Agents Act to include definitions and provisions specific to NIL contracts. It requires these NIL agency contracts to include details on compensation and services, and mandates a specific warning to student-athletes about consulting their institution and a 14-day cancellation period. The bill also exempts certain NIL contracts from public records requirements.
This bill authorizes Cabarrus County in North Carolina to publish legal notices for public hearings electronically instead of in newspapers. Under the new rule, the county can post these notices on its website or use other digital methods to inform the public about upcoming meetings. The legislation explicitly states that using electronic notices does not replace state laws requiring mail delivery to specific individuals or the posting of signs on certain properties. Consequently, the county must still follow all existing state requirements for notice schedules and specific delivery methods where mandated.
This bill proposes two separate constitutional amendments to North Carolina that would legalize the possession of limited amounts of cannabis for personal use and for medical purposes by patients with qualifying conditions. If passed by voters in the November 2026 election, these changes would remove criminal penalties for these specific activities while requiring the state legislature to create detailed laws governing their implementation. The amendments do not take effect immediately upon passage by the General Assembly but instead go directly to the public for a vote, with the results determining whether the new rules become part of the state constitution.
This bill is a local act that applies exclusively to North Carolina's 8th Senatorial District. It contains no substantive policy changes, funding, or new regulations, serving only to formally acknowledge the district's status within the state legislature. The legislation does not affect the general public or any specific groups, as it lacks operational provisions beyond its own enactment. Essentially, it is a procedural measure with no impact on daily life or government operations outside of the legislative process itself.
This North Carolina bill aims to address public safety staffing issues by increasing salaries for state law enforcement and correctional officers, with changes taking effect in July 2026. It establishes new mental health benefits, including 12 confidential annual visits per year, and creates peer support programs to assist officers with stress and burnout. The legislation also introduces retention bonuses for correctional officers and provides grants to help local governments offer comparable pay increases to their own employees. Funded through state appropriations, the bill requires regular reporting on staffing levels, vacancy rates, and the usage of mental health services.
This bill establishes a grant program within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to fund community organizations focused on improving maternal health outcomes for Black women. The program provides financial awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to support initiatives that address social determinants of health, such as housing, transportation, nutrition, and access to childcare. Eligible applicants must be community-based groups led by Black women that offer evidence-based services including doula support, mental health care, and culturally respectful training for health workers. The legislation also requires the department to provide technical assistance to grant recipients and submit annual reports on fund usage and program effectiveness.
This bill requires bars and restaurants in North Carolina to provide free drinking water to any customer who asks for it. The rule applies only during hours when alcohol is legally sold and mandates that the water be safe and served in containers holding at least six fluid ounces. To inform the public, the state will distribute posters to these businesses that must be displayed prominently where customers can see them.
