Rep. Allen Buansi

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $10 million in recurring funds to the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to support Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapters. The money will be distributed as grants to eligible nonprofit DAV chapters across the state for renovating and expanding their facilities or providing additional resources to disabled veterans. Each chapter can receive up to $1 million per fiscal year, and the department will aim to select applicants from all regions of the state. The legislation also requires annual reports detailing the number of grants awarded, the specific chapters involved, and the amounts given, with the program becoming effective on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1017 aims to improve teacher quality and availability in North Carolina by creating new roles, funding recruitment programs, and launching studies to address workforce challenges. The bill directs the state to develop a comprehensive plan for reforming teacher licensing and compensation to attract more educators, while also studying how to better prepare and graduate 5,000 in-state teachers annually. Significant funding is allocated to support existing and new teacher recruitment initiatives, such as "Grow-Your-Own" programs and the Teaching Fellows loan program, specifically targeting high-need schools and subjects like special education and STEM. Additionally, the legislation mandates a study to coordinate recruitment efforts between universities and local school districts to ensure a more efficient statewide system.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special license plate for the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority in North Carolina and updates the fees and fund distributions for several other plates associated with the Divine Nine, a group of historically Black fraternities and sororities. The new plate will display the sorority's symbol, name, and its motto, "Greater Service, Greater Progress," while owners will pay a $20 additional fee on top of the standard registration cost. Money collected from these special plates is split between state funds and specific organizations, with the bill directing quarterly transfers to the educational foundations of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, and Sigma Gamma Rho. Additionally, the legislation organizes the list of all available special plates alphabetically to improve clarity.

Maddy summaryHB 1031 mandates that all public schools in North Carolina, including charter and laboratory schools, provide free breakfast and lunch to every student starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill requires the State Board of Education to allocate state funds based on factors like school size, student eligibility for free meals, and the quality of food served, while ensuring these funds supplement rather than replace existing resources. An initial appropriation of $116 million is designated to support this program, with the legislation taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 434, titled "Lower Healthcare Costs," is a procedural bill focused on updating definitions related to health insurance utilization review in North Carolina. It rewrites statutory definitions (e.g., "medical necessity," "clinical peer," "closely related service") within existing insurance regulations but does not introduce new cost-saving mechanisms or policy changes. The bill directly affects insurers, healthcare providers, and covered individuals by standardizing terminology used in prior authorization processes. As a definition-only update, it has no concrete policy impact on healthcare costs or patient access, and the title does not align with its actual scope.

Maddy summaryHB 118 modifies North Carolina's property tax exemption for disabled veterans, replacing a flat $45,000 exclusion with a percentage-based system tied to the veteran's VA disability rating. It directly affects veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected disability rating (or surviving spouses under specific conditions), allowing them to exclude a portion of their home's appraised value from property taxes - equal to their disability percentage. For example, a veteran with a 70% disability rating would exclude 70% of their home's value from taxes. The bill takes effect for taxes due in 2025 and prohibits combining this relief with other property tax exemptions.

Maddy summaryHB 612, the "Fostering Care in NC Act," updates North Carolina's laws governing child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. It expands the definition of "abused juveniles" to include specific offenses like sexual crimes, human trafficking, and certain violent acts, affecting how cases are classified. The bill requires county social services directors to use either a family-centered assessment or a formal investigation when reviewing reports, and to collect military affiliation details of the juvenile's caregiver. It also clarifies that court jurisdiction over juveniles continues until age 18, emancipation, or death. These changes standardize responses to child welfare reports and improve information gathering for safety decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 578, the Jason Flatt Act, requires all North Carolina public K-12 schools to implement suicide prevention education and training for school staff. It mandates that licensed educators complete at least one hour of annual suicide prevention training, while staff working with grades 6-12 must receive guidelines for identifying at-risk students and procedures for referrals. Schools must adopt a mental health plan including these elements, with initial staff training of six hours (within six months of hire) and two hours annually thereafter. The law applies to all public schools, charter schools, regional schools, and lab schools starting the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHR 778 is a non-binding resolution passed by the North Carolina House of Representatives expressing support for the state's historical and economic ties with the United Kingdom. It highlights North Carolina's cultural connections (e.g., city names like Raleigh and Charlotte), economic partnerships (including $1 billion in UK investment and 218 UK-owned companies employing 43,200 workers), and trade relationships (over $2.5 billion in annual trade). The resolution urges the U.S. Congress to strengthen trade and investment cooperation with the UK and directs transmission to the UK Embassy, consulates, and North Carolina's congressional delegation. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or policy changes but reinforces existing diplomatic and economic bonds.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 777) expresses the North Carolina House of Representatives' support for the longstanding friendship and economic ties between North Carolina and France. It highlights historical connections (like French Huguenot settlements and General Lafayette's role), notes France as a major investor in NC ($429M since 2013) and employer (15,500 jobs), and urges closer U.S.-France trade cooperation. The resolution is purely symbolic, with no new policies or funding, and serves to affirm existing bilateral relations through ceremonial recognition.