Rep. Tim Reeder

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to train new individuals with no prior experience as lead teachers in North Carolina's licensed child care centers. Funded by state money and requiring a local match, the program offers free, intensive training courses through community colleges in selected counties, with graduates receiving a state credential and potential stipends for completing the course and working for a year. The initiative aims to expand the child care workforce by establishing academies across the state, starting in Johnston and Wayne counties, and includes requirements for local partnerships to select additional sites. Additionally, the bill directs the North Carolina Partnership for Children to study the feasibility of liability insurance for providers and update bidding rules for child care grants.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill allows taxpayers to deduct up to $5,000 of unreimbursed costs for prescribed medications and pharmacy fees from their state income tax. The deduction applies to expenses not covered by tax-advantaged accounts like Flexible Spending or Health Savings Accounts and prevents double-dipping if a federal deduction is already claimed for the same year. Effective for tax years starting on or after January 1, 2026, the measure directly affects individuals paying out-of-pocket for prescription drugs who itemize their state taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Rural Healthcare Infrastructure Fund in North Carolina to help build, repair, and modernize healthcare facilities in rural areas. The fund will provide money through grants and low-interest loans to support construction and renovation projects, while also replacing an older stabilization program. A state council must first develop and get approval for a detailed plan outlining how the fund will be managed and who can apply before any money is awarded. The bill also updates the duties of the state health council and requires annual reports on how the fund is being used.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 433 allows licensed registered nurses (RNs) to serve as school nurses in North Carolina public schools. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring a four-year degree for school nurse employment. It specifies that RNs with at least two years of experience in a hospital or health clinic can work as school nurses without needing additional certifications or licenses. These qualified registered nurses will be paid under the certified school nurse pay scale.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 390, titled "Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke," establishes new standards for surgical smoke evacuation in North Carolina. This bill requires all licensed hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to adopt and implement policies mandating the use of a smoke evacuation/filtering system during surgical procedures likely to generate surgical smoke. A smoke evacuation/filtering system is defined as equipment that captures, filters, and eliminates surgical smoke at its origin. The Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to take adverse action against facilities that violate these new requirements. This act is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 727 modifies the licensure process for marriage and family therapists and therapy associates in North Carolina. It streamlines the process for professionals licensed in other states to obtain a North Carolina license through reciprocity, making it mandatory for qualified applicants. The bill adjusts experience requirements and expands acceptable examination options to include California's clinical examination. Additionally, it clarifies that all applicants, including those applying via reciprocity, must undergo criminal history record checks. These changes aim to facilitate licensing for out-of-state therapists while maintaining regulatory oversight.

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 summaryThis bill establishes a Child Welfare Case Escalation Team to provide an extra layer of safety review for juveniles with complex histories of abuse or neglect. The team, composed of state and local representatives, will be activated when cases meet specific risk criteria, such as multiple prior reports, patterns of medical neglect, or a history involving child fatalities. Once triggered, the team will conduct a thorough assessment of the case, identify gaps in services, and collaborate with county social services to develop improved safety plans. This new mechanism aims to ensure consistent quality assurance and better protect vulnerable children by addressing chronic issues that may have been missed in previous interventions.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Keep NC Working Act, creates a new Short-Time Compensation Program in North Carolina to help employers avoid layoffs by reducing employee work hours instead. Starting in October 2026, eligible employers can submit a plan to the state Division of Unemployment Insurance to reduce employee hours by between 10% and 60% for up to one year. In exchange for these reduced hours, employees will receive additional unemployment benefits, while employers must ensure that health and retirement benefits continue as if the workers were still working full time. The program requires employers to maintain a clean record with the state regarding unemployment taxes and must have the agreement of any collective bargaining units involved.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a program to provide free hyperbaric oxygen therapy to North Carolina veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder. The legislation appropriates $3 million from the state General Fund to a nonprofit organization to deliver approximately 15,000 treatments to an estimated 350 eligible veterans over the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The program includes structured clinical care and requires the provider to submit a detailed report on outcomes and fund usage by June 2027.