Rep. David Willis

Maddy summaryHB 239 modifies North Carolina's funding formula for children with disabilities in public schools. It changes how funds are allocated to local school districts by capping per-child funding at 13% of a district's total enrollment plus students using state scholarship programs. The bill requires the State Education Assistance Authority to provide annual scholarship data by March 15 to help calculate district funding. It also appropriates $25 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to support this revised funding structure, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 120 appropriates $1,040,514 annually for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to expand North Carolina's Project C.A.R.E. program. The bill directly funds support services for family caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. It provides recurring state funding to the Division of Aging and Adult Services to enhance existing caregiver assistance programs. The legislation becomes effective July 1, 2025, without altering eligibility or service requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 177 requires North Carolina's State Human Resources Commission (SHRC) to review job requirements across state agencies and identify positions where a four-year college degree is unnecessary. The bill directs the SHRC to replace degree requirements with alternative qualifications like military service, apprenticeships, or trade school training where appropriate, and to remove unnecessary degree language from job postings. This policy change directly affects state job applicants who may qualify through non-degree pathways. The SHRC must report annually starting October 2025 on progress toward reducing these barriers.

Maddy summaryHB 170 restores local government authority to initiate down-zoning in Union County and its municipalities without requiring written consent from all affected property owners. The bill specifically targets zoning changes that reduce development density or limit permitted land uses (e.g., making areas less dense or restricting building types). It applies only to Union County and its municipalities, with retroactive effect to December 11, 2024, meaning existing down-zoning actions since that date are treated as if they followed the pre-2024-57 rules. This changes the current requirement (from S.L. 2024-57) that mandated owner consent for all down-zoning amendments.

Maddy summaryHB 164 requires parental or guardian consent before releasing autopsy records for children under 18. It makes all autopsy-related materials - including photos, videos, and reports - confidential, except when disclosure is needed for public health, research, legal compliance, or to address safety concerns. If parents withhold consent, a court may override this through a special proceeding after reviewing factors like public interest and privacy intrusion. The bill also allows public access to autopsy recordings (with supervision) unless parents request confidentiality under this law. It applies to all child deaths under 18 in North Carolina, affecting medical examiners, families, and entities seeking autopsy records.

Maddy summaryHB 31 would amend North Carolina's State Human Resources Act to make every statewide general election day a paid holiday for state employees. This change would add election days to the current list of paid holidays (which includes Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and Veterans Day), while maintaining the limit of 13 paid holidays per year. The bill directly affects state workers, ensuring they receive paid time off on election days without reducing the total number of paid holidays. It does not change election dates or voting procedures, only the employment benefits for state employees on those days. The legislation is currently pending in committee review.

Maddy summaryHB 61 increases penalties for assaulting certain emergency personnel with a firearm in North Carolina. It reclassifies assaults against law enforcement officers, probation/parole officers, National Guard members, detention facility staff, emergency medical technicians, medical responders, firefighters, and law enforcement telecommunicators as a Class B1 felony (instead of Class D) when committed during their duties. The bill specifically targets firearm assaults, making them punishable by more severe prison sentences. This law takes effect December 1, 2025, for offenses occurring on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 64 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the North Carolina General Assembly to approve the governor's clemency grants (including reprieves, commutations, and pardons after conviction). Currently, the governor can grant clemency without legislative input; this bill would mandate a majority vote in both legislative chambers for such grants to take effect. If the governor grants clemency after the legislature has adjourned for over 30 days, the bill requires the governor to reconvene the session for legislative consideration. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 general election to become part of the state constitution.

Maddy summaryHB 66 would shorten North Carolina's early voting period by changing the start date from the third Thursday before an election to the second Monday before the election. It specifies that voters may only cast early ballots between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the last Saturday before an election. This bill directly affects voters in North Carolina elections by reducing the window for early in-person voting. The change applies to all elections held on or after the law's effective date. The bill modifies existing voting procedures without altering election administration rules beyond the early voting timeframe.

Maddy summaryHB 39 excludes motor vehicles owned by veterans with a 100% disability rating certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from North Carolina property tax. It amends state tax law to add these vehicles as a designated exempt class under G.S. 105-275. The exclusion applies to vehicles registered on or after January 1, 2026. This policy directly affects eligible disabled veterans who own motor vehicles, reducing their property tax burden. The bill does not change eligibility criteria or tax rates for other vehicle classes.