Rep. Maria Cervania

Maddy summaryHB 140 authorizes the addition of the Gullah Geechee Greenway/Blueway Heritage Trail to North Carolina's State Trails System. This bill adds a 21-mile multiuse trail in Brunswick County, designed for pedestrian and bicycle use, which connects various historical sites significant to Gullah Geechee culture. It directs the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to support and promote the trail's establishment and allows the State to acquire necessary land through donations or existing funds, waiving the usual appropriation requirement for new additions.

Maddy summaryHB 254 designates the fourth Thursday of March each year as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day in North Carolina. This officially recognizes and honors the legacy of the African-American pilots, navigators, bombardiers, instructors, and support staff who trained at Tuskegee Institute from 1941 to 1949.

Maddy summaryHB 649 directs the North Carolina Collaboratory to study the state's county tier designation system. The study will examine potential changes to the criteria used for ranking counties, how tier designations are assigned, and the ranking timeframe. It will evaluate the impact of these changes on all 100 counties, programs that use the tier system, and the ease of doing business in the state. The Collaboratory is required to submit a preliminary report by December 2025 and a final report by December 2026.

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 summaryHB 873, titled "DEQ Agency Bill," proposes various changes to statutes governing the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The bill authorizes the DEQ to use public schools and other tax-maintained buildings for public hearings, subject to conditions like not interfering with school activities and covering custodial fees. It also clarifies that landowners who purchase property with knowledge of hazardous waste and then cause exposure or migration are considered responsible parties for inactive hazardous sites. Additionally, the bill sets requirements for off-site hazardous waste recycling facilities and modifies the payment schedule for Brownfields agreement fees into two installments.

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 summaryHouse Bill 110 establishes the National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program in North Carolina. This program provides student loan repayment awards to active members of the North Carolina National Guard, incentivizing them to begin or complete a term of service of at least three years. Awards cannot exceed the recipient's total student loan debt or $50,000 for a three-year service term, with potential for additional funds for longer service. Recipients must sign an agreement to repay a portion of the award if they voluntarily terminate their service early. The bill appropriates over $25.5 million to a new fund for the program for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 767 establishes the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Market Rate Compensation for Teachers. This commission will study public school teacher pay and benefits in North Carolina, comparing them to other states and professions, and analyze teacher attrition rates. Composed of legislators, gubernatorial appointees, and the State Superintendent, the commission will hold public meetings across the state. Its purpose is to gather data and provide legislative recommendations on teacher compensation to the General Assembly by the end of 2026.