Rep. Tracy Clark

Maddy summaryHB 373 allows University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions to offer tuition discounts to two specific groups: military students receiving federal or North Carolina National Guard tuition assistance, and students enrolled in employer-sponsored financial support programs approved by UNC. The discount covers the difference between the military/employer funding and full tuition, without creating new free tuition programs. UNC must report annually to the legislature on the number of students receiving these discounts and their financial impact on institutions. The policy takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Maddy summaryHB 79, "North Carolina Work and Save," creates a voluntary retirement savings program for North Carolina workers without access to employer-sponsored plans. It allows covered employers (small businesses not already offering tax-qualified retirement plans) to set up payroll deduction IRAs (traditional or Roth) for employees, enabling automatic retirement savings. The program is administered by a 12-member Board under the Department of Commerce, with funds held in a trust managed by private entities. It directly affects approximately 1.7 million North Carolina workers in small businesses, focusing on moderate- and lower-income households to improve retirement security. Participation is voluntary for both employers and employees, with no state funding required for employer participation.

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 summaryHB 569 requires PFAS manufacturers (those who produce PFAS compounds like GenX) to pay public water systems for cleaning up PFAS contamination in drinking water when levels exceed EPA safety limits. It allows the Environmental Quality Secretary to order polluters to cover actual cleanup costs, including technology to reduce PFAS levels, and applies retroactively to expenses since 2017. The bill appropriates $300,000 for implementation and mandates annual reports on fund use, with water systems refunding ratepayers when manufacturers cover costs. This directly affects water systems burdened by PFAS cleanup, PFAS manufacturers deemed responsible, and ratepayers who may see reduced future water rates.

Maddy summaryHB 121 provides local boards of education with additional flexibility in adopting their school calendars. It removes the current state-mandated earliest opening date for students (the Monday closest to August 26) and the latest closing date (the Friday closest to June 11). This change allows local boards to determine the specific opening and closing dates for public schools under their authority. The bill directly affects public schools and students in North Carolina and would apply starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 772, titled the North Carolina Student Lifeline Act, requires public schools and community colleges in North Carolina to provide students with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline phone number. It mandates that institutions display the phrase "To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or text HOME to 741741." in several locations. These locations include new student identification cards issued to students in grades six through 12, the school website, and the home screen of any electronic device issued to students. The information must also appear on school agendas or calendars, documents used during suicide awareness activities, and registration documents. Additionally, schools are required to annually verify the accuracy of the Lifeline contact information.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 515, the North Carolina Economic Abuse Prevention Act, creates a new legal framework to protect survivors of domestic violence and children in foster care from "coerced debt." It defines coerced debt as debt incurred through duress, intimidation, or undue influence and provides pathways for individuals to notify creditors of such debt using specific documentation. Upon receiving adequate documentation, creditors must pause collection efforts while reviewing the claim. The bill also establishes that a person who causes another to incur coerced debt is civilly liable to the claimant for the debt amount, attorney's fees, and costs.

Maddy summaryJesse's Law (HB 896) mandates specific training for professional personnel involved in child custody proceedings in North Carolina. It requires judges, magistrates, judicial officers, and court personnel, including guardian ad litems and mediators, to complete trauma-informed and culturally appropriate training. This training focuses on the dynamics, signs, and impact of domestic violence and child abuse, including child sexual abuse. Professionals must complete an initial 20 hours of training and 15 hours every five years, based on evidence-based research. The bill aims to improve the ability of these individuals to recognize and respond to abuse and trauma when making child custody decisions.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 283 establishes the Small Business Investment Grant (SBIG) Program within the One North Carolina Fund, designed to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses looking to establish or expand facilities in the state. The bill allocates up to $10 million from the Fund to this new account. Through the SBIG Program, competitive grants are offered to businesses meeting specific criteria, such as having 250 or fewer employees or less than $5 million in annual revenue, investing $10-$30 million, and creating new jobs with competitive wages. Grants are capped at $500,000 annually per recipient, up to $2.5 million total, over a maximum of five years. Additionally, the bill renames the "One North Carolina Small Business Account" to the "Small Business Research and Technology Account," which continues to support federal SBIR/STTR grant incentive and matching programs.

Maddy summaryHB 297, titled "Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity," aims to ensure equal health insurance coverage for different types of breast cancer imaging. The bill mandates that health benefit plans apply the same cost-sharing requirements (like deductibles and copayments) for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations, such as MRIs and ultrasounds, as they do for routine screening mammograms. This ensures individuals needing these additional medically necessary tests do not face higher out-of-pocket costs compared to standard screenings. It also maintains existing coverage for cervical cancer screenings and includes provisions for high-deductible health plans.