Rep. Brian Echevarria

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.

Maddy summaryHB 211, "The Kelsey Smith Act," authorizes wireless telecommunications carriers to provide a device's location information to law enforcement under specific emergency circumstances. This includes situations where a 911 call was made or there is reasonable suspicion of an emergency involving risk of death or serious physical harm. Wireless carriers are required to submit their emergency contact information to the State Bureau of Investigation, which will maintain a database for public safety answering points. The bill protects carriers from legal action if they provide this information in good faith.

Maddy summaryHB 966, the College Cost Reduction Act, prohibits all University of North Carolina (UNC) schools from requiring students to pay extra for mandatory course software (Learning Management Systems or LMS). It directly affects UNC students by banning any requirement for paid LMS access beyond existing, approved student fees. The bill mandates the UNC Board of Governors to create a policy ensuring professors or courses cannot force students to pay for LMS services - only free or fee-covered options may be required. The rule takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Maddy summaryHB 964 allows individuals with a valid concealed handgun permit (or those exempt from needing one) to carry concealed non-handgun weapons like bowie knives, stun guns, or other deadly weapons described in existing law. It directly affects permit holders by expanding their permitted concealed carry to include specific weapons beyond handguns, provided they are not in locations where concealed handgun carry is prohibited. The bill amends North Carolina law to clarify that permit holders may carry these weapons concealed when permitted to carry handguns, without requiring additional permits. The law takes effect December 1, 2025, applying only to offenses committed after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 846 provides tuition discounts for children of teachers with significant experience in North Carolina public schools. Specifically, it offers a 50% tuition discount for children of 12-year teachers, a 75% discount for children of 16-year teachers, and full tuition waivers for children of 20-year teachers (defined as teachers with 20+ years of service). The discounts apply to children aged 17-24 enrolled in college, limited to 54 months for bachelor's degrees or program completion. The bill appropriates $2 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund these waivers and requires a report on costs by February 2026. It does not address the broader "retention and recruitment" elements mentioned in the title, as the provided text focuses solely on tuition provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 862 requires district courts to record video and audio of certain felony plea proceedings (including guilty or no contest pleas to serious felonies) and key hearings like sentencing. It also mandates clerks of court to collect detailed data for impaired driving cases (like DUI), including alcohol test results, reasons for case dismissals, and sentencing details. The Administrative Office of the Courts must publish annual online reports showing statewide and county-level data on these cases. These changes apply to cases starting December 1, 2025, increasing transparency in court proceedings and case outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 844, the Finding Grace Family Bill, revises North Carolina's adoption and abortion laws. It requires the state to provide adoptive families with resources to prevent adoption dissolution (such as counseling and support services) and clarifies parental consent processes before birth (e.g., allowing biological mothers to seek court determination of consent after three months of pregnancy). The bill bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies and procedures performed within the first 12 weeks. These changes directly affect adoptive families, prospective adoptive parents, and individuals seeking abortion care in North Carolina.

Maddy summaryHB 872 protects school employees who use reasonable force to maintain safety in specific situations, such as stopping disturbances, preventing injury, or removing weapons. It creates a legal presumption that such force is reasonable in investigations or court, shifting the burden to prove otherwise to the claimant. The bill prohibits retaliation, dismissal, or license revocation against staff for using reasonable force in line with school policies, even if criminal allegations arise (as long as force was reasonable and no conviction occurs). This directly affects teachers, administrators, and other school personnel by reducing legal risks when responding to safety threats on school property.

Maddy summaryHB 853 requires individuals whose driver's licenses were revoked to display a special, differently colored license plate on all vehicles they operate after their license is restored. This applies to people with restored licenses following revocation (for seven years if also subject to other restrictions, or three years otherwise) and those granted limited driving privileges. The special plate must be a distinct, easily identifiable color, with a $10 annual fee added to registration, and drivers cannot obscure it. Violating this requirement results in an additional one-year license revocation. The bill directly affects individuals with restored licenses or limited driving privileges in North Carolina.

Maddy summaryHB 828 prohibits proposition wagers (bets on specific in-game actions like player stats or minor occurrences that don’t affect the final outcome) on college and amateur sports, effective July 1, 2025. It also bans in-person sports betting at venues hosting college events during the eight hours before and during those events. The bill defines "proposition wager" specifically to exclude such bets, while allowing other forms of legal sports wagering. It directly affects sports facilities hosting college games, bettors placing these specific wagers, and operators managing wagering platforms. The law does not restrict betting on professional sports or the final outcome of college games.