This bill establishes a temporary pause on new rules that would restrict commercial and recreational fishing in North Carolina's coastal waters. It directly affects fishermen, seafood businesses, and anglers by preventing state agencies from lowering catch limits, shortening seasons, closing fishing areas, or adding new reporting and gear restrictions. The legislation also stops any changes to existing harvest quotas and restores recreational fishing regulations to the standards that were in place on January 1, 2019. These measures remain in effect until the state completes a comprehensive study on its fisheries and reviews the findings. The only exceptions allow for regulatory changes required by federal laws or conditions attached to federal funding.
HB 1181 modifies North Carolina's property tax relief programs for seniors and disabled individuals by increasing the income limit for married couples and eliminating deferred tax liability under the homestead circuit breaker. The bill expands eligibility for the circuit breaker to include homeowners earning up to 70% of the area median income and introduces an alternative tax calculation for those who have owned their homes for at least 10 years. Additionally, the legislation appropriates funds to assist counties with property reappraisals and imposes an excise tax on the transfer of controlling interests in entities that hold real property interests.
This bill updates the North Carolina Department of Administration's responsibilities for managing state real property and changes how seized vehicles are sold. It requires the department to create a five-year facilities plan to better utilize state-owned buildings and mandates quarterly reports on abandoned or underused properties. Additionally, the bill allows for the expedited sale of seized vehicles with low market value or high storage costs to reduce liability, and it encourages state agencies to use existing state-owned office space instead of leasing new ones.
This North Carolina bill prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing opaque facial coverings, such as balaclavas or tactical masks, while performing their duties, unless specific exceptions apply. The law allows for exceptions during active undercover operations, tactical situations requiring physical safety protection, and when protecting an officer's identity during prosecution, while also permitting religious head coverings and medical masks. To enforce this rule, agencies must create and publicly post written policies that prioritize transparency and limit the use of coverings to clearly defined circumstances. Additionally, the bill requires officers to clearly display their agency identification on uniforms and to identify themselves by name or badge number upon request. The legislation also includes a provision that removes certain legal protections for officers who commit specific torts, like assault or false imprisonment, while knowingly violating the facial covering ban.
This bill establishes the Nursing Fellows Program at Winston-Salem State University to support students pursuing degrees in nursing or nursing education. The legislation creates a trust fund that provides forgivable loans to high-achieving students who commit to working as nurses or instructors within North Carolina after graduation. Funds from the trust are used to cover tuition and fees, with loan amounts increasing for those who plan to become nursing instructors. The program includes provisions for mentoring, administrative costs, and extracurricular activities to enhance student success.
This bill creates a new advisory council and grant program in North Carolina to support high-quality after-school activities for children and youth up to age 18. It establishes the LEAP Advisory Council to guide the Department of Public Instruction on grant criteria, program quality standards, and strategies to serve rural and underserved communities. The legislation also sets up the LEAP Fund, which will be financed by state appropriations, federal funds, private donations, and any legal settlements against social media companies, to distribute grants to eligible community-based organizations and schools. These grants, limited to a maximum of two years per award, must provide structured programs with adult mentors focused on positive youth development rather than basic classroom instruction. The bill ensures that grant funds supplement existing programs and includes requirements for evaluating outcomes such as attendance, skill development, and community engagement.
This 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.
This bill establishes a new licensing framework in North Carolina for artificial intelligence chatbots that handle health information, requiring operators to obtain permission from the Department of Justice before offering such services. To qualify for a license, companies must submit detailed technical documentation, prove insurance coverage, and demonstrate that their systems meet rigorous safety and efficacy standards through independent testing and expert review. Once licensed, operators are required to implement strong data security measures, report breaches within 24 hours, provide clear disclosures about the chatbot's artificial nature, and allow users to access or delete their personal data. The state's Department of Justice will enforce these rules by conducting regular physical and digital inspections of chatbot systems, including reviews of source code and data practices.
This bill allows adults aged 18 and older to carry self-defense devices, such as pepper spray, tasers, and ordinary pocket knives, on the property of North Carolina colleges and universities. It creates an exception to state laws that typically restrict carrying concealed weapons on school grounds, explicitly permitting students, staff, and visitors to possess these items for self-defense. Additionally, the legislation allocates $10,000 to fund public awareness campaigns informing the campus community about this new permission. The changes will take effect in July 2026, with the advertising funds available for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
HB 1179 modifies North Carolina's property tax relief programs to help seniors and disabled homeowners by allowing them to combine two existing benefits and removing a strict income cutoff that previously denied aid to those just above the limit. The bill introduces a gradual phaseout for the elderly homestead exclusion, reducing benefits by 3.33% for every 1% of income earned above 55% of the state median, while also permitting eligible owners to stack this relief with the circuit breaker program. Additionally, the legislation clarifies rules for seniors living in shared or inherited properties to ensure they can receive full relief if no other non-spouse owner resides there. To offset the increased costs for local governments, the bill requires the state to reimburse counties for revenue losses and provides funding to support more frequent property tax reappraisals.
This bill allows the chair of North Carolina's Environmental Management Commission to hire temporary employees using the state's Temporary Solutions Program. It updates the commission's staffing rules to give the chair more flexibility in acquiring short-term staff while keeping salary and travel expenses under existing state regulations. Additionally, the legislation reduces the recurring annual funding for dedicated commission staff by $5,000 from the state's General Fund. These changes directly affect the commission's administrative operations and its budget allocation for personnel.
This bill establishes a $2,000 cap on the fees the North Carolina State Board of Chiropractic Examiners can charge chiropractors for disciplinary actions, ensuring that any settlement requiring higher payments is legally unenforceable. It also mandates that the Board keep detailed, accurate minutes of its meetings, which must include summaries of public comments and specific voting records for each motion. These changes aim to limit financial burdens on licensees during investigations and increase transparency in the Board's official proceedings. The new rules will take effect on October 1, 2026, and apply to disciplinary cases occurring on or after that date.
