Rep. Allen Chesser

Maddy summaryHB 923 requires North Carolina counties and cities to remove specific personal information (such as physical addresses and phone numbers, but not names) from public websites when requested by certain legal professionals. Eligible requesters include state judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and federal law enforcement attorneys, who must submit written requests with required details. The bill mandates that local governments remove the information upon valid request, keep requests confidential, and prohibit re-adding the information without a written revocation. It also strengthens protections for law enforcement officers' residence details in personnel files, ensuring such information remains non-public except for safety-related disclosures.

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 886 requires all public schools in North Carolina to install Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) and train school personnel on their use and on CPR. The State Board of Education must develop rules for AED placement, maintenance, and coordination with emergency services, with at least one AED per school, ideally in an athletic area. Local school boards, charter schools, and regional schools are then required to create policies aligning with these state rules. The bill appropriates $4.1 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to help public school units purchase AEDs and train staff.

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 summaryThis bill, titled Reagan's Law, aims to improve access to prosthetic and orthotic devices for North Carolinians with limb loss or limb difference by requiring most health benefit plans to cover these devices and related care. Key provisions mandate that plans cover all materials, instruction, and repairs for prosthetics and orthotics, allow for multiple devices based on medical needs, and prohibit denying claims for these devices that would otherwise be covered for non-disabled individuals seeking similar medical treatment. The legislation also requires insurers to provide coverage for device replacements when medically necessary due to changes in the insured's condition or device damage, without limiting coverage based on the device's age or useful lifetime. Additionally, the bill repeals state requirements for health plans to cover emergency care that duplicates federal law, aligning state regulations with federal standards.

Maddy summaryHB 572 authorizes the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to establish a statewide pilot program providing Electroencephalogram combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (eTMS) treatment. This program is for veterans, first responders, and their immediate family members experiencing conditions such as substance use disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD. The Department will select a provider to create a network for in-person and off-site care, aiming for statewide access. Participants in the program will also receive neurophysiological monitoring, counseling, wellness programming, and access to a peer-to-peer support network. The selected provider must collect and report treatment outcomes and expenditures to the Department and legislative committees by September 15, 2026.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 652 modifies how the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) calculates the baseline unit pricing for transportation goods used in highway maintenance and construction projects. The bill changes the baseline calculation from the 2015-2016 fiscal year to a rolling average of the three previous fiscal years. It maintains the existing provision that no Highway Division can exceed a ten percent variance over these established unit prices. If a division exceeds this variance, the DOT is required to report to several legislative committees detailing the reasons and steps for compliance. This act is set to become effective on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes local governments to borrow money through "grant anticipation notes" to accelerate local transportation projects already identified for funding under the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). To utilize this, a local government must enter into an expedited project agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT), outlining project details, costs, funding, and a repayment plan. These notes are special obligations, meaning they are repaid solely from the anticipated STIP funding, and the local government's general taxing power is not pledged. The DOT must ensure that any STIP changes do not delay the repayment of these notes, and both the DOT and the Department of the Treasurer are directed to establish rules for their implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 94 allows disabled veterans and their unremarried surviving spouses to prequalify for the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion. This means individuals can apply to determine their eligibility for the tax benefit before they purchase a permanent residence. Applicants submit a prequalification form with their disability certification, and the county assessor must notify them of their eligibility within 30 days. The bill aims to help taxpayers and lenders account for this tax relief when making home purchase decisions. After prequalification, a separate application for the exclusion is still required once a permanent residence is acquired.

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.