Rep. Gloristine Brown

Maddy summaryHB 543 requires all applicants for athlete agent registration in North Carolina to undergo a criminal history background check as a condition of obtaining or renewing their license. This directly affects individuals seeking to work as athlete agents within the state, including new applicants and those renewing existing registrations. The bill mandates that applicants pay a $250 fee for the check (as specified in Section 2 of the bill), consent to fingerprinting, and allows the State Bureau of Investigation to conduct the check using state and federal records. All background information remains confidential and is not considered a public record under North Carolina law.

Maddy summaryHB 429 would have authorized a special license plate for North Carolina vehicle owners supporting the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine's Turtle Rescue Team. The bill specified a $30 annual fee per plate, with $20 directly funding the Turtle Rescue Team's work rehabilitating turtles, while $10 went to a state fund. However, the bill explicitly states this plate program expired on July 1, 2016, meaning it is no longer active or available for purchase. The legislation primarily affected vehicle owners who chose to buy this specific plate, with the fees supporting the Turtle Rescue Team's wildlife rehabilitation services.

Maddy summaryHB 569 requires PFAS manufacturers (those who produce PFAS compounds like GenX) to pay public water systems for cleaning up PFAS contamination in drinking water when levels exceed EPA safety limits. It allows the Environmental Quality Secretary to order polluters to cover actual cleanup costs, including technology to reduce PFAS levels, and applies retroactively to expenses since 2017. The bill appropriates $300,000 for implementation and mandates annual reports on fund use, with water systems refunding ratepayers when manufacturers cover costs. This directly affects water systems burdened by PFAS cleanup, PFAS manufacturers deemed responsible, and ratepayers who may see reduced future water rates.

Maddy summaryHB 485 requires North Carolina's Medicaid agency to request federal approval to extend Medicaid coverage for personal care services to adults living in licensed adult care homes who earn more than the current State-County Special Assistance income limit but stay below 180-200% of the federal poverty level. The bill specifically targets individuals who would qualify for lower-income Medicaid assistance if not for their higher earnings. Before implementing this coverage, the agency must submit a CMS request meeting three conditions: covering the specified income group, ensuring cost savings offset new expenses, and complying with legal requirements. This bill does not immediately change coverage - it only authorizes a federal request, pending CMS approval.

Maddy summaryHB 886 requires all public schools in North Carolina to install Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) and train school personnel on their use and on CPR. The State Board of Education must develop rules for AED placement, maintenance, and coordination with emergency services, with at least one AED per school, ideally in an athletic area. Local school boards, charter schools, and regional schools are then required to create policies aligning with these state rules. The bill appropriates $4.1 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to help public school units purchase AEDs and train staff.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled Reagan's Law, aims to improve access to prosthetic and orthotic devices for North Carolinians with limb loss or limb difference by requiring most health benefit plans to cover these devices and related care. Key provisions mandate that plans cover all materials, instruction, and repairs for prosthetics and orthotics, allow for multiple devices based on medical needs, and prohibit denying claims for these devices that would otherwise be covered for non-disabled individuals seeking similar medical treatment. The legislation also requires insurers to provide coverage for device replacements when medically necessary due to changes in the insured's condition or device damage, without limiting coverage based on the device's age or useful lifetime. Additionally, the bill repeals state requirements for health plans to cover emergency care that duplicates federal law, aligning state regulations with federal standards.

Maddy summaryHB 572 authorizes the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to establish a statewide pilot program providing Electroencephalogram combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (eTMS) treatment. This program is for veterans, first responders, and their immediate family members experiencing conditions such as substance use disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD. The Department will select a provider to create a network for in-person and off-site care, aiming for statewide access. Participants in the program will also receive neurophysiological monitoring, counseling, wellness programming, and access to a peer-to-peer support network. The selected provider must collect and report treatment outcomes and expenditures to the Department and legislative committees by September 15, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 414 aims to give equal credit for community college courses towards high school graduation requirements for dually enrolled students, including those in the Career and College Promise program. It directs the State Boards of Community Colleges and Education to collaborate on developing a system where one community college course grants one full high school credit in core subjects, without requiring corresponding high school end-of-course tests. Until this system is fully established, specific community college courses will temporarily satisfy certain high school credits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, the bill modifies high school math graduation requirements, affecting which math courses require an end-of-course test.

Maddy summaryHB 121 provides local boards of education with additional flexibility in adopting their school calendars. It removes the current state-mandated earliest opening date for students (the Monday closest to August 26) and the latest closing date (the Friday closest to June 11). This change allows local boards to determine the specific opening and closing dates for public schools under their authority. The bill directly affects public schools and students in North Carolina and would apply starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 772, titled the North Carolina Student Lifeline Act, requires public schools and community colleges in North Carolina to provide students with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline phone number. It mandates that institutions display the phrase "To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or text HOME to 741741." in several locations. These locations include new student identification cards issued to students in grades six through 12, the school website, and the home screen of any electronic device issued to students. The information must also appear on school agendas or calendars, documents used during suicide awareness activities, and registration documents. Additionally, schools are required to annually verify the accuracy of the Lifeline contact information.