Rep. Frances Jackson

Maddy summaryHB 783 appropriates $100,000 from North Carolina's General Fund for Sidekicks Academy, Inc. to support its Durham Public Schools program. The funds will cover $90,000 for student training gear, safety equipment, tournaments, and staff salaries, plus $10,000 for field trips to Taekwondo tournaments, museums, and college events. The program directly serves marginalized students by combining martial arts training, character development, and community support to create a safe learning environment. This is a funding measure with no policy changes, solely providing financial support to an existing community program.

Maddy summaryHB 786, the "Working Families Act," reduces child care costs for low-income families by lowering parent copayments from 10% to 7% of income (effective 2025), reinstates a refundable state child tax credit with income-based payments (effective 2025), and phases up North Carolina’s minimum wage to $15/hour by 2030 with annual inflation adjustments. It also increases income limits for property tax relief, creates a homebuyers’ assistance program for public servants (like firefighters and EMTs) as first-time buyers, and establishes a paid family leave insurance program funded through an employer grant program. The bill directly affects working families, hourly workers, public-sector employees, and households using subsidized child care or property tax relief. Key mechanisms include phased wage increases, income-tiered tax credits, and targeted housing support, all designed to reduce financial strain on low-to-moderate-income households.

Maddy summaryHB 760 requires tattoo artists in North Carolina to complete annual bloodborne pathogen training compliant with OSHA standards (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1030) to obtain or renew their state tattooing permits. This applies directly to all tattoo artists seeking permits from the Department of Health and Human Services, excluding licensed physicians and their supervised staff who perform tattooing as part of medical practice. The bill mandates that permit applications (both new and renewal) must include proof of this training, which the Department will verify before issuing or renewing permits. The requirement becomes effective October 1, 2025, for all permit applications received on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 774 ("School Breakfast for All") mandates that all North Carolina public schools (pre-K through 12) provide free breakfast to every student, eliminating costs for families. It establishes a Farm-to-Table Initiative requiring schools to partner with local farmers for fresh, locally sourced ingredients in breakfast meals. The bill allocates $39 million in recurring state funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to cover program costs, while requiring annual reports on participation rates, costs, and impacts on student health and academic performance. This directly affects all public school students, school districts, and North Carolina agricultural producers.

Maddy summaryHB 785 requires North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction to study how local school districts can better use existing education funding by combining or transferring budget categories (like classroom materials or staff costs). The study will identify where more flexibility could help schools meet student and staff needs, with a report due to lawmakers by April 2026. The state will provide $50,000 in one-time funding for this research during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. This bill does not change current funding rules but sets up a review process to potentially recommend future adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 766 appropriates $1.87 million to fund expanded Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for North Carolina high school students in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18). The bill directly affects students by providing evidence-based training to help them recognize, understand, and respond to peers' mental health and substance use challenges. Key provisions include funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to scale up tMHFA programs statewide, building on a pilot that trained 1,519 teens and showed a 50% increase in teens' willingness to seek adult support. The training focuses on connecting peers to trusted adults during crises, addressing high rates of unmet mental health needs among teens (64% don’t seek help, per the bill’s rationale).

Maddy summaryHB 753 allows eligible North Carolina law enforcement officers aged 59.5 or older to continue receiving retirement benefits while remaining actively employed. Retired officers who separated from service for at least six months may return to duty and retain their retirement benefits. The bill requires employers to cover both employee and employer retirement contributions during this period and clarifies that beneficiaries remain eligible for death benefits under specific conditions. It directly affects current and retired state/local law enforcement officers meeting age and service criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 755 provides a sales tax exemption for qualifying North Carolina nonprofits, including hospitals, federally tax-exempt community organizations, volunteer fire departments, and university-affiliated groups. To qualify, nonprofits must obtain a state sales tax exemption number, with annual limits of $31.7 million for state tax and $13.3 million for local tax. The exemption covers most goods and services purchased for nonprofit activities but excludes electricity, telecommunications, alcohol, and certain other items. Real property contractors must provide documentation to retailers when buying materials for nonprofit projects to ensure proper tax treatment.

Maddy summaryThis is a House Resolution (HR 769), not a bill, urging Congress to support H.R. 4052, which would create a National Infrastructure Bank. The resolution cites North Carolina's infrastructure needs - like roads, bridges, water systems, and lead pipe replacement - and states the proposed bank would be funded through existing Treasury debt (without new taxes or spending). It calls for Congress to pass the bank legislation to finance infrastructure projects nationwide, including those in North Carolina. The resolution itself does not create the bank but advocates for its adoption.

Maddy summaryHB 679 appropriates $5.4 million in one-time state funds to the Town of Spring Lake for specific public projects. The funding directs $200,000 for restoring the Historic Spring Lake Civic Center, $100,000 to the Spring Lake Fire Department, $5 million for general infrastructure, and $100,000 to support the Manchester Fire Department or other rural fire departments serving the Spring Lake area. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, and directly affects Spring Lake town operations and the designated fire departments through these targeted grants.