Rep. Bill Ward

Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes the North Carolina community college statutes to clarify the system's purpose and designates the Community Colleges System Office as the lead agency for workforce and adult education. It introduces several specific changes, including a ban on using secondary school accreditation status to determine community college admissions and requiring the state board to competitively bid for a learning management system. The legislation also expands a career and college readiness program, allows Fayetteville Technical Community College to partner with private entities for facility construction, and adjusts requirements for AI school safety and special needs pilot programs. Additionally, the bill increases the classroom hour requirement for individuals seeking a massage therapy license.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Health Care Omnibus, introduces several changes to North Carolina's healthcare regulations. It requires doctors and pharmacists to inform patients receiving opioid prescriptions about the risks of overdose, prevention methods, and the availability of reversal drugs. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that Medicaid benefits will continue for a limited time after individuals are released from prison or other incarceration facilities. The bill also expands access to mental health services by allowing reciprocal licensing for marriage and family therapists, reducing regulatory hurdles for master's level psychologists, and encouraging the use of tribal health facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal process allowing property owners to request the immediate removal of unauthorized individuals from residential homes by contacting their local sheriff. To use this process, the owner must file a sworn complaint stating that the person is not a tenant or resident, has been asked to leave, and that no valid lease exists, after which the sheriff must act within 24 hours. The legislation also increases penalties for willful damage to residential property and prohibits fraudulent rental advertisements while requiring all leases to be in writing. Property owners who incorrectly use this removal process could face civil lawsuits, including triple damages based on the rent and legal fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new rules for companies in North Carolina that boot or tow vehicles from private property without the owner's consent. It requires these businesses to obtain an annual permit and maintain a public database that logs details about each tow, including the reason for removal and the fees charged. Private property owners must display specific signs at parking lot entrances listing the towing company's contact information and fees before any vehicle can be removed. The legislation also sets limits on how far a towed vehicle can be transported and prohibits booting cars that are currently occupied. Additionally, it clarifies that residential properties with four or fewer units are exempt from the mandatory signage requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1042 establishes a reimbursement program in North Carolina to help cover veterinary expenses for retired law enforcement and correctional dogs. To qualify, the dogs must have served in official capacities such as detection, apprehension, or search and rescue and hold certification from a national organization. Owners can apply for up to $1,500 annually for essential care like check-ups, vaccinations, emergency surgeries, and euthanasia, but not for elective procedures. The Department of Public Safety will manage a dedicated fund, initially seeded with $300,000, to process these claims and maintain records. The law applies to dogs retiring on or after July 1, 2024, and allows owners to participate voluntarily without affecting any other existing benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits financial institutions in North Carolina from using special codes to identify credit card transactions made at local firearms retailers. The law defines a firearms code as any indicator that marks a purchase of guns or related items and bans banks and payment processors from applying these tags to such transactions. Violations can result in civil penalties of up to $10,000 per incident, which may be enforced by the state Attorney General or pursued through lawsuits filed by affected businesses or consumers. Additionally, the bill allocates $5,000 to inform businesses about these new requirements, with most provisions taking effect on October 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 1029 allows patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses to access custom-made investigational drugs, biological products, or devices that are tailored to their specific genetic profiles. To qualify, a patient must consult with a treating physician, confirm that standard FDA-approved treatments are unlikely to help, and provide written informed consent acknowledging the risks and potential costs. The bill permits manufacturers to offer these treatments for free or at the patient's expense while explicitly stating that health insurance plans are not required to cover these costs. Additionally, the legislation protects doctors from disciplinary action for recommending such treatments and ensures that a patient's heirs are not held financially responsible for any outstanding debts related to the therapy if the patient passes away.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill requires health insurance plans sold in the state to cover transcranial magnetic stimulation services without denying, reducing, or limiting reimbursement for properly submitted claims. It specifically protects licensed healthcare providers from being penalized based on their medical specialty when submitting these claims. To support this change, the state will allocate one million dollars to the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees to ensure compliance. The law takes effect on October 1, 2024, for new, renewed, or amended insurance contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory to conduct a study on how proposed changes to the county tier designation system would affect the state's 100 counties. The study will examine potential adjustments to the criteria for ranking counties, the method used to assign tiers, and the timeline for these rankings. It will also assess how these changes impact state programs, business operations, and the accuracy of identifying distressed areas using current data. Funded with $100,000, the Collaboratory must submit a preliminary report by December 31, 2024, and a final report by December 1, 2025, to legislative oversight committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the official boundaries of the Town of Edenton in Chowan County by adding six specific tracts of land, collectively known as Hayes Farm. The legislation incorporates approximately 190 acres of property, ranging from 1.13 to 141.83 acres per tract, based on existing survey records filed with the county registry. Once enacted, the new territory will become subject to municipal taxes starting with the taxable year beginning July 1, 2024. The law takes effect on June 30, 2024, formally integrating these areas into the town's corporate limits.