Environment

passed · North Carolina · House Jun 16, 2025

HB 429: Turtle Rescue Team Special Registration Plate.

HB 429 would have authorized a special license plate for North Carolina vehicle owners supporting the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine's Turtle Rescue Team. The bill specified a $30 annual fee per plate, with $20 directly funding the Turtle Rescue Team's work rehabilitating turtles, while $10 went to a state fund. However, the bill explicitly states this plate program expired on July 1, 2016, meaning it is no longer active or available for purchase. The legislation primarily affected vehicle owners who chose to buy this specific plate, with the fees supporting the Turtle Rescue Team's wildlife rehabilitation services.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds turtle rehabilitation (wildlife conservation) via $20 annual fee, directly supporting environmental protection through species conservation efforts.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · Senate Jun 10, 2025

SB 329: Recognizing South Fork Passage State Trail.

SB 329 authorizes the South Fork Passage Trail to become a state-designated trail within North Carolina's State Parks System. The 60-mile hiking and paddling trail will run from Jacob Fork Park in Catawba County to Lake Wylie on the South Carolina border, connecting existing parks and recreational areas across Catawba, Lincoln, and Gaston Counties. The bill permits using existing state funds from designated trust accounts (like the Land and Water Fund) for trail development without requiring new appropriations. This designation directly expands public recreational access for the 2.7 million residents in the surrounding Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates state trail within parks system using conservation funds (Land & Water Fund), connecting natural areas and aligning with natural resource protection subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

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passed · North Carolina · House Jun 5, 2025

HB 569: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution and Polluter Liability.

HB 569 requires PFAS manufacturers (those who produce PFAS compounds like GenX) to pay public water systems for cleaning up PFAS contamination in drinking water when levels exceed EPA safety limits. It allows the Environmental Quality Secretary to order polluters to cover actual cleanup costs, including technology to reduce PFAS levels, and applies retroactively to expenses since 2017. The bill appropriates $300,000 for implementation and mandates annual reports on fund use, with water systems refunding ratepayers when manufacturers cover costs. This directly affects water systems burdened by PFAS cleanup, PFAS manufacturers deemed responsible, and ratepayers who may see reduced future water rates.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates PFAS polluters to cover cleanup costs for drinking water contamination, directly reducing environmental pollution and strengthening accountability under hazardous waste regulations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · Senate Jun 2, 2025

SB 697: Lake Norman Marine Commission.

SB 697 establishes the Lake Norman Marine Commission to oversee recreational and environmental management of Lake Norman. The bill would create a formal body responsible for coordinating activities related to the lake's waterways, boating access, and conservation efforts. Currently, the bill is pending in the State and Local Government committee after being withdrawn from Rules and Operations. It has passed its first reading but has not advanced further in the legislative process.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill establishes Lake Norman Marine Commission for environmental management and conservation efforts, directly advancing protection of lake resources and waterways.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 554: Farmers Protection Act.

The Farmers Protection Act (SB 554) aims to prevent discrimination in financing against agriculture producers. It makes it unlawful for banks to deny or cancel services to farmers based on their greenhouse gas emissions, use of fossil-fuel derived fertilizer, or fossil-fuel powered machinery. If a bank has an environmental, social, or governance (ESG) commitment related to agriculture, there is a rebuttable presumption that such a denial violates the act, unless the bank proves it was solely for financial reasons. The bill requires banks to submit annual compliance reports and allows for civil penalties for violations, which are also considered an unfair or deceptive trade practice.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill prevents banks from denying services based on fossil-fuel use in agriculture, opposing ESG policies that target fossil fuel dependence in farming, thus resisting energy transition efforts.85% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentPrevents banks from applying environmental criteria (e.g., emissions, fossil fuels) in lending decisions, weakening ESG enforcement and environmental accountability in agriculture finance.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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passed · North Carolina · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 605: IBT Subbasin/TMDL Transport Factor.

