Rep. Amber Baker

Maddy summaryHB 630 restores a sales tax refund program for North Carolina's public school districts. It allows local school administrative units to receive annual refunds for sales tax paid on direct purchases of tangible property and services (like supplies or equipment), excluding items such as electricity, telecom, or food. The refund amount is capped at $13.3 million per year for all districts combined. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and adjusts state funding to reflect the restored refund program.

Maddy summaryHB 639 requires all University of North Carolina (UNC) educator preparation programs to give first priority in admissions to applicants who qualify as North Carolina residents for tuition purposes under state law. This directly affects UNC schools offering teacher training programs and prospective in-state students applying to those programs starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. The bill mandates that programs follow the state's standardized residency determination process to verify applicant status. It does not change tuition rates but alters admission priority based solely on residency eligibility.

Maddy summaryHB 651 reduces parent cost-sharing for subsidized child care in North Carolina by lowering the copayment rate from 10% to 7% of gross family income. This change directly affects families enrolled in state-subsidized child care programs who pay a portion of their care costs. The bill appropriates $25 million annually from the General Fund for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to fund this reduction, effective July 1, 2025. It also specifies adjusted copayment rates for blended-rate and part-time care scenarios.

Maddy summaryHB 643 clarifies North Carolina's firearm storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) to explicitly include both loaded and unloaded firearms stored near ammunition. It directly affects households with minors by requiring owners to store firearms - whether loaded or unloaded - in a way that prevents unsupervised minor access, addressing a court case where an unloaded gun next to ammo led to a teen's accidental death. The bill amends the statute to specify that storage "in a condition that the firearm can be discharged" covers scenarios where firearms are accessible with ammunition, aligning with the law's intent to prevent harm. The change takes effect December 1, 2025, for offenses committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 646 is a constitutional amendment that would permanently ban all slavery and involuntary servitude in North Carolina, removing the current exception allowing forced labor as punishment for crimes. If approved by voters in the November 2026 election, the amendment would change the state constitution to state that slavery and involuntary servitude are "forever prohibited" without any exceptions. This change would directly affect incarcerated individuals by ending the legal basis for requiring prison labor as punishment. The amendment requires voter approval through a statewide referendum before taking effect.

Maddy summaryHB 624 requires drug manufacturers to notify state agencies, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers 60 days before raising prices on prescription drugs by 10% or more in a year. Manufacturers must disclose the justification for price hikes, previous marketing budgets, and historical pricing data within 30 days of notification. The bill also mandates rapid disclosure of pricing for new FDA-approved drugs and requires manufacturers to inform prescribers if a drug contains ingredients known to cause dependency. The state will create a public online portal for transparency, including annual reports on the most prescribed, costliest, and fastest-increasing drugs, but does not set price limits.

Maddy summaryHB 633 appropriates $1.678 million annually in recurring funds and additional nonrecurring funds to expand sickle cell disease services in North Carolina. The bill directly supports approximately 7,000 North Carolinians living with sickle cell disease by funding comprehensive medical centers (like Atrium Health, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill), creating transition coordinators to help patients move from pediatric to adult care, and providing grants to community organizations in underserved areas. Key mechanisms include distributing $1.3 million yearly to medical centers for care coordination, allocating $75,000 annually per center for transition staff, and funding a statewide emergency department toolkit to improve acute care. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, with funds designated for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium.

Maddy summaryThe Transportation for the Future Act reorganizes North Carolina's transportation funding to prioritize sustainable projects like public transit (including bus rapid transit and commuter rail), bike lanes, and pedestrian pathways. It requires at least 20% of transportation funds to be allocated to non-highway projects and caps state funding for commuter rail and light rail at 10% of project costs. The bill establishes three funding categories with project selection criteria emphasizing safety, congestion reduction, economic growth, and multimodal transportation. This change affects statewide transportation planning and funding decisions to modernize the system for future sustainability.

Maddy summaryHB 628 reenacts North Carolina's state-level child tax credit, which expired, to provide financial support to families with children. It directly affects low- and middle-income North Carolina residents who qualify under federal child tax credit rules, offering up to $250 per child annually based on household income. Key provisions include income-based credit amounts (e.g., $250 for married couples filing jointly with under $40,000 income) that phase out at higher earnings, and the credit is refundable - meaning families may receive cash payments even if they owe no state tax. The bill takes effect for 2025 tax years and mirrors the federal credit structure without creating new policy.

Maddy summaryHB 654 designates the week containing March 12 each year as "Girl Scouts Week" in North Carolina. This ceremonial bill recognizes Girl Scouts of the USA's history and the achievements of Gold Award recipients, who complete community-focused leadership projects. It does not create new policies, funding, or obligations - it simply establishes an annual observance period for celebration. The bill directly affects public recognition efforts by state and local governments, schools, and community groups.