Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 29, 2025

HB 402: Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs.

HB 402 requires North Carolina state agencies to assess the financial impact of proposed permanent rules. If a rule would cost affected individuals or businesses $20 million or more over five years, it must be approved by the General Assembly before taking effect. For rules with a $1 million or more annual cost impact, agencies must prepare a fiscal note for review by the Office of State Budget and Management. The bill also mandates a two-thirds vote by agency boards to adopt rules exceeding the $1 million cost threshold. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and the businesses or residents who would bear the costs of those rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires fiscal impact assessments and legislative approval for costly rules, promoting fiscal responsibility in budget management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 7, 2025

SB 706: County Waste Management Assistance.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax revenue allocation to counties from 50% to 75% for waste management grants, directly enhancing fiscal support for local government services.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRestores funding for scrap tire cleanup and waste management, directly addressing environmental pollution through DEQ-directed grants for disposal site remediation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 2, 2025

SB 387: Brownfields Property Reuse Act Revisions.

SB 387 revises tax benefits for properties cleaned up under North Carolina's Brownfields Property Reuse Act. It establishes a 5-year tax exclusion schedule for qualifying improvements on brownfields sites: 90% exclusion in year one, decreasing to 10% in year five. This directly affects property owners who have entered brownfields agreements with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for contaminated land cleanup. The bill also adds new fees: a $2,000 application fee, a cost-recovery fee for DEQ services (paid in two installments), and penalties for non-compliance, all funding the Brownfields Implementation Account. The changes take effect for taxes in 2025 and later.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides 90% tax exclusion for brownfields cleanup (reducing property tax burden), aligning with tax relief indicators. Directly revises tax treatment under property taxation.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentProvides tax incentives (90% exclusion year one) for brownfields cleanup under DEQ oversight, directly encouraging remediation of contaminated sites per ENVIRONMENT and REMEDIATION & CLEANUP subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 378: Various Education Law/Tax Account/Name, Image, and Likeness Changes.

HB 378 requires North Carolina public schools to evaluate long-term technology costs - including repair expenses and resale value - when purchasing devices like computers and tablets. Schools must report annually on the "break/fix rate" (the percentage of devices malfunctioning or needing repair before their expected lifespan), total device counts, and repair costs to the State Board of Education. The State Board will compile these reports and provide an annual summary with recommendations to the legislature for reducing device repair rates. This bill directly affects all public school units, including charter schools, by adding these reporting requirements to existing education laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires schools to evaluate long-term tech costs and report repair rates, promoting fiscal responsibility in existing budget management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jun 27, 2025

HB 1012: Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part II.

HB 1012 redirects over $64 million in existing state funds to support communities affected by Hurricane Helene and wildfires in Western North Carolina. It transfers $25 million from the Environmental Quality budget for water infrastructure repairs, $12.5 million for school closures, $5 million for university facility repairs, and $2.25 million for election operations in impacted areas. The bill applies to counties designated under federal disaster declarations for Hurricane Helene (per Section 1.4) and addresses wildfire recovery efforts hampered by the storm (per Section 1.5). These funds are drawn from unspent allocations in existing state programs, not new taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $64M in existing state funds for disaster recovery, including infrastructure and education repairs, demonstrating fiscal management to fund essential services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $12.5M for school closures (K-12) and $5M for university facility repairs, directly funding educational infrastructure recovery in disaster-impacted areas.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · North Carolina · Senate Jun 26, 2025

SB 101: Protect Tax-Advantaged Accts. and Living Donors.

SB 101 protects funds in North Carolina's 529 education savings accounts and ABLE accounts (for people with disabilities) from being seized by creditors. It ensures that money used for qualifying purposes - like education expenses for 529s or disability-related costs for ABLEs - cannot be claimed through liens, garnishments, or judgments. The bill repeals an existing law that previously allowed such claims and applies to actions filed after September 1, 2025. This directly affects account owners, beneficiaries, and contributors who use these funds for permitted purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProtects tax-advantaged accounts (529/ABLE), preserving tax benefits and preventing creditor seizures, directly supporting tax policy integrity and fiscal management.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 8, 2025

HB 886: AEDs and CPR in Public Schools.

HB 886 requires all public schools in North Carolina to install Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) and train school personnel on their use and on CPR. The State Board of Education must develop rules for AED placement, maintenance, and coordination with emergency services, with at least one AED per school, ideally in an athletic area. Local school boards, charter schools, and regional schools are then required to create policies aligning with these state rules. The bill appropriates $4.1 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to help public school units purchase AEDs and train staff.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $4.1M for school AEDs/CPR training, directly funding public safety infrastructure under budgeting/appropriations subjects.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates AEDs/CPR training in schools with $4.1M funding, enhancing student/staff safety within educational infrastructure.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates AEDs and CPR training in schools, appropriating $4.1M for emergency medical equipment and training, directly supporting public health infrastructure and emergency services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 552: Agricultural Manufacturing Economic Development.

HB 552 establishes the Agricultural Manufacturing Investment Grant Account within North Carolina's One North Carolina Fund, allocating up to $5 million for new economic development incentives. This account provides competitive grants to eligible agricultural manufacturers in the state. The Department of Commerce will administer these grants, prioritizing projects in less developed areas, those using advanced agricultural technologies, or those with significant research and development. To qualify, recipients must commit to investing at least $5 million of private funds, employ a minimum of 25 full-time employees, and meet specific wage requirements. Grants are capped at $100,000 annually per recipient for up to five years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $5M from One NC Fund for agricultural manufacturing grants, advancing economic development spending within state budget framework.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyPrioritizes grants for agricultural manufacturers using advanced technologies, R&D, and AI/IT, explicitly linking to emerging tech and STEM development within the bill's subjects.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 283: Small Business Investment Grant Program.

House Bill 283 establishes the Small Business Investment Grant (SBIG) Program within the One North Carolina Fund, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses looking to establish or expand facilities in the state. The bill allocates up to $10 million from the Fund to this new account. Through the SBIG Program, competitive grants are offered to businesses meeting specific criteria, such as having 250 or fewer employees or less than $5 million in annual revenue, investing $10-$30 million, and creating new jobs with competitive wages. Grants are capped at $500,000 annually per recipient, up to $2.5 million total, over a maximum of five years. Additionally, the bill renames the "One North Carolina Small Business Account" to the "Small Business Research and Technology Account," which continues to support federal SBIR/STTR grant incentive and matching programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $10M from existing One NC Fund to create small business grants, advancing economic development through targeted fiscal spending within budget framework.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 94: Disabled Veteran Homestead Exclusion Prequalification.

HB 94 allows disabled veterans and their unremarried surviving spouses to prequalify for the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion. This means individuals can apply to determine their eligibility for the tax benefit before they purchase a permanent residence. Applicants submit a prequalification form with their disability certification, and the county assessor must notify them of their eligibility within 30 days. The bill aims to help taxpayers and lenders account for this tax relief when making home purchase decisions. After prequalification, a separate application for the exclusion is still required once a permanent residence is acquired.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption for disabled veterans, reducing their tax burden and aligning with tax relief indicators for lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax exemption prequalification for disabled veterans purchasing homes, reducing housing costs and promoting affordability for a vulnerable group.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill enables disabled veterans to prequalify for property tax exclusion, removing barriers to accessing financial benefits through streamlined eligibility determination.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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