Rep. Keith Kidwell

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 107 designates the second week of November each year as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week in North Carolina. Additionally, it encourages local boards of education to develop and offer seizure awareness training for school personnel who are responsible for students with epilepsy or who are otherwise predisposed to seizures. This training aims to provide school staff with information to support these students.

Maddy summaryHB 613, titled "The Vehicle Registration Convenience Act," allows vehicle owners in North Carolina to choose their preferred month for annual registration renewal. When initially registering a vehicle, owners can select any month within a 12-month period for their registration to expire. The initial registration fee will be prorated based on the chosen renewal month to cover the period until the elected expiration date. The bill also authorizes the Division of Motor Vehicles to send electronic renewal notices if the owner provides consent. These changes apply to vehicle registrations issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 836, the "North Carolina Sound Money Act," designates certain investment coins and metal bullion as legal tender within the state. Specifically, refined gold or silver investment coins and bullion, marked with their weight and purity, would be recognized as legal tender. The bill also clarifies that no person is required to accept these items for payment of debts or deposits, unless specified by contract. Additionally, North Carolina taxpayers would be able to deduct any gain or loss from the sale of these investment coins and bullion from their state taxable income.

Maddy summaryHB 135 establishes labeling requirements for "manufactured-protein food products," which include items made from cell cultures, insects, or plants that resemble traditional meat or poultry. The bill mandates that if these products use identifying meat or poultry terms, their labels must also prominently display a "qualifying term" like "cell-cultured" or "plant-based" in a specific font size and location to prevent misbranding. Additionally, the bill aims to prohibit public educational institutions from purchasing certain food products and proposes an environmental investment assessment on specific animal-derived and analogous food products.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 244, titled "Depoliticize Government Property Act," restricts the types of flags that can be flown or displayed on property owned or leased by the State of North Carolina or its local government entities. The bill specifies a limited list of permissible flags, including the U.S. flag, the North Carolina flag, flags of local government agencies, military branch flags, the POW/MIA flag, the Honor and Remember flag, and flags of recognized nations during official visits. It also clarifies that local governments cannot prohibit the display of official governmental flags on private or public property with consent. Any violation of the display restrictions on government property would be classified as a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Maddy summaryHB 636 establishes new procedures for public school units to select and review library media and materials, affecting students, parents, and school personnel. The bill requires schools to adopt policies that ensure materials are age-appropriate and do not contain content defined as "harmful to minors," which includes depictions of sexual activity or pervasively vulgar content. It mandates a review process involving a community library advisory committee, public posting of recommended materials, and a mechanism for public objections. Additionally, the bill requires the creation of a public database for rejected materials and allows parents, guardians, students, or residents to pursue private legal action against schools violating these provisions. Principals are also required to review all media available at school book fairs for compliance.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 432 aims to provide various forms of property tax relief to North Carolina homeowners. It increases the property tax exclusion amounts for qualifying elderly or disabled homeowners and expands the exclusion for disabled veterans, allowing more of their home's value to be exempt from taxation. The bill also establishes a new "Homeowner Advantage Property Tax Relief Program" designed to cap the annual increase in a permanent residence's taxable value, based on inflation and a cumulative limit. To qualify for this program, homeowners must have occupied their residence for at least two years. Additionally, the bill creates an "Elderly Property Tax Homestead Circuit Breaker Program" and exemptions from the forced sale of a homestead.

Maddy summaryHB 949, known as the School Protection Act, proposes to allow specific armed security guards to carry firearms on nonpublic educational property in North Carolina. The bill amends existing law to create an exemption for sworn law enforcement officers who are hired as armed security guards by nonpublic schools and are acting in their official duties on school premises. This includes officers certified under state law enforcement chapters, company police officers, and campus police officers. If enacted, this change would become effective on December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 985 increases the criminal penalty for assaulting a school employee or volunteer in North Carolina. It reclassifies such assaults from a Class A1 misdemeanor to a Class I felony when the incident occurs while the individual is performing their duties or as a result of their duties. The bill broadly defines "school employee or volunteer" to include staff, independent contractors, and adult volunteers involved in school activities. It also protects school personnel from civil or criminal liability for taking reasonable actions to end student fights. Finally, the bill updates supervisor reporting requirements for assaults and prohibits intimidating employees from reporting these incidents.

Maddy summaryHB 69, the Military and Veterans Educational Promise Act, provides two key benefits for military-affiliated individuals and veterans at North Carolina's University of North Carolina (UNC) schools. First, it requires UNC institutions to allow eligible military members (including reservists) and their spouses to defer admission for up to five years (for active duty) or two years (for reserve service) upon enrollment notice. Second, it establishes in-state tuition rates for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 90 days in the military, graduated from a North Carolina high school after 2004, had a North Carolina duty station, or received a Purple Heart. The bill applies to all UNC institutions beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.