Rep. Mary Belk

Maddy summaryHB 1191, titled the Fostering Care in NC Act 2026, introduces several changes to how North Carolina handles cases involving juveniles and child welfare. The bill increases privacy protections by sealing court records in abuse and neglect cases and clarifying who can access them. It also updates procedures for expunging names from the responsible individuals list and requires courts to schedule permanency planning hearings within 30 days. Additionally, the act mandates that siblings be placed together whenever possible and ensures counties communicate before transferring cases to improve coordination on care and financial support.

Maddy summaryHB 1197 updates the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program by increasing forgivable loan amounts for future students and establishing stricter criteria for selecting partner teacher training institutions. Under the new rules, eligible students can receive up to $10,000 per academic year, while the program will only partner with schools that meet specific performance standards, such as high licensure pass rates and alignment with the Science of Reading. Additionally, the bill mandates a study by the Friday Institute to investigate why some participants choose to repay their loans in cash rather than fulfilling their service obligations. These changes are set to take effect for the 2026-2027 academic year, with previous program revisions applied retroactively to current participants.

Maddy summaryHB 1184, known as the Voucher School Transparency Act, requires nonpublic schools in North Carolina that receive Opportunity Scholarship funds to submit detailed annual reports to the State Board of Education. These schools must provide financial documentation, standardized test scores for students in grades three and higher, and specific data on graduation rates, teacher licensure, and student demographics. The bill also mandates that schools with at least 70 scholarship recipients or $100,000 in funding undergo annual financial audits, while smaller schools are audited every three years. Additionally, the legislation requires these institutions to conduct criminal background checks for staff, maintain physical facilities within the state, and share safety plans with local law enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill prohibits cities, counties, and local or state law enforcement agencies from entering contracts to detain noncitizens in locked immigration facilities for civil immigration cases. It also bans these agencies from maintaining facilities specifically designed to house individuals awaiting removal proceedings under federal authority. To support oversight, the Department of Public Safety must collect and report annual data on detainees, including demographics, legal status, and release or deportation details. The law includes funding for administrative costs and is set to take effect on December 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a two-year pause on issuing permits for new datacenters in North Carolina, which are defined as facilities with a power capacity of 100 megawatts or more. During this moratorium, a university research group will study the potential impacts of these facilities on the state's electricity grid, water supplies, air quality, and local property values. The legislation also requires datacenters to annually submit detailed financial and operational reports to the state to receive tax exemptions on their equipment purchases. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must report the total revenue lost to the state due to these tax breaks to the General Assembly.

Maddy summaryHB 1206 establishes the North Carolina Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to protect employees from discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The law requires private employers with 15 or more employees, as well as state and local government entities, to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees who have communicated their limitations, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Key provisions prohibit denying employment opportunities, forcing specific accommodations without consultation, or taking adverse action against workers who request or use these accommodations. The bill also outlines enforcement mechanisms, allowing aggrieved employees to file civil lawsuits for remedies such as back pay, compensatory damages, and reinstatement, with a three-year statute of limitations for filing claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled "Save Our Beaches," stops a specific rule that would have allowed the use of wheat straw bales for sand fencing in North Carolina's ocean hazard areas. By disapproving this rule, the legislation ensures that beach restoration projects in these zones cannot rely on this particular type of temporary barrier. The change directly affects coastal management agencies and contractors who might have planned to use wheat straw bales for erosion control. Ultimately, the bill leaves the decision of which materials are permitted for sand fencing to existing regulations rather than the new wheat straw provision.

Maddy summaryHB 1209 appropriates $1 million in recurring state funds starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to expand the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program. The money is directed to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors to provide embedded instructional coaching and professional development for beginning teachers within local school districts. Key provisions include partnering with teacher training programs to extend support after graduation, aligning coaching with evidence-based practices, and prioritizing high-need rural areas to help retain new educators. This legislation aims to create a more coherent system for teacher development by connecting pre-service training with ongoing in-district support.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill requires training programs for sexual assault nurse examiners to submit annual reports to the state Board of Nursing regarding graduate employment details. It also mandates that active nursing licensees register with the Board to provide and update their training credentials and practice locations. The legislation creates a database for this information and allocates $50,000 to help the Board implement these reporting requirements. These changes take effect in 2026 and apply to active nurses and their training programs within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents homeowners' associations and unit owners' associations in North Carolina from restricting residents from installing, maintaining, or using solar panels, edible gardens, and certain accessory dwelling units. The law specifically prohibits these groups from enforcing rules against solar energy systems, gardens located within a property owner's boundaries, and secondary housing units that comply with building codes and zoning laws. Additionally, the legislation allocates $100,000 to the Department of Justice to educate the public about these new restrictions. The changes take effect immediately upon becoming law.