Rep. Donnie Loftis

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 379 is an application from the State of North Carolina to the U.S. Congress. It requests that Congress call a "convention of the states" as outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of this convention would be to propose new amendments to the Constitution. These amendments would focus on imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting its power, and setting term limits for federal officials and members of Congress. This application is considered ongoing until two-thirds of the states submit similar requests.

Maddy summaryHB 690, "The Citizens Support Act," directs several state and local agencies to ensure that state-funded benefits are provided only to U.S. citizens and noncitizens legally authorized to reside in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Commerce, Housing Finance Agency, and local housing authorities must develop plans to review eligibility criteria and verify the immigration status of applicants for various benefits, including housing, welfare, and medical assistance. State-funded institutions of higher education are required to adopt policies to verify applicants' legal residency for tuition and educational benefits. Additionally, the Division of Employment Security must implement a policy to verify legal residency for unemployment benefit applicants. These agencies are also mandated to report on their implementation progress and any federal laws that prevent them from denying benefits.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 818 aims to standardize access to new birth certificates for adopted individuals, making the process similar to those who are not adopted. It directs the State Registrar to prepare a new birth certificate for adoptees that lists their adoptive parents and contains no reference to the adoption itself. The bill specifies that certified copies of these new birth certificates can be provided to the adoptee, their children, adoptive parents, and other immediate adoptive family members. It also ensures original birth certificates and adoption records remain sealed, while counties receive copies of the new certificate to replace the original. This act is intended to apply to new birth certificates for persons adopted before, on, or after October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 214, known as the "Faithful Article V Commissioner Act," creates rules for North Carolina's participation in a convention for proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It outlines how commissioners and alternates are to be selected by the General Assembly, their qualifications, and their ethical obligations. The bill strictly defines the scope of authority for these commissioners, limiting them to the specific issues outlined in their commission and the convention's call. Commissioners must take an oath to abide by these limits, and exceeding their defined authority is deemed a Class I felony.

Maddy summaryHB 188 modifies requirements for consumer contracts that automatically renew. It mandates that businesses clearly disclose automatic renewal terms, including the duration and cost of renewals, in at least 12-point bold type, and requires a specific space for consumers to initial their consent to the auto-renewal provision. If a consumer does not initial this consent, the bill prohibits charging for the automatic renewal. For contracts renewing for six months or more, businesses must provide consumers with written notice between 15 and 60 days before the renewal date, explaining how to cancel. The bill also specifies that any changes to contract terms upon renewal must be clearly disclosed in this renewal notice.

Maddy summaryHB 781 bans unauthorized public camping or sleeping on public property across North Carolina, directly affecting individuals experiencing homelessness and local governments. It prohibits counties and municipalities from allowing such activities, but permits them to designate specific public property for temporary camping for up to one year. These designated sites must meet standards for safety, sanitation (including restrooms and water), and access to behavioral health services, and prohibit illegal substance use. Such designations require certification from the Department of Health and Human Services, which assesses factors like shelter bed availability and proximity to residential areas. Residents or businesses can take legal action against local governments that fail to enforce the ban.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 489 establishes a minimum reimbursement rate for emergency ambulance transportation services provided by out-of-network providers under health benefit plans. It mandates that insurers pay these out-of-network ambulance providers directly and sets a cap on the cost-sharing amounts that insured individuals must pay for these services. The minimum reimbursement rate is determined by local government rates, or if none, by comparing 400% of the Medicare rate to the provider's billed charges. This bill affects individuals needing emergency ambulance services, health insurers, and ambulance service providers, with an effective date of October 1, 2025, for new or renewed insurance contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HB 519, revises laws regarding when minors can consent to medical treatment and parental access to their children's medical records. It restricts the medical services a minor can consent to on their own to primarily pregnancy-related care, removing their ability to consent for venereal diseases, substance abuse, or emotional disturbance treatment. The bill also requires written parental consent for minors to receive vaccines authorized for emergency use but not yet fully FDA approved. Additionally, it grants parents the right to access all their minor child's medical records, including those for care the minor could consent to, with exceptions for suspected abuse or neglect, court orders, or active law enforcement investigations.

Maddy summaryHB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.

Maddy summaryHB 121 provides local boards of education with additional flexibility in adopting their school calendars. It removes the current state-mandated earliest opening date for students (the Monday closest to August 26) and the latest closing date (the Friday closest to June 11). This change allows local boards to determine the specific opening and closing dates for public schools under their authority. The bill directly affects public schools and students in North Carolina and would apply starting with the 2025-2026 school year.