Rep. Frances Jackson

Maddy summaryHB 242 adds freestanding psychiatric hospitals (licensed, Medicare-certified facilities primarily providing psychiatric care that are not state-owned) to North Carolina’s Medicaid Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). This expands the existing program - which currently reimburses acute care hospitals - to include these psychiatric hospitals, providing them with increased Medicaid reimbursements. The funding will come from a new quarterly assessment levied on the psychiatric hospitals themselves, calculated as a percentage of their hospital costs. The bill does not change patient eligibility but alters how these specific hospitals receive Medicaid payments through the HASP program.

Maddy summaryHB 345 recognizes legal rights for the Dan and Haw River ecosystems in North Carolina, granting them the right to exist, flourish, and maintain natural functions like clean water and biodiversity. It directly affects these specific river watersheds - including all species, tributaries, and dependent ecosystems - and requires state environmental agencies (DEQ, DNR, Wildlife Commission) to protect these rights. The bill establishes that the rivers possess inherent rights to natural water flow, restoration, and freedom from pollution, shifting legal focus from merely regulating human activity to upholding the rivers' ecological health as a legal priority.

Maddy summaryHB 340 requires North Carolina's State Board of Education to develop or purchase a screening assessment to identify academically or intellectually gifted students in all sixth-grade classrooms across public middle schools. The bill directly affects all sixth graders in North Carolina public middle schools by mandating universal screening for gifted identification. Key provisions include appropriating $7 million in recurring state funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to cover assessment costs and requiring the screening to be administered to every sixth grader. The law becomes effective July 1, 2025, with the Department of Public Instruction responsible for implementing the screening process.

Maddy summaryHB 341 increases property tax relief for disabled veterans in North Carolina by expanding the homestead exclusion on their primary residence. The bill sets exclusion amounts based on disability rating: $100,000 for 70%+ disability, $75,000 for 50-69%, $50,000 for 30-49%, and $25,000 for 10-29%. Surviving spouses qualify for the greater of the veteran’s exclusion amount or $45,000, provided the veteran’s death resulted from a service-connected condition. This policy directly affects qualifying disabled veterans and their surviving spouses who own and occupy their primary residence, effective for taxes due in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 327 appropriates $16.564 million in one-time state funds to the Town of Hope Mills for specific capital projects. The bill directs $13.134 million toward building a new community center and $3.43 million to redesign and renovate the Hope Mills Senior Center to meet accessibility standards (ADA compliance). These funds are allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and become effective July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects Hope Mills residents through their local government, which will manage the construction and renovation work.

Maddy summaryHB 321 allows Guilford County Schools to adopt an earlier start date for the 2025-2026 school year, specifically permitting an opening as early as August 19 (instead of the standard August 26) if the district meets "good cause" requirements. This includes having averaged at least eight emergency closure days per year over four of the last ten years due to weather, power issues, or other emergencies. The bill amends existing law to exempt Guilford from standard calendar dates, but only applies to this single school district and requires compliance with minimum instructional day requirements. It does not affect other North Carolina school districts or change general calendar rules.

Maddy summaryHB 323 modifies zoning rules for Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville by requiring written consent from all property owners affected by down-zoning changes, unless the local government initiates the change. Down-zoning is defined as reducing land development density, limiting permitted uses, or creating nonconformities (e.g., nonconforming structures). The law applies exclusively to these three towns and takes effect upon enactment, with retroactive application to December 11, 2024. This policy change directly affects property owners in these municipalities by giving them a veto over zoning shifts that reduce their land's development potential.

Maddy summaryHB 325 establishes a two-year pilot program (2025-2026 and 2026-2027) to fund public school field trips to North Carolina's Legislative Building. It provides up to $2,000 per school for transportation costs (bus rental, fuel, driver pay) to participating schools, prioritizing those in counties designated as "Tier 1" under state law. The program is funded with $1.5 million annually from the General Fund, requiring schools to submit budget applications by October 1 and reporting usage to the legislature by February 15 each year. The bill directly affects public school units statewide, with priority given to schools in designated underserved counties.

Maddy summaryHB 324 appropriates $800,000 from the Highway Fund to the Greensboro Transit Agency for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The funds are specifically allocated to $500,000 for the North/South Crossmax Orange Bus Route and $300,000 to launch a pilot program transporting high school juniors and seniors to Guilford Technical Community College campuses. This bill directly affects Greensboro Transit Agency operations and Guilford County high school students participating in the college transportation pilot. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, if enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 316 reenacts North Carolina's Child Tax Credit to help families cover child care costs, with reimbursement percentages based on income and child age (e.g., 7-13% for dependents aged 6-12). It allocates $200 million annually to expand the NC Pre-K program, adding 32,000 slots for 4-year-olds, and $35 million to increase subsidized child care funding. The bill also requires public schools to provide free lunches at no cost to students through state funding tied to school nutrition evaluations. Additionally, it mandates a report on creating a high school child care apprenticeship program. The bill directly affects families with children, public schools, and child care providers across North Carolina.