Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Keep NC Working Act, creates a new Short-Time Compensation Program in North Carolina to help employers avoid layoffs by reducing employee work hours instead. Starting in October 2026, eligible employers can submit a plan to the state Division of Unemployment Insurance to reduce employee hours by between 10% and 60% for up to one year. In exchange for these reduced hours, employees will receive additional unemployment benefits, while employers must ensure that health and retirement benefits continue as if the workers were still working full time. The program requires employers to maintain a clean record with the state regarding unemployment taxes and must have the agreement of any collective bargaining units involved.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1136 pauses new surface water transfers from the upper Cape Fear River Basin until June 1, 2030, while a university study evaluates the region's water supply and recommends future policy changes. The bill directs the North Carolina Collaboratory to assess water availability, environmental impacts, and economic fairness, with findings due by July 2029. Additionally, it strengthens the Environmental Management Commission's authority to order reductions to existing water withdrawals and pollution discharges if they harm public health or water resources.
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 summaryHB 1096, the First in Flight Act, allocates state funding to support North Carolina's aerospace industry and airport infrastructure. The bill creates a new aviation capital project account to provide grants to airports for modernization projects, provided those projects are linked to agreements with aerospace businesses. Additionally, it establishes an aerospace apprenticeship program and funds community college training initiatives to develop a skilled workforce in the sector. These measures aim to strengthen the state's economic position in aviation by improving facilities and expanding educational opportunities.
Maddy summaryHB 1093 allocates $3.1 million in state funding to the Museum of Life and Science in North Carolina for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The money is designated to support the construction of the Mike Woodard Lab and a new exhibit called Living Tools, which will highlight the state's biotechnology achievements and encourage interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers. This nonrecurring appropriation becomes effective on July 1, 2026, and is managed through the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Maddy summaryHB 1116 modifies the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant Fund to increase financial support for local productions. The bill raises the minimum qualifying expenses required for grants, adjusts the maximum percentage of funding available based on where filming occurs, and increases the overall dollar caps for feature films, television series, and commercials. Additionally, it updates the definition of a highly compensated individual to reflect higher salary thresholds and adjusts how qualifying expenses are calculated by excluding excessive compensation paid to those individuals.
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.
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 13 prohibits North Carolina merchants from charging customers more for credit or debit card payments than what the merchant pays to process those transactions. It directly affects retailers and service providers in the state, requiring them to disclose any card fees clearly in advertisements if they impose them. The law mandates that merchants cannot add a markup to processing costs charged by payment networks (like Visa or Mastercard), and violations could result in civil penalties up to $5,000 per offense. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to prevent unfair surcharges on card payments.
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.