Rep. Shelly Willingham

Maddy summaryHB 348 extends the period for carrying forward deferred property taxes on agricultural, horticultural, and forest land from three to six years. It creates local grant programs for counties and cities, using the excess tax funds generated by this change, to provide financial support to qualifying farmers for farm sustainability. The bill also requires cities to obtain county commission approval before annexing land classified under present-use value taxation. These provisions directly affect farmers who qualify for present-use value property taxation and local governments managing tax funds and annexation decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 480 creates a new pathway for doctors, physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants to obtain North Carolina medical licenses by transferring licenses from other states ("licensure by endorsement"). To qualify, applicants must have held an active license in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least five years (with two years of practice post-residency for doctors), have a verified full-time job offer in North Carolina, maintain good standing with no recent disciplinary actions, and meet practice hour requirements. The bill increases application fees for endorsement (e.g., $825 for physicians vs. $400 for standard licensure) and requires additional documentation within 180 days to keep the license active. This directly affects out-of-state medical professionals seeking to practice in North Carolina without retaking exams.

Maddy summaryHB 808, the NC Infrastructure Protection Act, prohibits North Carolina government entities from contracting with companies owned by citizens of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or countries later designated as threats. It specifically blocks foreign-owned companies from gaining access to critical infrastructure like electric grids, water treatment facilities, and cybersecurity systems. The bill also mandates criminal background checks for all individuals granted access to these systems, applying to government contracts and public utility operations. These requirements will take effect for new contracts after the bill’s passage, with background check rules for utilities needing to be implemented by October 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 661, the Building Industry Efficiency Act of 2025, modifies North Carolina's construction and street regulations to streamline development. It prohibits inspection departments from charging fees for canceling inspections more than one business day early (Section 1.1), and limits municipalities from imposing stricter street design standards than the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for both public and private streets (Sections 1.2-1.3). For private streets, developers must disclose if engineered designs fall below NCDOT standards and provide disclosures to buyers before sales. Municipalities and counties must accept pedestrian facilities or street improvements into public road systems after project completion, but counties need agreements with NCDOT or municipalities first (Sections 1.4-1.5). The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting developers, municipalities, engineers, and property buyers.

Maddy summaryHB 615 helps military families enroll children in North Carolina public schools before establishing local residency. It allows students to register remotely (e.g., online) if a parent is on active duty and either transferring to a North Carolina military base or separating within 12 months, requiring only a copy of the military order or separation document. Families have one year from the parent's duty start or separation date (or until the end of the school year) to provide proof of residency, with high school juniors/seniors getting until graduation. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 187 updates North Carolina's credit union oversight rules. It requires credit unions to pay semiannual supervision fees (in January and July) and submit annual financial reports to the Credit Union Division. The bill clarifies examination schedules (every 18 months), sets late-report penalties ($75-$750 per day), and specifies how fees and penalties are collected and used. These changes directly affect all North Carolina credit unions operating under Chapter 54 statutes, streamlining their regulatory compliance with the Administrator of Credit Unions. The bill focuses on administrative procedures, not new member benefits or financial programs.

Maddy summaryHB 811 requires North Carolina property assessors to send written notices to property owners within 30 days of a property revaluation. These notices must include the current and prior appraised values, the percentage change, appeal instructions, and tax rates from the previous year. The bill also mandates that budget officers publish an estimate of the revenue-neutral tax rate on government websites by May 15 each year a revaluation occurs, updating it by July 15 after the budget is adopted. This transparency measure applies to all counties conducting revaluations effective on or after January 1, 2025, directly affecting property owners and local government budget processes.

Maddy summaryHB 477 reorganizes and clarifies North Carolina's existing death benefit laws for public employees by creating a new standardized Article 8 in the retirement statutes. It directly affects state employees, teachers, local government workers, judicial staff, and legislators covered under the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, Local Government Employees' Retirement System, Judicial Retirement System, and Legislative Retirement System. The bill's key mechanism is technical: it recodifies scattered provisions into a single, clear article with updated section numbers, ensuring consistent application of death benefit rules across all retirement systems. This is a procedural update to improve clarity and administrative efficiency - no new benefits or funding changes are created.

Maddy summaryHB 50 creates two new options for retired state and local law enforcement officers with at least 30 years of service or 55 years old with 5+ years of service. It allows officers retiring before age 62 to choose between two calculation methods for an annual separation allowance: either 0.85% of their most recent base pay for each year of service, or a fixed amount based on pay at 30 years of service. The allowance stops when officers turn 62 or pass away. This directly affects qualifying law enforcement officers who retire under North Carolina's state retirement system.

Maddy summaryHB 577 creates a Towing and Recovery Commission within the North Carolina State Highway Patrol to resolve disputes over fees charged by towing services to law enforcement. It requires towing businesses to submit hourly rates to the commission for approval and establishes new permit requirements, including background checks (no felony convictions in the past 5-10 years), insurance, training, and proof of a compliant storage facility. The bill directly affects towing companies, truckers using the State Highway Patrol rotation system, and law enforcement agencies that contract for towing services. Key provisions include the commission’s authority to set reasonable fees, disqualify noncompliant tow services, and oversee permit applications with specific eligibility criteria.