SB 605 makes two key changes related to water management and environmental regulations. First, it eliminates subbasin designations and removes the requirement for an Interbasin Transfer certificate for water transfers that occur between subbasins within the same major river basin, simplifying the process for water resource managers. Second, the bill revises how nutrient offset credits are calculated for wastewater permits in the Neuse River Basin. It specifies that a "TMDL transport factor" must be applied to both the permitted wastewater discharge and the nutrient offset credits, and it broadens the applicability of this calculation by removing a previous customer connection limit for local governments. The bill also directs the Department of Environmental Quality to develop new modeling for nutrient transport in the Neuse River Basin, which could lead to updated rules.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves subbasin designation requirements and Interbasin Transfer certificates, simplifying water transfers and potentially weakening oversight of environmental regulations per TMDL nutrient credit revisions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Environment

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 570: Responsible Firefighting Foam Management Act.

HB 570, the "Responsible Firefighting Foam Management Act," restricts the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals for training and testing. It prohibits any person, local government, or state agency from discharging Class B firefighting foam with intentionally added PFAS for training or practice purposes. For testing, these foams are also prohibited unless required by law or an authority, and the testing facility has implemented measures to prevent environmental releases. The bill mandates the use of non-fluorinated alternatives for training and is set to become effective on December 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRestricts PFAS-containing firefighting foam to prevent environmental pollution from hazardous chemicals, directly protecting water and soil resources.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 592: Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act of 2025.

House Bill 592, known as the Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act of 2025, aims to prohibit the use of a chemical called DEHP in certain medical devices within North Carolina. Specifically, it bans the manufacturing, selling, and distributing of intravenous solution containers and intravenous tubing that are intentionally made with DEHP. The prohibition for IV solution containers takes effect on January 1, 2030, and for IV tubing on January 1, 2035. The bill also prevents replacing DEHP with other similar chemicals in these devices and sets limits for unintentionally present DEHP, while exempting certain blood-related products. Violations of these provisions could lead to administrative penalties.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBans DEHP, a hazardous chemical in medical devices, reducing environmental pollution and protecting public health through stricter hazardous substance regulation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans DEHP in medical devices to protect patient safety, directly addressing health services and medical equipment safety per bill summary and subjects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 382: Elk Permit Auction/Raffle.

HB 382 allows North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission to issue elk hunting permits through a raffle and an auction for the 2026 season. Residents can enter a $20-per-ticket raffle (max 30 tickets for $500), while a nonprofit focused on elk conservation must conduct an auction where the nonprofit keeps ≤25% of proceeds, with all other funds going to elk conservation. Permits are nontransferable, and the Commission must reserve 50% of raffle permits for North Carolina residents in future seasons. All revenue supplements existing elk management funding, and the Commission must report annually on program effectiveness to legislative committees.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDirectly funds elk conservation via auction proceeds (75% of funds), explicitly directing revenue to conservation efforts as stated in bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Environment

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passed · North Carolina · Senate Mar 18, 2025

SB 261: Energy Security and Affordability Act.

SB 261, the Energy Security and Affordability Act, removes a mandated interim timeline for carbon reduction by North Carolina's major electric utilities (those serving 150,000+ customers) and introduces an alternative cost recovery method for ongoing construction of base load power plants. The bill requires these utilities to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and carbon neutrality by 2050, with the Utilities Commission developing a Carbon Plan by 2026 for achieving these goals. It specifies that new solar energy must come from 45% third-party power purchase agreements for small solar facilities (80 MW or less) and 55% utility-owned or purchased sources, including for solar paired with storage. This bill directly affects North Carolina's largest electric utilities and the Utilities Commission, altering their regulatory framework for emissions and infrastructure costs.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill mandates 70% CO2 reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050, aligning with clean energy transition goals while requiring Utilities Commission to develop Carbon Plan.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates 70% CO2 reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050, explicitly addressing environmental goals through emission targets while removing only a procedural timeline.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

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