Rep. Donna White

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 146 amends North Carolina's driver's license renewal process. It allows active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, or reserve components serving on active duty and stationed outside North Carolina, to renew their driver's licenses remotely multiple times in a row. Currently, a remote renewal requires the previous renewal to have been done in person, but this bill removes that restriction for eligible military personnel. This change aims to make it easier for these individuals to maintain their licenses while serving away from the state. The act becomes effective October 1, 2025, applying to licenses renewed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 163 regulates Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) to ensure fair practices for pharmacies and insured individuals. The bill prohibits PBMs from charging insurers more for a prescription drug than they pay the pharmacy (spread pricing) and requires patient out-of-pocket costs to be based on the net price after any PBM concessions. It establishes minimum reimbursement standards for pharmacies, preventing PBMs from paying less than the national average drug acquisition cost plus a dispensing fee. Additionally, it clarifies that PBMs cannot restrict accredited pharmacies from dispensing specialty drugs and strengthens audit protections for pharmacies.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 107 designates the second week of November each year as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week in North Carolina. Additionally, it encourages local boards of education to develop and offer seizure awareness training for school personnel who are responsible for students with epilepsy or who are otherwise predisposed to seizures. This training aims to provide school staff with information to support these students.

Maddy summaryHB 570, the "Responsible Firefighting Foam Management Act," restricts the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals for training and testing. It prohibits any person, local government, or state agency from discharging Class B firefighting foam with intentionally added PFAS for training or practice purposes. For testing, these foams are also prohibited unless required by law or an authority, and the testing facility has implemented measures to prevent environmental releases. The bill mandates the use of non-fluorinated alternatives for training and is set to become effective on December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 288 requires the official Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag to be displayed at all state-owned buildings and public schools in North Carolina. This applies whenever the United States flag is flown, provided an existing flagpole can accommodate the POW/MIA flag. The state will purchase these flags for state-owned buildings, while local boards of education may accept donations or use available funds for their schools.

Maddy summaryHB 250 modifies the annual report filing requirements and fees for certain business entities in North Carolina. It directly affects domestic and foreign corporations and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) where more than 50% of the ownership is held by one or more deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill waives the annual report requirement and associated fees for these businesses while the owner is deployed. Instead, qualifying businesses must file a notice of deployment and can submit their annual report after the deployment ends (90 business days for corporations, April 15 of the following year for LLCs).

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 663, known as the Living Donor Protection Act, aims to support individuals who donate organs or bone marrow. The bill prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against individuals solely based on their status as a living organ donor in various insurance policies. It also establishes a state income tax credit of up to $5,000 for unreimbursed expenses, such as lost wages and travel, incurred by living donors. Furthermore, the act provides state employees and state-supported personnel with up to 30 days of paid leave for organ donation and seven days for bone marrow donation.

Maddy summaryHB 613, titled "The Vehicle Registration Convenience Act," allows vehicle owners in North Carolina to choose their preferred month for annual registration renewal. When initially registering a vehicle, owners can select any month within a 12-month period for their registration to expire. The initial registration fee will be prorated based on the chosen renewal month to cover the period until the elected expiration date. The bill also authorizes the Division of Motor Vehicles to send electronic renewal notices if the owner provides consent. These changes apply to vehicle registrations issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 217 requires individuals aged 18 and older who are applying for a North Carolina driver's license and are not licensed in another state or haven't completed a state driver education course to complete a mandatory alcohol and drug abuse awareness course. This also applies to applicants licensed in other countries. The three-hour course, available online or in person, will cover the effects of substance abuse on driving, state traffic laws, and high-risk driving behaviors. Third-party vendors will offer these courses under the Division's oversight, and participants will pay a fee.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 703 allows State veterans cemeteries to sell monuments and memorials directly to honor individuals interred within them. This bill permits the sale of items such as memorial trees, granite or marble markers, and benches, though not headstones. State veterans cemeteries can establish stylistic guidelines for these items and must not charge more than the market rate. The funds generated from these sales will be retained by the selling cemetery and dedicated solely to its maintenance, improvement, and care. This act becomes effective on October 1, 2025.