Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 8, 2026

SB 474: Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium.

SB 474, the DAVE Act, creates a new Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency within North Carolina's State Auditor's office. It requires all state agencies to report by October 2025 on how they spend public funds and list vacant positions held for six months or longer, including reasons for vacancies. The Division will assess whether agencies or specific positions remain necessary, using AI tools to analyze spending effectiveness, duplication, and budget use. By December 2025, the Division must recommend to the legislature which agencies or positions should be eliminated based on this review.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires agencies to report spending and vacancies, uses AI to analyze budget effectiveness, duplication, and fiscal efficiency, promoting fiscal responsibility in state budget management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 8, 2026

SB 355: Support the Dept. of Adult Correction.-AB

SB 355 waives tuition at North Carolina public colleges for survivors of correctional officers, probation officers, or firefighters who died in the line of duty or became permanently disabled. It specifically covers spouses of disabled officers and children (ages 17-24) of disabled officers, with eligibility requiring service-connected death/disability and verification from relevant agencies. The waiver applies to both credit and noncredit programs, limiting bachelor’s degree support to 54 months. This policy directly affects families of these public safety workers by reducing education costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill waives state tuition fees for eligible survivors, increasing state spending on education funding through targeted appropriations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waivers for eligible survivors of first responders, expanding access to higher education through financial aid for specific beneficiary groups.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 8, 2026

HB 747: 2026 Wildlife Resources Changes.

HB 747 updates North Carolina's wildlife laws with three key changes. It requires the Wildlife Resources Commission to keep personal information (like addresses and email) and details about rare species habitats confidential to prevent harm or theft. The bill also creates two new license plates - “Wildlife Resources” (requiring 300+ applications before development) and “Lifetime Conservationist” - with sales revenue funding conservation accounts. Additionally, it shortens the out-of-state boat number reciprocity period from 90 to 60 days and adds safety rules for personal watercraft, including mandatory Coast Guard-approved life jackets and restrictions on close following. These changes affect the Commission, vehicle owners, and boaters, effective October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates license plate revenue funding conservation accounts, directly advancing budget allocation for wildlife programs via new fees.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds conservation via license plate sales and protects rare species habitats through confidentiality measures, directly advancing environmental conservation efforts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 7, 2026

SB 257: 2026 Appropriations Act.

SB 257, the 2025 Appropriations Act, allocates funding for North Carolina's state agencies, departments, and institutions for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. It provides budget authority from the General Fund, Highway Fund, and Highway Trust Fund to cover current operations, maintenance, and specific programs like those managed by the Department of Transportation. The bill also includes federal block grant funding for health and human services (DHHS) and other designated programs. This funding measure directly affects all state entities receiving these appropriations and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates funding for state agencies, departments, and essential programs (e.g., transportation, health services) for 2025-2027 biennium, directly supporting budgetary operations.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates Highway Fund and Trust Fund for DOT operations, maintenance, and transportation programs per summary and explicit 'TRANSPORTATION' subject listing.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Jul 2, 2026

SB 1076: Rocky Mount/Louisburg Utility Rev./Advisory.

This bill restricts the City of Rocky Mount from using money earned by its electric utility to fund general city expenses beyond specific operational needs. It mandates that revenue from electric rates must primarily cover the costs of running the power system, paying off related debts, and keeping rates low for customers. The only exception allows the city to transfer a limited amount of surplus funds to other municipal accounts, capped at the greater of 3% of the system's assets or 5% of its annual revenue. Effective July 1, 2026, these rules apply exclusively to Rocky Mount, preventing the transfer of electric utility profits to the city's general fund for unrelated purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill promotes fiscal responsibility by restricting utility funds to operational costs and debt repayment, preventing misuse of public revenue.85% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill protects utility consumers by restricting revenue use to operational costs and debt repayment, preventing funds from being diverted away from the energy system.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · House Jul 2, 2026

HB 1040: Pitt-Greenville Airport Authority Changes.

