SB 479, the SCRIPT Act, requires health insurers in North Carolina to allow patients to choose any participating pharmacy without restrictions. It prohibits insurers from imposing unequal copayments, financial penalties, or incentives that steer patients toward specific pharmacies. The bill directly affects insurers offering prescription drug coverage, independent pharmacies (defined as groups of 10 or fewer under common ownership), and patients seeking pharmacy services. Key provisions ensure equal treatment for all pharmacies in a plan and prevent insurers from limiting patient choice based on financial incentives.
HB 992 creates a new foreclosure process for timeshare owners in North Carolina who fall behind on assessments. It requires managing entities to provide a 30-day written notice detailing delinquency amounts before denying timeshare use or canceling reservations. The bill allows managing entities to rent out the delinquent owner's timeshare to cover unpaid assessments, applying rental proceeds toward the debt while requiring reasonable efforts to secure rentals. It also establishes a lien on the timeshare for unpaid assessments from the due date. The bill additionally references changes to paternity procedures for children born out of wedlock, though specific details on this provision are not provided in the text.
SB 429 creates new criminal offenses for knowingly exposing children under 16 to controlled substances (like drugs or opioids), with penalties ranging from a Class H felony (exposure alone) to a Class B1 felony (if exposure causes death). It also revises rules for sharing autopsy records: medical examiners must provide finalized toxicology and autopsy reports to prosecutors during criminal investigations, but public disclosure is restricted to specific recipients like family members or estate representatives. The law applies to offenses occurring on or after December 1, 2025, and excludes cases where a medical professional administers prescribed medication to a child. This bill directly affects caregivers, medical examiners, and prosecutors handling child exposure cases.
SB 118, the Military and Veteran Support Act, reduces concealed handgun permit fees for veterans and streamlines school enrollment for military families. It allows veterans with honorable discharge (using DD-214 or VA ID) to pay $45 for applications and $40 for renewals - matching fees for retired law enforcement officers - effective July 2025. For military families, it permits remote school enrollment for students of active-duty members or those separating within 12 months, delaying proof of residency until enrollment begins, with extensions for high school seniors until graduation. These provisions directly affect North Carolina veterans seeking concealed carry permits and military-connected students enrolling in public schools. The bill is pending legislative action and not yet law.
HB 546 modernizes North Carolina's Medicaid program by requiring the state to develop team-based care coordination for individuals with alcohol and opioid use disorders, including screening, medication, and recovery support. The bill also allows telehealth-only providers to enroll in Medicaid without needing a physical office in the state and mandates a statewide specialty plan for children in foster care or receiving adoption assistance, to be implemented by December 2025. These changes directly affect Medicaid beneficiaries with substance use disorders, telehealth providers, and eligible children and families. The Department of Health and Human Services must report on the implementation of the substance use care and telehealth provisions by October 1, 2025.
HB 23 transfers 11 acres of state-owned land in Pender County to the Town of Burgaw for $1, with a reversion clause if the land is no longer used for public purposes. It designates the South Fork Passage Trail (a 60-mile hiking and paddling route across Catawba, Lincoln, and Gaston Counties) as part of North Carolina's State Parks System, authorizing the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to manage it without requiring new appropriations for land acquisition. The bill also codifies the Lake Norman Marine Commission into state law and authorizes the state to support the Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail in Brunswick County. These provisions directly affect local governments (Burgaw, trail jurisdictions), state land management, and recreational planning.
HB 559 modifies fees for elevator and amusement device inspections in North Carolina to address a backlog of over 3,000 overdue inspections and staffing shortages. It establishes new, capped fee schedules for routine elevator inspections ($200-$300 depending on building size), amusement rides, and related services, effective July 2025. Fees will automatically adjust annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) starting in 2026, with increases published 60 days in advance. The bill ensures all fees are collected directly from building owners/operators and used exclusively to fund inspections, permitting, and training - without new taxpayer costs or fee reversions.
SB 664 amends North Carolina's Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund (JMAC) program to allow flexibility for businesses that miss compliance requirements, while updating Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) laws to expand business ownership options and align "to go" mixed beverage rules with federal standards. It exempts certain municipalities from nonbetterment costs and corrects technical errors in the megasites readiness program. The bill directly affects businesses seeking JMAC grants (including major employers, manufacturers, and heritage manufacturers), ABC license holders, and local governments managing development projects. Key changes include revised investment thresholds for grant eligibility, expanded "alternating proprietorships" for ABC businesses, and updated employment maintenance rules.
SB 706 restores funding for counties to address scrap tire disposal by increasing the portion of tax revenue allocated to local governments from 50% to 75%. It directs the Department of Environmental Quality to use these funds to grant counties assistance for cleaning up scrap tire disposal sites and managing tire-related waste, prioritizing areas with severe disposal problems and financial need. The bill requires counties to demonstrate higher disposal costs than prior tax reimbursements to qualify for grants and mandates annual reporting on fund usage. This directly affects North Carolina counties struggling with scrap tire accumulation, particularly those with limited resources for waste management.
HB 210 establishes minimum standards for the care and maintenance of licensed cemeteries in North Carolina, directly affecting cemetery operators and license holders. The bill requires the Cemetery Commission to set these standards - covering tasks like grass cutting, grave upkeep, and facility repairs - and allows the Commission to impose $50 civil penalties for violations, with a 10-day notice period before penalties apply. It also mandates annual reports from cemetery companies detailing all care and maintenance work performed, using forms provided by the Commission. These provisions aim to ensure consistent upkeep of cemetery properties while holding operators accountable for compliance.
SB 442, the "Parents Protection Act," prohibits using a child's biological sex as a basis for abuse or neglect petitions in juvenile care cases. It also bars adoption agencies from denying placements or delaying adoption opportunities due to adoptive parents' refusal to support a child's gender transition. The bill amends North Carolina law to clarify that parents or caregivers raising children consistent with their biological sex - including making related medical and mental health decisions - cannot be charged with child abuse under misdemeanor (§14-318.2) or felony (§14-318.4) statutes. These provisions apply to all adoption placements and abuse petitions filed before, on, or after July 1, 2025. The law explicitly states it does not override other prohibitions against abuse, such as causing serious injury.
SB 125 reorganizes North Carolina's community college statutes and makes specific changes to education policy. It prohibits community colleges from using a secondary school's accreditation status (like certification) as a factor in admissions, financial aid, or scholarships for students. The bill also requires community colleges to report annually on college transfer program performance, including student success rates at four-year institutions, and mandates detailed reporting on the 2+2 E-Learning Initiative for teacher training. These provisions directly affect community college students, institutions, and educators seeking teacher licensure.
