Rep. Zack Hawkins

Maddy summaryHB 166 creates a legal process for courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) that temporarily restrict a person's access to firearms when they pose a danger of harming themselves or others. The bill allows family members, law enforcement, or healthcare providers to petition a court for an ERPO, requiring the court to order the seizure of firearms if the respondent fails to surrender them. It specifically defines "firearm" and outlines procedures for filing petitions, service, and court hearings, with no court costs for petitioners. The law aims to prevent gun-related harm through court-supervised temporary firearm removal, while including safeguards like mandatory mental health evaluations and annual reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 155 allows Wilkes County Schools and Alexander County Schools to adopt an earlier school start date (no earlier than August 19) for the 2025-2026 school year, instead of the standard August 26 date, if they meet specific "good cause" criteria. The bill requires these districts to document having experienced at least eight emergency school closures (due to weather, power failures, etc.) across four of the last ten years. This waiver applies only to these two counties and ensures they can maintain required instructional days while adjusting their calendars. The law takes effect when enacted, applying to the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 145 appropriates $50 million in one-time state funds to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) for the development of a diabetes research institute. This bill directly affects UNC-CH as the recipient of the funds and will support diabetes research activities at the university. The funds are designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and become effective July 1, 2025. The legislation is a straightforward funding allocation with no policy changes beyond the specified financial commitment.

Maddy summaryHB 148 allows Jackson, Swain, and Transylvania County Schools to start the school year earlier than the standard date (as early as August 19 instead of August 26) if they can prove they averaged at least eight weather-related school closures annually over the past decade. The bill specifically targets these three counties and requires them to maintain sufficient instructional days despite the earlier start. It does not change statewide calendar rules but creates a limited exception for qualifying districts based on documented emergency closure history. The change would apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 151 permits Wake County Schools to align their academic calendar with the schedule of local community colleges, removing the standard requirement that schools open no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and close no later than the Friday closest to June 11. This specifically applies only to Wake County Schools and takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year. The bill modifies existing law to allow this calendar alignment without needing a "good cause" waiver for weather-related closures. It directly affects Wake County students, staff, and community colleges by creating a coordinated academic schedule.

Maddy summaryHB 129, the "Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Judicial Elections Act," reestablishes nonpartisan elections for all North Carolina judicial offices, including Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, and superior and district court judges. The bill requires candidates to run without party labels, with primaries held only when more than two candidates file for an office, and winners elected based on highest vote totals (using a random draw only in tie situations). It also restores public financing for judicial campaigns, aiming to reduce partisan influence in judicial races. This bill directly affects judicial candidates, voters, and the election process for all statewide and local judicial positions in North Carolina.

Maddy summaryHB 115 exempts properly licensed child care facilities from property tax if they are used exclusively for child care. It applies to facilities operating under North Carolina's child care licensing rules (Chapter 110) and excludes both the building and necessary adjacent land from taxation. Partial exemptions are allowed if only part of a facility serves child care, but facilities on probation or with suspended licenses lose the exemption. The tax exemption takes effect for property taxes due on or after July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 65 authorizes North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles to issue a special license plate for members of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. The plate would display the sorority's symbol, name, and motto "Greater Service, Greater Progress" on vehicles owned by registered members. This bill adds the Sigma Gamma Rho plate to the existing list of special registration plates under state law. It does not change vehicle fees or impose new requirements, simply expanding plate options available to eligible sorority members.

Maddy summaryHB 55 appropriates $250,000 annually from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Autism Society of North Carolina's IGNITE Program. The funds will support activities and education groups designed to help young adults with autism develop independence and social skills during their transition to adulthood. This recurring funding applies to the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium and becomes effective July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects the Autism Society of North Carolina and the young adults with autism it serves through the IGNITE Program.

Maddy summaryHB 54 allocates $125,000 annually from the General Fund (2025-2027) to fund training programs developed by the NC Association of People Supporting Employment First (NC APSE). The training, delivered via online modules, will help employers, service providers, and other entities support individuals with serious mental illness, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities in finding and keeping competitive jobs. It focuses on evidence-based supported employment practices to improve job placement and retention. The bill directly affects individuals with these disabilities and the organizations that serve them, with training available statewide starting July 1, 2025.