Rep. Mike Clampitt

Maddy summaryHB 232 appropriates $16.39 million from North Carolina's disaster relief fund to repair hurricane-damaged short-line railroads. The bill directly provides $14 million to Blue Ridge Southern Railroad for line restoration and $2.39 million to Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for track repairs, facility fixes, and lost revenue following Hurricane Helene. These funds are allocated through the Department of Transportation's Rail Division using the Freight Rail & Rail Safety Improvement Fund. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and focuses solely on direct financial assistance for specific rail infrastructure recovery.

Maddy summaryHB 130 establishes a $475 million program to provide financial assistance to North Carolina farmers who suffered crop losses from natural disasters in 2024. It directly affects farmers in counties designated by the USDA as disaster areas, requiring verified losses of eligible agricultural commodities (like crops, livestock, or specialty plants) planted but not harvested by January 1, 2024. The program uses county and state yield/price averages to calculate payments, mandates submission of USDA Form 578 or equivalent documentation within 30 days, and allocates funds from state reserves (Stabilization, IT, and Economic Development) to cover verified losses. Farmers must provide documentation for verification, and the Department of Agriculture may audit claims to ensure proper use of funds, with refunds required for inaccurate information.

Maddy summaryHB 27 allows Alamance-Burlington Schools to start the school year as early as August 19 (instead of the standard August 26) if they demonstrate "good cause" - specifically, if the district averaged 8 emergency closures per year over four of the last ten years due to weather, power outages, or other emergencies. The bill modifies existing law to grant this flexibility while requiring schools to still meet minimum instructional day requirements. It applies exclusively to Alamance-Burlington Schools and takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year. The change does not affect schools already operating under a modified calendar.

Maddy summaryHB 31 would amend North Carolina's State Human Resources Act to make every statewide general election day a paid holiday for state employees. This change would add election days to the current list of paid holidays (which includes Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and Veterans Day), while maintaining the limit of 13 paid holidays per year. The bill directly affects state workers, ensuring they receive paid time off on election days without reducing the total number of paid holidays. It does not change election dates or voting procedures, only the employment benefits for state employees on those days. The legislation is currently pending in committee review.

Maddy summaryHB 154 requires NCInnovation, a state entity, to return all state funds and assets it acquired using state money to the North Carolina State Controller. The State Controller must then transfer these funds into the General Fund, where they remain unappropriated until the General Assembly votes to use them for specific purposes. This bill dissolves the financial relationship between the state and NCInnovation by repealing related statutes, effective 60 days after enactment. It directly affects NCInnovation’s financial obligations and the state’s treasury, with no new spending authorized by the transfer.

Maddy summaryHB 148 allows Jackson, Swain, and Transylvania County Schools to start the school year earlier than the standard date (as early as August 19 instead of August 26) if they can prove they averaged at least eight weather-related school closures annually over the past decade. The bill specifically targets these three counties and requires them to maintain sufficient instructional days despite the earlier start. It does not change statewide calendar rules but creates a limited exception for qualifying districts based on documented emergency closure history. The change would apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 108, "The Sober Operator Act of 2025," lowers North Carolina's legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05% for all vehicles and vessels. It directly affects all drivers, requiring them to maintain a lower BAC level and facing faster license revocation if they refuse tests or exceed the new limit. Key provisions include mandating video recording of impaired driving court proceedings for transparency, requiring impaired drivers to cover processing costs, and allowing repeat offenders to prove sobriety to regain driving privileges. The bill also streamlines evidence rules by admitting BAC test results to reduce court delays and ensures equal treatment in impaired driving cases.

Maddy summaryHB 86, titled "Citizens' Expungement Clarification of 2025," prohibits non-citizens and non-legal residents of the U.S. from clearing criminal convictions or charges from their records through expungement in North Carolina. The bill requires courts to verify a petitioner’s U.S. residency or citizenship status at least 30 days before granting expungement, including potential queries to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It exempts individuals who lawfully entered the U.S. and have filed or are awaiting an immigrant petition with U.S. immigration authorities. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all expungement petitions filed after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 60 increases Medicaid dental reimbursement rates from 35% to 46% of average dentist charges (2023 rates) to align with neighboring states. The bill allocates $52 million annually from North Carolina's General Fund, matched by $95 million in federal funds, to cover this rate increase starting July 1, 2025. It directly affects dentists who accept Medicaid patients and Medicaid beneficiaries seeking dental care, aiming to boost provider participation and prevent costly emergency treatments. The change addresses years of stagnant rates that reduced dental provider enrollment in Medicaid.

Maddy summaryHB 64 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the North Carolina General Assembly to approve the governor's clemency grants (including reprieves, commutations, and pardons after conviction). Currently, the governor can grant clemency without legislative input; this bill would mandate a majority vote in both legislative chambers for such grants to take effect. If the governor grants clemency after the legislature has adjourned for over 30 days, the bill requires the governor to reconvene the session for legislative consideration. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 general election to become part of the state constitution.