Rep. Maria Cervania

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 610 directs the Department of Public Instruction to conduct a study on the feasibility of requiring each local school district to maintain at least one school operating on a year-round calendar for grades kindergarten through 12. The study will examine administrative and operational costs, transportation challenges, and potential barriers to establishing these schools. It will also assess anticipated student enrollment if year-round options were more accessible. The Department can work with a third-party for this research and must report its findings and any recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by January 15, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates "The Andy Griffith Show" as the official television show of the State of North Carolina. This symbolic act recognizes the cultural impact of the show and its connection to the state.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 743 (HB 743) allows direct support professionals to permanently reside in specific licensed group homes where they provide services to clients. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSR) to adopt rules necessary to implement this change for facilities licensed under 10A NCAC 27G .5601(c)(3). DHSR is also required to report its progress on these changes to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by September 30, 2025. This legislation aims to establish a framework for live-in support within these residential settings.

Maddy summaryHB 631 establishes a joint legislative study commission to examine the feasibility of creating a State Infrastructure Bank in North Carolina. This commission will investigate how such a bank could sustainably finance various infrastructure projects, including transportation, environmental, energy, and housing, to support economic growth and community development. Composed of legislators, state officials, and appointed experts, the commission will hold public meetings across the state and provide recommendations to the General Assembly by late 2026.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 635 requires certain large group health benefit plans to provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care, treatment, and preservation services. This bill directly affects individuals covered by these plans, aiming to increase their access to fertility-related medical care. Key provisions include mandatory coverage for at least three in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles per insured, provided procedures follow American Society of Reproductive Medicine guidelines and are performed at licensed facilities. However, the requirements do not apply to plans offered by religious institutions or self-insured group health plans, and explicitly exclude experimental procedures or nonmedical costs for donor gametes or surrogacy.

Maddy summaryHB 555, "Medicaid Telehealth Services," aims to ensure that certain telehealth providers can enroll as Medicaid providers in North Carolina. The bill specifies that individual health care providers licensed by the state who offer services exclusively through telemedicine are not required to maintain a physical presence in the state to be eligible for Medicaid enrollment. Similarly, medical provider groups that exclusively offer telemedicine services will not need an in-state service address to be eligible for the state's Medicaid program. This bill directly affects telehealth providers and medical groups by removing location-based requirements for participating in Medicaid.

Maddy summaryHB 634 updates North Carolina laws to enhance parity in health insurance coverage for mental health and addiction recovery. It requires all health benefit plans to provide benefits for mental health conditions that are no less favorable than those for physical illnesses, including applying the same financial limits. A key provision mandates that medical necessity determinations for substance use disorders must rely solely on the most recent American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria. The bill also requires the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees to comply with these new utilization review standards and updates terminology from "chemical dependency" to "substance use disorder" in relevant statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 213, titled "Post NC Veterans' Benefits," requires employers in North Carolina to display a notice about veterans' benefits. This bill mandates that employers with five or more persons working in a room post this information in a conspicuous place. The Commissioner of Labor will provide a digital or printed form of this notice. The poster must include details on services such as benefits and claims, employment and training, housing assistance, and how to request military records, with the Department of Labor consulting the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to create it.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 272, known as "The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act," allows certain law enforcement, probation/parole, and correctional officers in North Carolina to purchase additional retirement service credit. Officers who hold an advanced law enforcement or corrections certificate and have at least five years of membership service can buy up to four years of creditable service. This purchase applies to members of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System or the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System. To do so, they must pay a lump sum covering the full cost of the increased retirement system liability and an administrative fee, with the option for their employer to contribute to this cost.