This bill protects the right of homeowners and tenants in North Carolina to operate licensed family child care homes by preventing restrictions from private and public entities. It makes it illegal for homeowners associations to ban or penalize child care operations and voids any lease clauses that prevent tenants from running such businesses. Additionally, the law requires local governments to treat licensed child care homes as standard residential properties, ensuring they are not subjected to stricter zoning rules or special permits than other homes. If these rules are violated, licensed operators can seek legal relief and recover legal fees, while landlords and associations remain responsible for enforcing general safety and maintenance standards.
This bill allows the North Carolina Department of Transportation to mow highway rights-of-way in May for major sporting events, overriding the usual prohibition on mowing during that month. It applies specifically to events expected to have at least 5,000 attendees and requires local governments to submit a request at least 30 days in advance. Under the new rules, the state would mow the area within a five-mile radius of the event between two and seven days before it takes place, with $10,000 appropriated to cover these costs.
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.
This bill modifies North Carolina's Film and Entertainment Grant Fund to create a new Micro-Budget Productions Account specifically for smaller-scale film projects. Under the new provisions, grants for these smaller productions are capped at $100,000 plus a potential bonus, provided the project has qualifying expenses between $50,000 and $1,499,000. The legislation also adjusts funding limits for larger productions, raising the maximum grant for feature films to $20 million and increasing the cap for television series seasons to $25 million. Additionally, the bill updates definitions for "highly compensated individuals" and "qualifying expenses" to align with higher compensation thresholds and exclude certain costs from eligible spending.
This bill formally defines "license-exempt family, friend, and neighbor" child care providers in North Carolina law to clarify their legal status. It applies to individuals caring for children outside their own families in settings that do not require a license, such as relatives, neighbors, or family friends. The legislation ensures these caregivers are not subject to new licensing requirements while allowing the state to update its public materials, internal policies, and data systems to better track and support this group. Additionally, the bill allocates $30,000 to help the Department of Health and Human Services implement these changes and improve communication regarding the distinction between licensed and unlicensed care arrangements.
This bill allows North Carolina courts to order individuals who are behind on child support payments to participate in job search activities or specific work training instead of facing jail time. Under the new rules, a person subject to this order must pay at least $50 per month in support, attend the program for no more than six months, and report their progress to the court every 30 days. The legislation also allocates $3 million in state funds to community colleges to help cover the costs of providing these training programs.
This bill establishes a two-year pause on issuing permits for new datacenters in North Carolina, which are defined as facilities with a power capacity of 100 megawatts or more. During this moratorium, a university research group will study the potential impacts of these facilities on the state's electricity grid, water supplies, air quality, and local property values. The legislation also requires datacenters to annually submit detailed financial and operational reports to the state to receive tax exemptions on their equipment purchases. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must report the total revenue lost to the state due to these tax breaks to the General Assembly.
HB 1201 creates a temporary pilot program within the Department of Health and Human Services to place high-needs youth in safer, lower-level settings instead of overcrowded emergency rooms or social service offices. The bill authorizes the department to seek waivers that allow experienced providers to operate with simplified approval processes and introduces clinical exception pathways to reduce hesitation in admitting these youth. Additionally, the legislation mandates a study by October 1, 2026, to evaluate the pilot's success and recommend reforms on provider licensure, emergency admission flexibility, and youth reintegration outcomes. To fund these initiatives, the bill appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
This bill allocates $545,588 from the state's General Fund to the Town of Pineville to finance a pedestrian safety project. The funds are designated for constructing a pedestrian hybrid beacon and a crosswalk at the intersection of Highway 51 and Main Street near the town hall. The primary goal of this infrastructure improvement is to enhance pedestrian safety and improve walkability within the community. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, providing directed grant money specifically for these construction costs.
This bill requires state agencies in North Carolina to cut their total budgets by at least 10% by June 30, 2028. To achieve this goal, agency heads must submit detailed implementation plans by January 2027 outlining how they will reach the reduction target, and the Office of State Budget and Management will approve these plans before publishing them online. The legislation also mandates a progress report to be submitted by October 2027 and provides $200,000 in funding to the budget office to help manage the transition.
HB 1206 establishes the North Carolina Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to protect employees from discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The law requires private employers with 15 or more employees, as well as state and local government entities, to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees who have communicated their limitations, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Key provisions prohibit denying employment opportunities, forcing specific accommodations without consultation, or taking adverse action against workers who request or use these accommodations. The bill also outlines enforcement mechanisms, allowing aggrieved employees to file civil lawsuits for remedies such as back pay, compensatory damages, and reinstatement, with a three-year statute of limitations for filing claims.
This bill expands the circumstances under which retired judges in North Carolina can serve as emergency judges to fill court vacancies. It allows retired judges to be assigned when there is a need for court coverage due to holdover sessions, administrative duties, or conflicts of interest for sitting judges. The legislation sets specific limits on the number of active emergency judges for superior and district courts while authorizing the Chief Justice to manage these lists and assign judges as needed. Additionally, the bill appropriates $500,000 in state funds to cover the costs associated with employing these emergency judges starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
