Veterans (Veteran Benefits)

HB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.

House Bill 213, titled "Post NC Veterans' Benefits," requires employers in North Carolina to display a notice about veterans' benefits. This bill mandates that employers with five or more persons working in a room post this information in a conspicuous place. The Commissioner of Labor will provide a digital or printed form of this notice. The poster must include details on services such as benefits and claims, employment and training, housing assistance, and how to request military records, with the Department of Labor consulting the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to create it.

SB 693 regulates fees for non-attorney service providers assisting veterans with benefits claims in North Carolina. It requires a written agreement with veterans that includes a mandatory disclosure about free government services (in 12-point font), prohibits upfront fees and guarantees of specific benefits, and limits fees to no more than five times the monthly benefit increase upon successful claim resolution. The bill also bans aggressive solicitation, the use of medical professionals in employment relationships for exams, and misleading advertising. Violations are treated as violations of North Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices Act.

HB 118 modifies North Carolina's property tax exemption for disabled veterans, replacing a flat $45,000 exclusion with a percentage-based system tied to the veteran's VA disability rating. It directly affects veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected disability rating (or surviving spouses under specific conditions), allowing them to exclude a portion of their home's appraised value from property taxes - equal to their disability percentage. For example, a veteran with a 70% disability rating would exclude 70% of their home's value from taxes. The bill takes effect for taxes due in 2025 and prohibits combining this relief with other property tax exemptions.

HB 266 designates June 12th of each year as Women Veterans Day in North Carolina. The bill directly affects North Carolinians by establishing an annual state observance to recognize women veterans' service. It adds this date to North Carolina's official calendar through a simple statutory change in Chapter 103 of the General Statutes, requiring no new funding or administrative implementation. The bill creates a ceremonial recognition without altering existing veteran benefits or programs.