Rep. Bill Ward

Maddy summaryHB 891, the "Government Agency Forum Selection Act," requires the State of North Carolina and its local political subdivisions to primarily file civil actions in state courts when concurrent jurisdiction exists with federal courts. It prohibits these entities from seeking to move lawsuits from state to federal court if they are defendants. The bill also amends the law concerning the Attorney General, stating they shall not advance arguments in any litigation that would invalidate a statute enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly. This legislation aims to define the appropriate court forums for state and local government civil actions and limit the scope of the Attorney General's participation in certain out-of-state litigation.

Maddy summaryHB 934, the "Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Reform Act," establishes new regulations related to artificial intelligence and deepfakes. The bill creates a new criminal offense for the unlawful creation or distribution of "deepfakes" - images or videos created to deceive - without consent, when done to cause harm or influence an election. It also grants civil liability immunity to developers of artificial intelligence products when a "learned professional" uses their product to provide services. Under this provision, the learned professional would be solely responsible for any damages to their client resulting from errors generated by the AI product. This legislation affects individuals who create or distribute deepfakes, as well as AI product developers, licensed professionals, and their clients.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 746 provides limited immunity from medical malpractice lawsuits for registered nurses in North Carolina. It clarifies that nurses acting under the direction of a supervising health care provider do not owe a separate duty of care to the patient. This means a nurse cannot be held liable for malpractice solely based on a separate duty of care when following a supervisor's orders. However, this protection does not apply if a nurse acts independently, departs from supervision, fails to exhibit professional conduct, or engages in gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing.

Maddy summaryHB 659, titled "Local Government Spending Transparency," aims to increase public access to financial information from local governments in North Carolina. The bill requires all local government invoices to be itemized, detailing the payee, amount, items purchased, and performance dates. These quarterly invoices must be publicly available via a link on the government's website or as physical copies for municipalities without a website. Additionally, local government websites would need to provide links to the top three bids for projects, services, or goods purchased with tax dollars, with quarterly updates. Both invoices and bids are to be unredacted unless legally required, and these provisions take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 270 revises North Carolina's death penalty laws by altering the available methods of execution for individuals sentenced to death. It allows convicted persons to choose between electrocution, firing squad, or lethal injection, with electrocution serving as the default if no election is made or other methods are unavailable. The bill also protects licensed healthcare professionals from disciplinary action for assisting in executions and permits other medical professionals, like nurses or paramedics, to monitor the process and certify death. Additionally, it makes the identities of those involved in carrying out executions confidential.

Maddy summaryHB 581, the Career Pathways Transparency Act, requires the State Education Assistance Authority to create a "Know Before You Go" website. This website will provide students and parents with information on projected employment needs, associated salary ranges, and relevant college majors. It will also detail specific outcome data for public and private institutions of higher education and vocational schools, including tuition, student loan debt, completion rates, and post-graduation employment and salary information. Local school boards will be mandated to provide this "Know Before You Go" information to high school sophomores to help them make informed decisions about their postsecondary education and career paths. A grant program will be established to assist local boards in implementing these programs.

Maddy summaryHB 472, the "Commercial Vehicle and Cargo Protection Act," introduces new regulations for commercial motor vehicles and their cargo. The bill prohibits the immobilization of commercial motor vehicles using devices like boots, making such actions a misdemeanor. It also requires towing companies performing nonconsensual or government-initiated tows to promptly return commercial cargo to its owner or their designee. Furthermore, if a towed trailer contains commercial cargo, the tower must allow it to be exchanged for a different trailer of equal or better condition.

Maddy summaryHB 57 officially designates the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, located in Transylvania County, as the State's Veterans History Museum. This bill amends Chapter 145 of the General Statutes to formalize this adoption.

Maddy summaryHB 483 proposes several changes to juvenile justice procedures. The bill extends the maximum terms of probation and post-release supervision for youth adjudicated of certain violent offenses (Class A, B1, or B2 felonies) to up to three years. It clarifies a victim's right to be notified and heard regarding the termination of a juvenile's probation or post-release supervision. Additionally, the bill modifies criteria for secure custody, allowing a superior court judge to issue such an order after a case is moved to juvenile court and authorizing it for juveniles who violate domestic violence protective orders.

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.