Rep. Donny Lambeth

Maddy summaryHB 289 adds one new seat to North Carolina's Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, specifically allowing the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association (PBA) to select a full-time sworn law enforcement officer to serve on the Commission. This amendment increases the Commission's membership from 35 to 36 members by adding the PBA representative to the existing list of appointed positions. The initial appointee selected by the PBA would serve a three-year term beginning July 1, 2025, with subsequent appointees serving three-year terms as determined by the PBA. The bill does not change training standards or requirements, only the composition of the Commission that oversees them.

Maddy summaryHB 274 appropriates $5 million from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to Crossnore Communities for Children, a nonprofit organization, to fund foster care services across North Carolina. The bill directs funds toward specific programs including family reunification, youth independent living, trauma resilience initiatives, and community engagement, all delivered from Crossnore's locations in Winston-Salem, Crossnore, and Hendersonville. These services are designed to support children in foster care and their families statewide. The appropriation is nonrecurring and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 142 requires North Carolina state agencies to adopt zero-based budgeting for the 2031-2033 fiscal biennium, starting with a phased implementation beginning July 1, 2027. This means agencies must justify every funding request from scratch each budget cycle - starting with a $0 baseline - rather than carrying over previous appropriations. Agencies must submit detailed justifications for each budget item, including explanations of their functions, performance data, and goals. The bill directly affects all state agencies in the executive branch, requiring them to re-evaluate all programs and costs annually. The full zero-based budget will apply to the entire state budget starting in 2031-2033.

Maddy summaryHB 82 establishes a 9-member Study Commission to examine whether North Carolina's five largest school districts face negative outcomes due to their size. The commission, appointed by legislative leaders and local education boards, will study size-related issues in these districts and develop recommendations for potential remedies. It must report its findings and suggestions to the 2026 General Assembly by December 31, 2026. The bill creates a study body with no immediate policy changes; it solely directs an analysis of school district size impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 30 grants Winston-Salem/Forsyth, Stokes, and Davidson County Schools additional flexibility to set their school calendar opening date as early as August 19 (instead of the standard August 26) if they demonstrate "good cause" through documented emergency closures (8+ days in 4 of the last 10 years). It also allows these districts to administer annual student assessments earlier if their fall semester ends before December 31. The bill modifies existing calendar rules under state law and applies only to these three school systems beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. These changes aim to accommodate emergency-related school closures while ensuring minimum instructional requirements are met.

Maddy summaryHB 60 increases Medicaid dental reimbursement rates from 35% to 46% of average dentist charges (2023 rates) to align with neighboring states. The bill allocates $52 million annually from North Carolina's General Fund, matched by $95 million in federal funds, to cover this rate increase starting July 1, 2025. It directly affects dentists who accept Medicaid patients and Medicaid beneficiaries seeking dental care, aiming to boost provider participation and prevent costly emergency treatments. The change addresses years of stagnant rates that reduced dental provider enrollment in Medicaid.

Maddy summaryHB 46 requires that any new state law creating health benefit mandates (like coverage requirements or provider rules) must also repeal an equal number of existing mandates and include funding for the new mandate. It directly affects North Carolina legislators, employers (especially small businesses), and taxpayers by changing how health insurance rules are added or removed. Key provisions include defining "health benefit mandates" broadly (e.g., coverage requirements, cost-sharing rules) and mandating that new mandates must be paired with both repeal of existing mandates and dedicated funding. The bill applies to future legislation considered by the General Assembly, starting 30 days after enactment, and also updates rules for the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (not a policy bill) honoring former North Carolina House Representative Joseph "Joe" Robert John, Sr., who served District 40 from 2017-2025 and died January 20, 2025. The resolution expresses the House's appreciation for his public service, extends sympathy to his family, and formally recognizes his contributions to North Carolina's judiciary, criminal justice, and community. It has no policy impact or new legal provisions - its purpose is solely to memorialize his career and legacy. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the House on January 29, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis resolution directs North Carolina's Secretary of State to formally request Congress to call a constitutional convention aimed at imposing term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The bill specifies that this application will be combined with similar requests from other states to reach the two-thirds threshold required to trigger the convention, while remaining separate from applications for other constitutional changes. It establishes this request as a continuing application that remains active until enough states have submitted identical petitions. Ultimately, the measure does not change any current laws but serves as an official step in the process of potentially amending the U.S. Constitution.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions in North Carolina to access custom-made investigational drugs, biological products, or devices that are not yet approved by the federal government. To qualify, a patient must have a doctor confirm that standard FDA-approved treatments are unlikely to help and must provide written informed consent acknowledging the risks and potential costs. The law requires that the patient or their guardian understands they are personally responsible for any expenses related to the treatment unless a separate contract states otherwise. Additionally, the bill clarifies that using these individualized treatments may temporarily remove a patient's eligibility for hospice care, though that eligibility can be restored if the treatment stops.