SB 106 appropriates $3 million in one-time state funds from the General Fund to the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority for constructing a water tower specifically serving North Topsail Beach. This bill directly affects the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (as the recipient) and residents of North Topsail Beach (as the primary beneficiaries of the infrastructure). The key provision is the dedicated funding for the physical construction of the water tower, with the funds allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and does not include additional policy changes or regulations.
This bill appropriates $1.5 million annually from 2025-2027 to fund Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in North Carolina. It directs funds to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. to mail age-appropriate books monthly to registered children through the early literacy program. The bill provides recurring state funding for an existing program that delivers books directly to children's homes.
SB 73 authorizes the Town of Richlands to impose a 3% occupancy tax on hotel and short-term rental stays, in addition to existing state and local sales taxes. The tax revenue must be sent quarterly to the Richlands Tourism Development Authority, which is required to spend at least two-thirds promoting tourism (e.g., advertising, marketing) and the remainder on tourism-related projects like facility improvements. The bill also establishes the Tourism Development Authority with specific membership rules, including at least one-third of members from tourism businesses and half from tourism promotion roles. It mandates quarterly financial reports to the town council on how funds are allocated.
SB 51 requires North Carolina's Department of Insurance (DOI) to implement group capital calculation and liquidity stress test requirements for most insurance holding companies operating in the state. It mandates annual filings of group capital reports from parent companies of insurers (with specific exemptions for small, single-insurer, or federally-regulated groups), aiming to align state oversight with national NAIC standards. This bill directly affects insurance holding companies with operations in North Carolina, requiring them to report capital and liquidity data to maintain the state's NAIC accreditation. The policy change ensures consistent regulatory oversight without imposing new requirements on exempted entities like small domestic insurers or those already covered by federal regulators.
SB 31, "The Wells Act," requires North Carolina's Legislative Library to request documentation (like membership lists, meeting minutes, and bylaws) from state boards, committees, and commissions that haven't met in the past year or failed to respond within 120 days. If inactive, these bodies are added to a list for the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee, which must recommend their repeal in the 2026 legislative session. The bill directly affects inactive state advisory bodies, aiming to eliminate those not functioning as intended. It creates a formal process to identify and eliminate redundant government structures without altering their operational rules.
SB 39 would add a 14th member to North Carolina's General Statutes Commission, appointed by the dean of High Point University School of Law. This procedural bill modifies the commission's membership structure under G.S. 164-14, specifying that one of the 14 members must come from High Point Law School. It does not change the commission's duties or impact state laws directly; it only alters who serves on the body responsible for reviewing and updating North Carolina's statutes. The bill is purely administrative, adding a specific appointment slot without substantive policy changes.
SB 60 clarifies how creditors can enforce attorney fee clauses in debt contracts like loans, credit agreements, and conditional sales. It sets a 15% maximum cap on attorney fees (calculated on the outstanding principal and interest), whether the contract specifies a percentage or states "reasonable fees." Creditors must provide debtors a 5-day notice to pay the underlying debt before enforcing fees, and debt buyers must submit proof of ownership and the original debt contract to courts. The bill applies to most debt instruments but excludes residential rental agreements. These changes aim to standardize fee enforcement while giving debtors a clear path to avoid extra costs.
SB 70 appropriates $2 million in one-time state funds to the Town of Wendell for stabilizing and renovating the old Carver School, owned by Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. The funds will support community engagement, construction planning, and transforming the site into a community center featuring a business incubator, technology center, gymnasium, performance space, and classrooms. This project involves collaboration between the Town of Wendell, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Pleasant Grove CDC, and Wake County. The bill directs the funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 56, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I, authorizes the transfer of funds from North Carolina's State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund. It applies to counties designated as part of the "affected area" under a federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene. The bill directs the General Assembly to use existing SERDRF funds for Helene recovery efforts, without creating new programs or changing eligibility. This procedural bill focuses solely on redirecting existing disaster relief funding to support recovery in Helene-impacted counties.
HB 25 restores local governments' authority to initiate down-zoning in Stanly and Catawba Counties without requiring written consent from all affected property owners. The bill amends state law to remove the current requirement that down-zoning (reducing development density or permitted land uses) needs all property owners' written consent, allowing counties or municipalities to proceed with such changes directly. This applies specifically to Stanly and Catawba Counties and their municipalities, with retroactive effect to December 11, 2024. The change affects how local governments can adjust zoning maps to limit development intensity or land uses on specific properties.
HB 12 would require North Carolina and all its local governments to observe Eastern Standard Time year-round, eliminating the biannual clock changes for daylight saving time. This bill directly affects state agencies, local municipalities, and residents by keeping the state on standard time permanently, as permitted under federal law (the Uniform Time Act of 1966). The key provision amends state law to mandate year-round standard time, aligning with a federal provision that allows states to forgo daylight saving time. The bill would take effect on March 8, 2026, if enacted. This is a procedural change to time observance, not a new policy affecting services or regulations.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to change how North Carolina fills vacancies for seven specific state offices, including the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. If passed by voters, the new rule would require the Governor to appoint a replacement from a list of three candidates recommended by the political party of the original officeholder, provided the party submits the list within 30 days of the vacancy. The amendment also clarifies that if an office term ends on January 1 following the next legislative election, the Governor must appoint someone to finish the term. The measure is scheduled for a vote by the public at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election.
