Rep. Terry Brown

Maddy summaryHB 1017 aims to improve teacher quality and availability in North Carolina by creating new roles, funding recruitment programs, and launching studies to address workforce challenges. The bill directs the state to develop a comprehensive plan for reforming teacher licensing and compensation to attract more educators, while also studying how to better prepare and graduate 5,000 in-state teachers annually. Significant funding is allocated to support existing and new teacher recruitment initiatives, such as "Grow-Your-Own" programs and the Teaching Fellows loan program, specifically targeting high-need schools and subjects like special education and STEM. Additionally, the legislation mandates a study to coordinate recruitment efforts between universities and local school districts to ensure a more efficient statewide system.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special license plate for the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority in North Carolina and updates the fees and fund distributions for several other plates associated with the Divine Nine, a group of historically Black fraternities and sororities. The new plate will display the sorority's symbol, name, and its motto, "Greater Service, Greater Progress," while owners will pay a $20 additional fee on top of the standard registration cost. Money collected from these special plates is split between state funds and specific organizations, with the bill directing quarterly transfers to the educational foundations of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, and Sigma Gamma Rho. Additionally, the legislation organizes the list of all available special plates alphabetically to improve clarity.

Maddy summaryHB 1031 mandates that all public schools in North Carolina, including charter and laboratory schools, provide free breakfast and lunch to every student starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill requires the State Board of Education to allocate state funds based on factors like school size, student eligibility for free meals, and the quality of food served, while ensuring these funds supplement rather than replace existing resources. An initial appropriation of $116 million is designated to support this program, with the legislation taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a matching savings program and a tax deduction to encourage parents to save for their children's education in North Carolina. Under the new Parental Savings Trust Fund matching program, eligible parents with household incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines can receive a $100 match for every $50 they contribute to an account for a student aged 14 or younger, with a maximum annual match of $500 and a lifetime limit of $1,500 per student. The state will fund this matching program with $180,000 in recurring money starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Additionally, the bill allows taxpayers to deduct up to $2,000 from their state income taxes for contributions to these education savings accounts, with a $4,000 limit for married couples filing jointly. These provisions are designed to help low-to-moderate-income families build education funds while providing an immediate tax benefit for their contributions.

Maddy summaryHB 13 prohibits North Carolina merchants from charging customers more for credit or debit card payments than what the merchant pays to process those transactions. It directly affects retailers and service providers in the state, requiring them to disclose any card fees clearly in advertisements if they impose them. The law mandates that merchants cannot add a markup to processing costs charged by payment networks (like Visa or Mastercard), and violations could result in civil penalties up to $5,000 per offense. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to prevent unfair surcharges on card payments.

Maddy summaryHB 8 requires all North Carolina state departments, community colleges, and local school systems to prioritize purchasing compostable or recyclable materials for food service and supplies, where economically feasible. It mandates annual reporting on purchases of these materials and recycling collections to the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill also directs UNC's Policy Collaboratory to study food service ware impacts and requires legislative and state park pilot programs to reduce single-use food service ware. These provisions directly affect state agencies and schools responsible for procurement and waste management, aiming to reduce single-use waste through policy changes rather than bans.

Maddy summaryHB 907 creates a new Disaster Readiness and Response Fund within the Office of the State Treasurer in North Carolina. This fund is designed to be separate from the state's General Fund and other existing reserves, providing a dedicated financial resource for disaster-related activities. The bill does not specify how the money will be used or who will administer it, leaving those details for future legislation. It applies to the state government and establishes a new financial mechanism for potential future disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 819 creates North Carolina's Longitudinal Data System, which links student education data (like test scores, graduation records, and course enrollment) with workforce data (such as employment and wages) to track student outcomes. It directly affects public schools, universities, the Department of Public Instruction, and workforce agencies by requiring them to share de-identified student data through this centralized system. Key provisions include strict privacy safeguards (complying with FERPA and HIPAA), mandatory data security plans, a 5-year limit on linking education and workforce data, and annual reporting requirements for the system's oversight body. The bill aims to improve education policy decisions while ensuring data privacy and security for students.

Maddy summaryHB 612, the "Fostering Care in NC Act," updates North Carolina's laws governing child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. It expands the definition of "abused juveniles" to include specific offenses like sexual crimes, human trafficking, and certain violent acts, affecting how cases are classified. The bill requires county social services directors to use either a family-centered assessment or a formal investigation when reviewing reports, and to collect military affiliation details of the juvenile's caregiver. It also clarifies that court jurisdiction over juveniles continues until age 18, emancipation, or death. These changes standardize responses to child welfare reports and improve information gathering for safety decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 373 allows University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions to offer tuition discounts to two specific groups: military students receiving federal or North Carolina National Guard tuition assistance, and students enrolled in employer-sponsored financial support programs approved by UNC. The discount covers the difference between the military/employer funding and full tuition, without creating new free tuition programs. UNC must report annually to the legislature on the number of students receiving these discounts and their financial impact on institutions. The policy takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year.