Rep. Bill Ward

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill allows taxpayers to deduct up to $5,000 of unreimbursed costs for prescribed medications and pharmacy fees from their state income tax. The deduction applies to expenses not covered by tax-advantaged accounts like Flexible Spending or Health Savings Accounts and prevents double-dipping if a federal deduction is already claimed for the same year. Effective for tax years starting on or after January 1, 2026, the measure directly affects individuals paying out-of-pocket for prescription drugs who itemize their state taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Rural Healthcare Infrastructure Fund in North Carolina to help build, repair, and modernize healthcare facilities in rural areas. The fund will provide money through grants and low-interest loans to support construction and renovation projects, while also replacing an older stabilization program. A state council must first develop and get approval for a detailed plan outlining how the fund will be managed and who can apply before any money is awarded. The bill also updates the duties of the state health council and requires annual reports on how the fund is being used.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 433 allows licensed registered nurses (RNs) to serve as school nurses in North Carolina public schools. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring a four-year degree for school nurse employment. It specifies that RNs with at least two years of experience in a hospital or health clinic can work as school nurses without needing additional certifications or licenses. These qualified registered nurses will be paid under the certified school nurse pay scale.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 390, titled "Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke," establishes new standards for surgical smoke evacuation in North Carolina. This bill requires all licensed hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to adopt and implement policies mandating the use of a smoke evacuation/filtering system during surgical procedures likely to generate surgical smoke. A smoke evacuation/filtering system is defined as equipment that captures, filters, and eliminates surgical smoke at its origin. The Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to take adverse action against facilities that violate these new requirements. This act is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 727 modifies the licensure process for marriage and family therapists and therapy associates in North Carolina. It streamlines the process for professionals licensed in other states to obtain a North Carolina license through reciprocity, making it mandatory for qualified applicants. The bill adjusts experience requirements and expands acceptable examination options to include California's clinical examination. Additionally, it clarifies that all applicants, including those applying via reciprocity, must undergo criminal history record checks. These changes aim to facilitate licensing for out-of-state therapists while maintaining regulatory oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 1192, known as the Energy and Housing Affordability Act, modifies how electric utilities in North Carolina handle changes in fuel costs and establishes rules for on-site power generation by large customers. The bill requires utilities to provide detailed data on fuel usage and emissions treatment to the Public Service Commission, which will then use a new sharing mechanism to adjust customer rates. Under this mechanism, if fuel costs rise or fall from a baseline, customers and utility shareholders will split the financial impact, with customers covering eighty percent and shareholders absorbing the remaining twenty percent of any variance. Additionally, the act appropriates funds to support a workforce housing loan program aimed at improving housing affordability.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a two-year pause on issuing permits for new datacenters in North Carolina, which are defined as facilities with a power capacity of 100 megawatts or more. During this moratorium, a university research group will study the potential impacts of these facilities on the state's electricity grid, water supplies, air quality, and local property values. The legislation also requires datacenters to annually submit detailed financial and operational reports to the state to receive tax exemptions on their equipment purchases. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must report the total revenue lost to the state due to these tax breaks to the General Assembly.

Maddy summaryHB 1186 directs the North Carolina Collaboratory to create a pilot program that provides participating law enforcement agencies with new, more accurate drug-detecting technology to replace traditional color-based field tests. The bill requires these new devices to be portable, avoid relying on visual color changes for identification, and generate digital records for auditing and tracking emerging substances. Additionally, the program must conduct a comprehensive study to measure the technology's impact on case outcomes, officer safety, and the accuracy of drug testing across different communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for secret peeping offenses in North Carolina when the victim is a minor under the age of 18. It reclassifies certain non-consensual viewing acts from misdemeanors to Class A1 misdemeanors and elevates crimes involving photography or image dissemination to felony levels, specifically Class H felonies for offenses against minors. The legislation also allocates $25,000 to fund a public awareness campaign about these updated laws. These stricter punishments and funding measures will take effect on July 1, 2026, with the new penalty provisions becoming active on December 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Child Welfare Case Escalation Team to provide an extra layer of safety review for juveniles with complex histories of abuse or neglect. The team, composed of state and local representatives, will be activated when cases meet specific risk criteria, such as multiple prior reports, patterns of medical neglect, or a history involving child fatalities. Once triggered, the team will conduct a thorough assessment of the case, identify gaps in services, and collaborate with county social services to develop improved safety plans. This new mechanism aims to ensure consistent quality assurance and better protect vulnerable children by addressing chronic issues that may have been missed in previous interventions.