House Bill 110 establishes the National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program in North Carolina. This program provides student loan repayment awards to active members of the North Carolina National Guard, incentivizing them to begin or complete a term of service of at least three years. Awards cannot exceed the recipient's total student loan debt or $50,000 for a three-year service term, with potential for additional funds for longer service. Recipients must sign an agreement to repay a portion of the award if they voluntarily terminate their service early. The bill appropriates over $25.5 million to a new fund for the program for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
SB 161, the Jenesis Firearm Accountability Act, requires firearm owners in North Carolina to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours. Owners must provide details like the firearm’s serial number and location, with penalties starting at a written warning for a first offense and escalating to $1,000 fines for repeat violations. The bill also exempts from sales tax equipment designed to prevent unauthorized firearm access, such as gun safes or trigger locks, and allocates $500,000 for an educational campaign about reporting requirements. It aims to improve public safety by aiding law enforcement tracking and reducing firearm misuse, while protecting owners who comply with the reporting rules.
HB 542 appropriates $7.5 million annually from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to expand mental and behavioral health services for children, families, and staff in North Carolina child care facilities and out-of-school programs. The funds, managed by the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), must supplement existing services and cannot replace current funding, with unused funds remaining available until fully spent. NCPC must distribute the funds to local partnerships and submit annual progress reports detailing services provided, participants served, and recommendations for future initiatives. The bill also establishes a special fund to hold unexpended funds, allowing NCPC to retain up to $5 million in cash annually for future use.
HB 445 reinstates education-based salary supplements for teachers, instructional support staff (including school social workers), and requires school districts to publicly post minimum salary schedules for occupational and physical therapists. The bill allocates $8 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund these supplements, using a 2013 salary policy framework to determine eligibility based on academic degrees. School districts must publish therapist salary schedules online by October 15 each year, differentiating pay by experience in five-year intervals. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting educators and therapists in North Carolina public schools.
HB 507, "The Children First Act," expands affordable child care access for North Carolina families by increasing subsidy eligibility to 85% of state median income and raising subsidy rates to cover actual care costs. It allocates $50 million annually for subsidies and $15 million for grants to establish new child care facilities in rural or underserved areas, targeting "child care deserts." The bill also creates an employer-provided child care credit to incentivize workplace child care programs. These provisions directly affect low-to-moderate-income families, child care providers, and employers seeking to support working parents.
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This bill provides $5 million in state funds to the City of Greensboro for planning water and wastewater infrastructure improvements at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The grant, administered through the Department of Environmental Quality, will cover preliminary work to extend services to economic development sites at the airport. It directly supports Greensboro's efforts to expand infrastructure needed for new business growth in that area. The funds are designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and take effect July 1, 2025.
HB 783 appropriates $100,000 from North Carolina's General Fund for Sidekicks Academy, Inc. to support its Durham Public Schools program. The funds will cover $90,000 for student training gear, safety equipment, tournaments, and staff salaries, plus $10,000 for field trips to Taekwondo tournaments, museums, and college events. The program directly serves marginalized students by combining martial arts training, character development, and community support to create a safe learning environment. This is a funding measure with no policy changes, solely providing financial support to an existing community program.
SB 361, the "Protecting First Responders Act," increases criminal penalties for assaulting or exposing emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and other first responders to fentanyl or harmful substances. It criminalizes intentionally exposing these responders to fentanyl (a Class H felony) or causing serious injury through such exposure (Class G felony), and imposes a Class I felony for failing to warn responders about fentanyl at a scene. The bill appropriates $10.35 million in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide bulletproof vests ($8.1 million) and bulletproof backpack plates ($2.25 million) to paramedics and EMTs through grants. These provisions apply to first responders registered with North Carolina’s Office of Emergency Medical Services, with funding effective July 1, 2025, and criminal provisions effective December 1, 2025.
HB 756 appropriates $100,000 in one-time state funds to the Harmony Empowerment Life Center, a nonprofit organization, to expand its "Never Limit An Athlete's Mind" program. The program directly supports minorities and their families in Wake, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Union, and Anson counties by improving mental health resources and preparing them for future opportunities. The bill provides a directed grant through the Office of State Budget and Management for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. This funding enables the nonprofit to extend its existing services to additional counties without creating new statewide policies.
This bill allocates $237,000 from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund an art installation honoring Stagville descendants' history. The funds will support The Stagville Memorial Project's design and development of the installation on land near Durham's Museum of History. The appropriation becomes effective July 1, 2025, and is a one-time (nonrecurring) funding measure.
