Budget & Taxes (State Budget)

in committee · North Carolina · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 90: State and Local Government Retirees Cost of Living Adjustment.

HB 90 provides a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to retirement allowances for retirees in North Carolina's Teachers', State Employees', Judicial, Legislative, and Local Governmental Retirement Systems. The increase applies to retirees who retired on or before specific dates (ranging from July 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025), with those who retired later receiving a proportional increase based on months served during 2024-2025. The bill appropriates $250 million from the General Fund to fund this adjustment, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects current retirees in these five systems by increasing their monthly payments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $250M from General Fund for retiree COLA, directly increasing state budget allocation for retirement benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 273: Create/Fund Brushy Mountains State Natural Area.

HB 273 creates the Brushy Mountains State Natural Area (BMSNA) in Alexander, Caldwell, and Wilkes counties, adding it to North Carolina's state parks system. The bill appropriates $500,000 total ($250,000 one-time and $250,000 annual) from the General Fund for initial land acquisition, site development, and operating costs at BMSNA, using existing funding sources like the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This directly affects residents and visitors in those three counties by establishing a new protected natural area. The funding becomes effective July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $500k from General Fund for new state park, directly funding public recreation via budget allocation per bill's funding language and subjects.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates Brushy Mountains State Natural Area and funds land acquisition/conservation, directly protecting natural resources per bill summary and subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Conservation Parks & Recreation

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 280: Support for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature.

HB 280 allocates $30,000 in one-time state funds to support the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature, a program for older residents to engage with state policy. The funding, from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, covers operational costs for this existing program established under state law. It directly affects the Senior Tar Heel Legislature by providing financial resources for its activities. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and does not create new policy but enables the program's continued operation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $30k from General Fund for Senior Tar Heel Legislature program, directly funding an existing initiative under appropriations/budgeting subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 10, 2025

HB 312: Madison County Courthouse Relocation/Funds.

HB 312 appropriates $80 million from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to relocate Madison County's courthouse, which was damaged by Hurricane Helene, out of the floodplain. The funds will be directed to Madison County through the Office of State Budget and Management to support the physical relocation project. This bill directly affects Madison County by providing financial resources for rebuilding the courthouse in a safer location. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and is a funding measure rather than a policy change.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $80M from General Fund for courthouse relocation, directly funding public infrastructure via state budget allocation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 18, 2025

HB 420: Sound Basic Education for Every Child.

HB 420 allocates $4.3 million annually to fund teacher recruitment programs like "Grow-Your-Own" and "2+2" pathways in high-need schools, targeting efforts to recruit and prepare new educators. It requires the State Board of Education to develop a teacher licensure and compensation reform plan by March 2026, including pathways for new teachers and retention strategies. The bill also funds a study to expand educator preparation programs to graduate 5,000 in-state teachers annually, with a focus on increasing diversity among educators. These provisions directly affect public schools, teacher preparation programs, and prospective teachers through new funding streams and policy requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $4.3M annually for teacher recruitment and educator programs, directly increasing state budget spending on public education services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $4.3M for teacher recruitment/retention programs, mandates licensure reform, and funds educator preparation expansion to strengthen teacher workforce and access.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds teacher recruitment, requires compensation reform plan, and targets educator employment pathways under 'SALARIES & BENEFITS' and 'EMPLOYMENT' subjects.85% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding Student Health Teachers Professional Licensing

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 447: Kernersville Event Center/Funds.

HB 447 appropriates $34 million from North Carolina's General Fund to the Town of Kernersville for the Kernersville Event Center. This funding, designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, is a directed grant specifically for the event center project. The bill directly affects the Town of Kernersville, which will receive the funds to support the center's development or operations. The key provision is the state allocation of nonrecurring funds to a specific local facility, effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $34M from state General Fund for public facility construction, directly increasing government spending on local infrastructure per appropriations focus.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 457: Increase Small County Funding.

HB 457 increases state funding for small county school systems in North Carolina by revising their base allotment schedule. It directly affects counties with student enrollments between 0-3,300 students per school administrative unit, raising their annual funding amounts - such as increasing the base allotment from $1,820,000 to $2,548,000 for counties with 0-1,300 students. The bill appropriates $20,961,180 in recurring funds from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to implement these changes. The new funding schedule takes effect on July 1, 2025, providing higher per-student support for eligible small counties.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $20.96M from General Fund to increase school funding for small counties, directly advancing education budgeting through explicit fiscal allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly increases state funding for small county schools by revising base allotments and appropriating $20.96M, directly advancing school funding under education subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 24, 2025

SB 342: Funds for New Siler City Fire Station.

SB 342 allocates $5 million in one-time state funds to Siler City for constructing a new fire station. The bill directs the Office of State Budget and Management to provide a grant to Siler City for this purpose, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects Siler City residents and its fire department by funding the new facility's construction. This is a straightforward appropriations bill with no substantive policy changes beyond the funding allocation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $5M state funds for local fire station construction, directly increasing public infrastructure spending within state budget appropriations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 24, 2025

SB 341: Funds for Siler City Streetscape Project.

SB 341 appropriates $2.45 million from the state General Fund to Siler City for its downtown streetscape project, directly affecting residents and businesses in Siler City's downtown area. The funds will be used in two phases: $2 million for underground power lines and wider sidewalks along Chatham Avenue (Phase 1), and $450,000 for design work and hiring a main street coordinator (Phase 2). The bill specifies these funds are nonrecurring and must be used for the stated project components, with the project starting in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The act becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $2.45M from state General Fund for Siler City infrastructure project, directly allocating state budget funds for local development per budgeting/appropriations subjects.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationFunds $2.45M for Siler City streetscape project including sidewalks, underground utilities, and road infrastructure, directly supporting transportation infrastructure improvements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 25, 2025

SB 440: 2025 Governor's Budget.

SB 440, the "Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2025," allocates base budget funding for North Carolina's state departments, agencies, and universities for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. It specifies exact funding amounts for all state operations, including $12.94 billion for public instruction, $8.83 billion for health and human services, and $4.24 billion for the University of North Carolina system. The bill directs all state entities to spend within these allocated amounts, with unused funds reverting to the appropriate fund at year-end. As a routine budget measure, it does not create new policies or affect specific groups beyond funding existing state services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates specific funding amounts for public instruction ($12.94B), health services ($8.83B), and UNC system ($4.24B), directing state entities to spend within these budgets for essential services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $12.94B for public instruction (K-12) funding, directly advancing education budget without restrictions or cuts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Higher Education

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