Rep. Cody Huneycutt

Maddy summaryHB 264, the Wire Fraud Prevention Act, requires banks to verify payment orders through specific security procedures (like verbal checks with customers and beneficiaries) before processing transfers. It mandates that banks refund full amounts for unauthorized payments within 90 days of notification, or 25% within 30 days for certain cases, while customers must report issues promptly to avoid losing interest. The law also obligates beneficiary banks to pay recipients within specific timeframes (including delaying full payment for new accounts over $100,000) and notify recipients of payment receipts by midnight the next business day. This directly affects banks handling wire transfers and their customers, with changes taking effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 71, the Respiratory Care Modernization Act, updates North Carolina's laws governing respiratory care practice. It creates a new "Advanced respiratory care practitioner" (ARCP) category for licensed professionals with postgraduate training, requiring Board-endorsed competency for advanced procedures. The bill clarifies that ARCPs cannot diagnose, prescribe, or perform invasive procedures without physician supervision, while defining their scope to include cardiopulmonary care and tasks delegated by physicians. This directly affects respiratory care practitioners and patients by standardizing advanced practice rules and ensuring procedures align with current professional standards. The changes aim to reflect modern respiratory care practices without altering basic licensing requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 382 allows North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission to issue elk hunting permits through a raffle and an auction for the 2026 season. Residents can enter a $20-per-ticket raffle (max 30 tickets for $500), while a nonprofit focused on elk conservation must conduct an auction where the nonprofit keeps ≤25% of proceeds, with all other funds going to elk conservation. Permits are nontransferable, and the Commission must reserve 50% of raffle permits for North Carolina residents in future seasons. All revenue supplements existing elk management funding, and the Commission must report annually on program effectiveness to legislative committees.

Maddy summaryHB 702 updates North Carolina's chiropractic licensing rules. It requires chiropractors to complete 4,200 hours of accredited education (including a bachelor's degree) and pass exams covering subjects like anatomy and chiropractic philosophy. The bill adds new standards for chiropractors to practice acupuncture and clarifies that licensed chiropractors cannot prescribe drugs or perform surgery. It also revises Board membership rules (e.g., limiting members from the same chiropractic school) and establishes supervised training programs for students. These changes affect current and future chiropractors, chiropractic schools, and the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

Maddy summaryHB 672 creates a new "team-based practice" model for physician assistants (PAs) in North Carolina, allowing them to practice without direct physician oversight under specific conditions. To qualify, PAs must have over 4,000 hours of clinical experience (including 1,000+ hours in their specialty) and work in practices meeting defined criteria, such as physician ownership and collaborative care structures. The bill revises licensing rules to remove the requirement for PAs in these settings to provide a supervising physician’s contact information, while maintaining supervision requirements for perioperative services. This directly affects PAs seeking to work in team-based medical practices, including hospitals and clinics meeting the new standards.

Maddy summaryHB 736 allows North Carolina pharmacists to perform simple tests (like for flu, COVID-19, or strep throat) and provide treatment for those conditions using approved medications, within specific guidelines. It requires health insurance plans to cover these pharmacist-provided services if they would cover the same service from a doctor or nurse, and ensures pharmacists aren't excluded from provider networks solely because they are pharmacists. Pharmacists cannot treat conditions with controlled substances (Schedules I-IV) and must follow statewide protocols for patient referrals. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, expanding pharmacist roles to improve access to basic care.

Maddy summaryHB 751 requires large electric utilities (serving at least 150,000 North Carolina customers by 2025) that already offer seasonal or intermittent energy rates in part of their service area to file a rate case by September 2025. This would extend those same seasonal rates to all eligible customers statewide, rather than offering different rates in different regions. The bill applies specifically to utilities with existing seasonal rate schedules, mandating a uniform statewide approach for those services. It does not change the rates themselves, only requires the utility to expand an existing rate structure to all customers it serves.

Maddy summaryHB 141, the Joe John Remembrance Act, removes an additional fee for special license plates designated for fire department and rescue squad members in North Carolina. The bill amends state law to formally eliminate the "additional fee" listed for these plates (which was already set to $0 in the current fee schedule), meaning eligible firefighters and rescue personnel will pay only the standard registration fee when obtaining or renewing these special plates. This change applies to plates issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. The bill does not create new benefits but codifies an existing fee structure for these specific special plates.

Maddy summaryHB 658 allows licensed optometrists in North Carolina to provide telehealth services (remote video consultations) to patients within the state, without requiring the optometrist to be physically present in North Carolina or hold a license in the state where they are located during the consultation. This directly affects optometrists licensed in North Carolina who wish to offer remote care to NC patients. The bill specifies that telehealth practice must follow all existing optometry laws and Board rules, and the North Carolina Board of Examiners in Optometry must create implementing rules by December 2025 covering patient records, diagnoses, and telehealth standards. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 571 appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund to the Department of Public Safety for a grant program treating police officers diagnosed with PTSD. It directly affects North Carolina police officers who have received a clinical PTSD diagnosis. The key provision establishes a state-funded grant program to cover treatment costs, with funds allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The program becomes effective July 1, 2025, and focuses solely on providing financial support for treatment, not on expanding eligibility or altering diagnosis standards.