Rep. Chris Humphrey

Maddy summaryHB 358 allocates $65.5 million from North Carolina's State Emergency Response Fund to support recovery from Tropical Storm Chantal, primarily benefiting Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Moore, Orange, Person, and Wake counties. The funds cover state matching for federal disaster aid ($55 million), direct assistance to individuals ($6 million), a public dashboard tracking spending ($2 million), and repairs to Warren Wilson College and UNC Asheville ($2.5 million) following Hurricane Helene. It requires quarterly reports on fund usage and mandates unspent funds to revert to the Savings Reserve by June 30, 2031. The bill focuses on concrete disaster recovery funding without changing existing policies or creating new programs.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 402 requires North Carolina state agencies to assess the financial impact of proposed permanent rules. If a rule would cost affected individuals or businesses $20 million or more over five years, it must be approved by the General Assembly before taking effect. For rules with a $1 million or more annual cost impact, agencies must prepare a fiscal note for review by the Office of State Budget and Management. The bill also mandates a two-thirds vote by agency boards to adopt rules exceeding the $1 million cost threshold. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and the businesses or residents who would bear the costs of those rules.

Maddy summaryHB 907 creates a new Disaster Readiness and Response Fund within the Office of the State Treasurer in North Carolina. This fund is designed to be separate from the state's General Fund and other existing reserves, providing a dedicated financial resource for disaster-related activities. The bill does not specify how the money will be used or who will administer it, leaving those details for future legislation. It applies to the state government and establishes a new financial mechanism for potential future disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 357 establishes licensing and regulatory requirements for continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in North Carolina. All providers (both for-profit and nonprofit) must obtain a license from the North Carolina Department of Insurance and undergo annual actuarial reviews to verify financial stability. The law directly affects CCRCs operating in the state and their residents, who often pay large upfront fees for long-term care. Key provisions include mandatory actuarial studies to ensure providers can sustain services, protecting residents from financial harm if a provider becomes insolvent.

Maddy summaryHB 737 eliminates mandatory 20-hour training courses for insurance producers (agents/brokers) seeking licensure in North Carolina, replacing this requirement with a competency-based assessment. The bill also clarifies rules on insurance referral fees, updates capital calculation standards for the Department of Insurance, and restricts residential leases from requiring renters insurance. Additional provisions include adjustments to Medicare supplement licensing, continuous coverage rules for drivers with surcharges, and streamlined processes for multi-dealer registration. These changes directly affect insurance professionals, insurers, and consumers through modified licensing, coverage, and fee structures.

Maddy summaryHB 819 creates North Carolina's Longitudinal Data System, which links student education data (like test scores, graduation records, and course enrollment) with workforce data (such as employment and wages) to track student outcomes. It directly affects public schools, universities, the Department of Public Instruction, and workforce agencies by requiring them to share de-identified student data through this centralized system. Key provisions include strict privacy safeguards (complying with FERPA and HIPAA), mandatory data security plans, a 5-year limit on linking education and workforce data, and annual reporting requirements for the system's oversight body. The bill aims to improve education policy decisions while ensuring data privacy and security for students.

Maddy summaryHB 612, the "Fostering Care in NC Act," updates North Carolina's laws governing child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. It expands the definition of "abused juveniles" to include specific offenses like sexual crimes, human trafficking, and certain violent acts, affecting how cases are classified. The bill requires county social services directors to use either a family-centered assessment or a formal investigation when reviewing reports, and to collect military affiliation details of the juvenile's caregiver. It also clarifies that court jurisdiction over juveniles continues until age 18, emancipation, or death. These changes standardize responses to child welfare reports and improve information gathering for safety decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 442 creates a four-year pilot program (2025-2029) to restore recreational summer flounder and red snapper fishing in North Carolina. It directs the Fisheries Division to allow a seasonal fishing window from May 15 to July 31 each year with a daily limit of one fish per person (no seasonal limit), while ensuring released fish don’t count toward catch limits. The bill aims to address North Carolina’s stricter rules compared to neighboring states like South Carolina, which have boosted recreational fishing tourism. The Division must annually report to legislative committees on fish population conservation progress and potential future limit increases.

Maddy summaryHB 14 allows North Carolina taxpayers who itemize deductions to claim a state income tax deduction for gambling losses, aligning with federal tax treatment. It directly affects individual taxpayers who itemize deductions on their North Carolina state tax returns and have wagering losses exceeding winnings. The bill amends state tax code to explicitly permit deducting gambling losses under Section 165(d) of the federal tax code, subject to federal rules. This change takes effect for taxable years beginning January 1, 2024. The bill does not alter federal tax rules or affect taxpayers using the standard deduction.