Rep. Alan Branson

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 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 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 establishes a program to provide free hyperbaric oxygen therapy to North Carolina veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder. The legislation appropriates $3 million from the state General Fund to a nonprofit organization to deliver approximately 15,000 treatments to an estimated 350 eligible veterans over the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The program includes structured clinical care and requires the provider to submit a detailed report on outcomes and fund usage by June 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces the cost for North Carolina public school teachers to purchase credit for their military service. Under the new provision, eligible veterans would only need to pay 25% of the usual cost, while the state would cover the remaining 75% through general appropriations. The law applies to full-time employees of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and allows them to buy up to four years of service credit. These changes would take effect on July 1, 2027, for any service credit purchases made on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $35 million in recurring state funds to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for the Workforce Housing Loan Program. The funding is designated to support the program's operations and loans for eligible workforce members seeking affordable housing. These funds will become available starting with the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis legislation allocates $1.8 million in state funds to Guilford Technical Community College for the expansion of its Aviation Center. The money is drawn from the General Fund and is intended for capital expenses associated with the project during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. These funds will remain available until spent and are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Curriculum Honesty, Compliance, and Child Safety Act, establishes new rules for North Carolina public schools regarding parental rights and curriculum content. It requires schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student's name or gender designation in records and mandates that parents be notified before their child receives counseling related to sexuality or gender identity. Additionally, the legislation prohibits any instruction on gender identity or sexual activity in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, with exceptions only for answering student-initiated questions. The bill also creates mechanisms for enforcement, allowing parents to sue schools for violations and authorizing state auditors to investigate noncompliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows parents of students in private schools to use their education savings accounts to pay for one-on-one classroom aides, provided the aide is not a family member or school employee. It also updates the rules for these accounts by clarifying which specific services and expenses are eligible for funding and which are not. The legislation further allocates state funds to increase scholarship amounts for children of wartime veterans and to create new scholarships for them starting in the 2026-2027 school year. These changes apply to the North Carolina Personal Education Student Account program and the Children of Wartime Veterans Scholarship Program.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the authority for North Carolina counties to collect a one percent local sales tax on groceries, effectively exempting food from these local taxes. By removing the option for voters to approve this specific tax, the legislation directly affects county governments and consumers who currently pay this surcharge on food purchases. The change applies to sales made on or after October 1, 2026, and does not alter the existing state sales tax rules.