HB 1040 updates the financial and operational rules for the Pitt County-City of Greenville Airport Authority by clarifying how the county and city fund airport operations and expansions. The bill allows the two governments to share costs for running the airport and building new facilities, using money from airport fees, land sales, or voter-approved taxes and bonds. It also confirms the authority's power to manage the property, enforce safety zoning rules, and issue debt for improvements if voters agree. This legislation primarily affects the local county and city officials who oversee the airport's budget and development plans.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill clarifies funding mechanisms and allows use of fees, land sales, and voter-approved taxes to support airport operations and expansions.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill clarifies funding mechanisms and operational rules for airport infrastructure, enabling cost-sharing and debt issuance for improvements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · North Carolina · House Jul 2, 2026

HB 169: Haywood/Cherokee/Leland Occupancy Tax Modifications.

HB 169 ends Haywood County's ability to collect an occupancy tax (typically on short-term lodging like hotels) by repealing the legal authority for this tax. It directly affects Haywood County, its Tourism Development Authority, and businesses subject to the tax. The bill requires the Tourism Development Authority to spend any remaining funds within six months for tourism purposes, after which the Authority must dissolve. The repeal takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRepeals Haywood County's occupancy tax, restricting a local tax authority and ending a revenue stream for tourism funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

Track

signed · North Carolina · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 1123: UNC Omnibus and Capital Contracting Law Changes.

This bill authorizes the University of North Carolina system to finance specific capital improvement projects, such as dormitory renovations and new construction, using non-state funds like gifts, grants, and hospital receipts. It allows the university to issue special obligation bonds to cover these costs and includes a mechanism for the Director of the Budget to adjust project funding if necessary. Additionally, the legislation standardizes the residency determination process for admission to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and revises tuition grant rules for graduates of that school and the UNC School of the Arts. These changes aim to support university infrastructure development and ensure equitable access to specialized science and arts programs for North Carolina residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables university capital projects via non-state funds and bonds, promoting fiscal management and infrastructure funding.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill authorizes UNC to finance capital improvements and issue bonds, directly funding higher education infrastructure and expanding educational capacity.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · North Carolina · Senate Oct 23, 2025

SB 449: Continuing Budget Operations Part IV.

SB 449 modifies North Carolina's disaster recovery funding programs related to Hurricane Helene. It extends interest-only payment periods for Golden LEAF loans to 24 months, caps individual loans at $150,000, and defers repayment for small cities and counties until June 30, 2030, or after FEMA reimbursement decisions. Eligible communities include cities with under 10,000 residents and over 100% budget damage, or counties with under 25,000 residents and over 50% budget damage from Helene. The bill also requires local government grant projects to be ineligible for FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement to qualify for funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesDefers loan repayments for disaster-affected local governments, easing budget pressures and aligning with appropriations subject category.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · North Carolina · House Sep 22, 2025

HB 389: Continuing Budget Operations Part III.

HB 389 establishes a two-year pilot program to create free child care workforce academies across North Carolina, directly affecting individuals seeking careers in child care with no prior experience. The program provides free training, credentialing support (including health screenings and background checks), and stipends ($150 upon completion, $500 after one year of employment) to help participants become lead teachers in licensed child care centers. It allocates $738,000 annually from the General Fund for 2025-2027 to cover tuition and stipends, requiring local partnerships to contribute 25% match. The pilot will launch in Johnston and Wayne counties plus 10 additional regions, with progress reports due by 2026 to evaluate expansion potential. (Note: The bill title "Continuing Budget Operations Part III" appears inconsistent with the actual content; the text focuses on child care workforce training.)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $738k annually for child care workforce academies under budget appropriations, directly funding a public service program.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill funds free training/stipends for child care workforce academies, directly supporting early education teacher development and access to licensed child care centers.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides free training, credentialing, and stipends to support entry into child care workforce, aligning with labor & employment development through workforce investment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

Track