Rep. Charles Smith

Maddy summaryHB 572 authorizes the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to establish a statewide pilot program providing Electroencephalogram combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (eTMS) treatment. This program is for veterans, first responders, and their immediate family members experiencing conditions such as substance use disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD. The Department will select a provider to create a network for in-person and off-site care, aiming for statewide access. Participants in the program will also receive neurophysiological monitoring, counseling, wellness programming, and access to a peer-to-peer support network. The selected provider must collect and report treatment outcomes and expenditures to the Department and legislative committees by September 15, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 772, titled the North Carolina Student Lifeline Act, requires public schools and community colleges in North Carolina to provide students with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline phone number. It mandates that institutions display the phrase "To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or text HOME to 741741." in several locations. These locations include new student identification cards issued to students in grades six through 12, the school website, and the home screen of any electronic device issued to students. The information must also appear on school agendas or calendars, documents used during suicide awareness activities, and registration documents. Additionally, schools are required to annually verify the accuracy of the Lifeline contact information.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 4, also known as "Sam's Law," aims to improve seizure preparedness and response in North Carolina schools. The bill requires public school units, charter schools, and other educational institutions to develop individualized Seizure Action Plans for students diagnosed with seizure disorders, in collaboration with their parents. It mandates annual seizure education programs for all K-12 school personnel and requires principals, school counselors, and teachers to complete an annual self-study on seizure disorders. Furthermore, the bill ensures at least one employee in each school is trained to administer seizure medication and requires the posting of seizure first aid information in visible areas. Various educational boards are tasked with adopting policies to implement these requirements, with $50,000 appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for development costs.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 520 aims to protect North Carolina citizens and businesses from deceptive telemarketing practices, particularly those involving misleading caller ID. The bill establishes that a telephone number is the property of the subscriber and prohibits telephone solicitors from misrepresenting the origin of a call or transmitting misleading caller identification information. It also prevents telephone carriers from knowingly providing subscriber numbers to entities that will violate these provisions. Individuals who receive calls in violation of the misleading caller ID rules can sue for civil damages, including an additional $10,000 fine for each knowing violation. Knowing violations of the caller ID provision are also classified as a Class H felony.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 283 establishes the Small Business Investment Grant (SBIG) Program within the One North Carolina Fund, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses looking to establish or expand facilities in the state. The bill allocates up to $10 million from the Fund to this new account. Through the SBIG Program, competitive grants are offered to businesses meeting specific criteria, such as having 250 or fewer employees or less than $5 million in annual revenue, investing $10-$30 million, and creating new jobs with competitive wages. Grants are capped at $500,000 annually per recipient, up to $2.5 million total, over a maximum of five years. Additionally, the bill renames the "One North Carolina Small Business Account" to the "Small Business Research and Technology Account," which continues to support federal SBIR/STTR grant incentive and matching programs.

Maddy summaryHB 94 allows disabled veterans and their unremarried surviving spouses to prequalify for the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion. This means individuals can apply to determine their eligibility for the tax benefit before they purchase a permanent residence. Applicants submit a prequalification form with their disability certification, and the county assessor must notify them of their eligibility within 30 days. The bill aims to help taxpayers and lenders account for this tax relief when making home purchase decisions. After prequalification, a separate application for the exclusion is still required once a permanent residence is acquired.

Maddy summaryHB 765, titled "Save the American Dream Act," introduces new requirements for fiscal notes concerning housing affordability at both state and local levels. The bill mandates that the state's Fiscal Research Division prepare a five-year fiscal note for any proposed state legislation that could impact the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. Similarly, it requires county and city governments to prepare a fiscal note for local ordinances that could affect these same costs. These local notes must be made public at least five days before the ordinance is introduced.

Maddy summaryHB 97 adds stomach cancer (gastric cancer) to the list of occupationally related cancers that qualify firefighters for "killed in the line of duty" benefits under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. This means firefighters who die from stomach cancer directly linked to their firefighting duties will automatically be eligible for death benefits, easing the process for families seeking compensation. The bill appropriates $500,000 annually from 2025-2027 to cover these benefits. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to qualifying deaths occurring on or after that date.

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 summaryHouse Bill 771 modifies criminal law procedures by expanding the ability to preserve witness testimony through depositions. It authorizes the State to take depositions from material witnesses in criminal cases under specific conditions, such as when a witness is in danger, elderly, or unlikely to be available for trial. Defendants already have the right to depose witnesses who are infirm, incapacitated, or non-residents. The bill outlines procedures for these depositions, ensuring defendants receive notice, have the right to be present, and can have legal counsel.