Rep. Monika Johnson-Hostler

Maddy summaryHB 452 makes it a crime to obstruct access to or threaten people at healthcare facilities in North Carolina. It prohibits blocking entrances, delaying care, or threatening patients, staff, or those helping others access services. The bill also restricts protests within 8 feet of people near facility entrances (unless consented to) and increases penalties: first offenses are misdemeanors, repeat offenses within three years become more serious misdemeanors, and third offenses escalate to felonies. This law directly affects individuals engaging in protests or obstruction near healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, and patients seeking care. It takes effect December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 445 reinstates education-based salary supplements for teachers, instructional support staff (including school social workers), and requires school districts to publicly post minimum salary schedules for occupational and physical therapists. The bill allocates $8 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund these supplements, using a 2013 salary policy framework to determine eligibility based on academic degrees. School districts must publish therapist salary schedules online by October 15 each year, differentiating pay by experience in five-year intervals. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting educators and therapists in North Carolina public schools.

Maddy summaryHB 448 creates a temporary sales tax exemption in North Carolina for specific firearm storage equipment designed to prevent unauthorized access. The exemption applies to devices like gun safes, lockboxes, biometric locks, and similar home-use storage, but excludes display cases. It directly affects firearm owners purchasing qualifying storage solutions, eliminating the state sales tax on these items. The exemption is limited to sales between October 1, 2025, and October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 464 requires every public school in North Carolina - including traditional, charter, regional, and laboratory schools - to have at least one full-time, permanent school nurse starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill appropriates $95 million from the state General Fund for the 2025-2026 school year to fund these additional nursing positions, with funds designated to supplement - not replace - existing school nurse funding. It amends multiple statutes to mandate this staffing requirement across all public school units. The law becomes effective July 1, 2025, with implementation beginning for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 446 prevents law enforcement from sharing booking photographs (taken during initial arrest) with websites or publications that require payment to remove the photos. It requires those "pay-to-remove" sites to delete such photos within seven business days if the person was not convicted (and provides proof of dismissal, acquittal, or expungement). Sites that fail to comply face civil penalties, including $100 per day for each day the photo remains visible. This directly affects individuals arrested but not convicted and "pay-to-remove" online platforms.

Maddy summaryHB 425 raises North Carolina's legal sales age for all tobacco products, including vaping devices and e-liquids, from 18 to 21. It directly affects retailers (who must obtain a tobacco sales permit) and youth (who are prohibited from purchasing these products). The bill requires retailers to verify purchasers' ages using accepted ID and mandates inspections of retail locations to enforce compliance, with penalties including fines up to $1,000 for violations.

Maddy summaryHB 35 designates November of each year as Military Appreciation Month in North Carolina. The bill creates a symbolic recognition within state law, honoring military service members and veterans during this month. It does not establish new programs, funding, or requirements - it simply formally names November for this purpose. The bill affects the state government's official calendar and public recognition efforts, with no direct impact on individuals or organizations.

Maddy summaryHB 418 mandates that all North Carolina public schools provide required arts education for K-5 students beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. It requires at least one 30-minute session per week in music, dance, or theatre arts (taught by a licensed instructor) and one session per week in visual arts (also taught by a licensed instructor), with classes kept at appropriate sizes. The bill directly affects every K-5 public school student and their educators across North Carolina, ensuring consistent arts instruction aligned with state curriculum standards. It does not alter funding or create new programs but sets specific instructional requirements for elementary schools.

Maddy summaryHB 420 allocates $4.3 million annually to fund teacher recruitment programs like "Grow-Your-Own" and "2+2" pathways in high-need schools, targeting efforts to recruit and prepare new educators. It requires the State Board of Education to develop a teacher licensure and compensation reform plan by March 2026, including pathways for new teachers and retention strategies. The bill also funds a study to expand educator preparation programs to graduate 5,000 in-state teachers annually, with a focus on increasing diversity among educators. These provisions directly affect public schools, teacher preparation programs, and prospective teachers through new funding streams and policy requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 398, the "KinCare Act," allows North Carolina employees to use accrued sick leave to care for family members, directly affecting employers and workers in the state. The bill expands existing sick leave provisions to permit up to five consecutive days per year for caring for defined family members - including children, parents, spouses, domestic partners, or others with close family-like relationships - without requiring the employee’s own illness. Employers must permit this use under the same conditions applied to personal sick leave, while clarifying it does not alter federal Family and Medical Leave Act coverage or apply to certain benefits like workers’ compensation. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.