Rep. Shelly Willingham

Maddy summaryHB 772, titled the North Carolina Student Lifeline Act, requires public schools and community colleges in North Carolina to provide students with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline phone number. It mandates that institutions display the phrase "To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or text HOME to 741741." in several locations. These locations include new student identification cards issued to students in grades six through 12, the school website, and the home screen of any electronic device issued to students. The information must also appear on school agendas or calendars, documents used during suicide awareness activities, and registration documents. Additionally, schools are required to annually verify the accuracy of the Lifeline contact information.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 520 aims to protect North Carolina citizens and businesses from deceptive telemarketing practices, particularly those involving misleading caller ID. The bill establishes that a telephone number is the property of the subscriber and prohibits telephone solicitors from misrepresenting the origin of a call or transmitting misleading caller identification information. It also prevents telephone carriers from knowingly providing subscriber numbers to entities that will violate these provisions. Individuals who receive calls in violation of the misleading caller ID rules can sue for civil damages, including an additional $10,000 fine for each knowing violation. Knowing violations of the caller ID provision are also classified as a Class H felony.

Maddy summaryHB 552 establishes the Agricultural Manufacturing Investment Grant Account within North Carolina's One North Carolina Fund, allocating up to $5 million for new economic development incentives. This account provides competitive grants to eligible agricultural manufacturers in the state. The Department of Commerce will administer these grants, prioritizing projects in less developed areas, those using advanced agricultural technologies, or those with significant research and development. To qualify, recipients must commit to investing at least $5 million of private funds, employ a minimum of 25 full-time employees, and meet specific wage requirements. Grants are capped at $100,000 annually per recipient for up to five years.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 618, the "Ivermectin Access Act," directs the State Health Director to issue a statewide standing order that allows licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin for human use. Under this order, pharmacists would be authorized to provide ivermectin without requiring a written prescription or consultation from a healthcare professional. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to the State Health Director for issuing the order and to any pharmacist who dispenses ivermectin in accordance with it. The State Health Director is required to issue this statewide standing order by October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 535, known as the "Title Fraud Prevention Act," aims to combat property title fraud by increasing penalties for filing fraudulent deeds and enhancing recording procedures. The bill requires Registers of Deeds to verify the identity of individuals, who are not designated "trusted submitters" (such as attorneys or title companies), presenting certain property instruments for recording by requiring a government-issued photographic identification card. It also authorizes Registers of Deeds to refuse to register instruments deemed "suspicious" or if identity verification requirements are not met. Additionally, the bill escalates the criminal penalties for filing fraudulent deeds, making it a felony offense.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 795 expands eligibility for guardianship assistance programs for youth in foster care. It allows the Division of Social Services to provide financial support to children who are at least 10 years old when they exit foster care into relative or legal guardianship, provided they meet other criteria like a strong attachment to their guardian. The bill also permits younger siblings of eligible children to receive assistance. Additionally, it allows individuals to continue receiving support until age 21 if they were 16 or older when the agreement began and are pursuing education or employment.

Maddy summaryHB 547, titled the "Children's Services Protection Act," limits the liability of nongovernmental organizations and independent contractors working with the Department of Health and Human Services and its affiliated agencies. For nongovernmental organizations, the bill specifies they are liable for their own negligence but not for harm caused by the public agency. For independent contractors providing health, human, and welfare services, their liability is capped at the same monetary limits as the public agency, and the State will indemnify them for damages exceeding those limits. This act clarifies legal responsibilities for entities contracting with public agencies to deliver these services.

Maddy summaryHB 616 modifies the North Carolina Selectsite Readiness Program by establishing a competitive grant program and creating the North Carolina Selectsite Fund. It appropriates $10 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and transfers unspent funds to this new fund. The program, administered by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), provides grants to local governments or partnerships. These grants support the acquisition, due diligence, infrastructure development, and on-site preparation of industrial sites under 1,000 acres, aiming to attract major manufacturing opportunities to the state.

Maddy summaryHB 782, titled "Civic Club Registration Plate Clarification," amends North Carolina law concerning special registration plates for civic organizations. The bill clarifies that a civic organization itself can obtain a special registration plate for a vehicle it owns, in addition to individual members. This applies to nationally recognized civic clubs, like Kiwanis or Rotary, whose member clubs in the state are tax-exempt. The bill maintains the requirement that at least 300 applications are needed for a specific civic club plate to be issued.

Maddy summaryHB 581, the Career Pathways Transparency Act, requires the State Education Assistance Authority to create a "Know Before You Go" website. This website will provide students and parents with information on projected employment needs, associated salary ranges, and relevant college majors. It will also detail specific outcome data for public and private institutions of higher education and vocational schools, including tuition, student loan debt, completion rates, and post-graduation employment and salary information. Local school boards will be mandated to provide this "Know Before You Go" information to high school sophomores to help them make informed decisions about their postsecondary education and career paths. A grant program will be established to assist local boards in implementing these programs.