Sen. Bobby Hanig

Maddy summarySB 24 requires that any new state health insurance mandate must be paired with the repeal of an existing mandate and include funding to cover the new cost. It directly affects North Carolina employers (especially small businesses) and taxpayers by targeting mandates that increase insurance premiums and state health plan expenses. Key provisions mandate that new health benefit requirements (like coverage for specific treatments or drugs) must include both a repeal of an equivalent existing mandate and recurring state funding for the new cost. The bill applies to all health insurance plans, including the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees, and takes effect 30 days after enactment.

Maddy summarySB 95 allows small North Carolina sawmills (producing under 1 million board feet annually) to sell ungraded lumber for use in one- and two-family homes and certain residential structures, directly affecting small sawmill operators and homebuilders. The bill requires sawmill operators to complete state-approved training, mark lumber with specific details (species, mill ID, PS20 compliance), and provide buyers with a compliance certificate. It modifies building codes to permit this ungraded lumber use while mandating code officials review structures for safety but absolving them of liability for failures related to the lumber type. The policy change aims to support small sawmills by expanding their market access under defined safety and transparency conditions.

Maddy summarySB 85 requires body piercing establishments (excluding medical professionals like doctors performing piercings as part of their practice) to obtain annual permits from the state health department. To get a permit, businesses must pass health department inspections covering sanitation of premises, equipment, and procedures. The Commission for Public Health will create specific rules for permit requirements, including hygiene standards, which will determine the permit process. The bill takes effect once these rules are adopted, but no rules exist yet as the bill is still in early legislative stages.

Maddy summarySB 92 allows North Carolina public school students to leave class during the school day for religious moral instruction courses, with parental consent required. The bill permits up to five hours per week for these courses, prohibits public funds from covering course costs (beyond minimal administrative fees), and requires religious organizations to provide transportation and maintain attendance records. Students may earn up to two elective credits for successful completion, but courses must be evaluated using secular criteria (like class hours and syllabus) without considering religious content. The law applies to all public school units starting in the 2025-2026 school year and prohibits holding such courses on school property unless under a neutral equal-access policy.

Maddy summarySB 93 allows charter school employees in North Carolina to transfer their accrued sick and vacation leave to a local school district if they move between a charter school and a local school administrative unit. The bill requires the State Board to create rules ensuring transferred leave cannot accrue at a faster rate than the local district’s standard. It directly affects charter school staff and local school districts by enabling this leave portability, which was previously unavailable. The policy change applies to employees hired on or after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summarySB 86 increases North Carolina firefighters' monthly pension payments from $175 to $180 starting January 1, 2025, for eligible members who reach age 55 with 20 years of service. It updates disability benefit rules, clarifies death benefits for firefighters killed on duty (including monthly payments to surviving spouses or beneficiaries), and adds protections for members displaced by city annexations or department takeovers. These changes directly affect current and future firefighters, rescue squad workers, their families, and members whose departments are absorbed by municipalities. The bill modifies existing pension fund statutes without creating new programs or altering contribution requirements.

Maddy summarySB 71 creates a new process for North Carolina property owners or their authorized representatives to expedite the removal of unauthorized occupants from residential properties. To use this process, the property owner must file a sworn affidavit (with a $25 fee) with a court clerk or magistrate, confirming the occupant meets strict criteria like having no lease, no rent paid, and the owner having previously requested their departure. Law enforcement must remove the occupant within 24 hours of receiving the affidavit, and the bill grants immunity to law enforcement and property owners acting in good faith. It also allows civil lawsuits against property owners for wrongful removal, with potential damages including triple the fair market rent.

Maddy summarySB 31, "The Wells Act," requires North Carolina's Legislative Library to request documentation (like membership lists, meeting minutes, and bylaws) from state boards, committees, and commissions that haven't met in the past year or failed to respond within 120 days. If inactive, these bodies are added to a list for the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee, which must recommend their repeal in the 2026 legislative session. The bill directly affects inactive state advisory bodies, aiming to eliminate those not functioning as intended. It creates a formal process to identify and eliminate redundant government structures without altering their operational rules.

Maddy summarySB 56, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I, authorizes the transfer of funds from North Carolina's State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund. It applies to counties designated as part of the "affected area" under a federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene. The bill directs the General Assembly to use existing SERDRF funds for Helene recovery efforts, without creating new programs or changing eligibility. This procedural bill focuses solely on redirecting existing disaster relief funding to support recovery in Helene-impacted counties.

Maddy summarySB 57 amends North Carolina's workers' compensation law to expand coverage for eyeglasses and hearing aids damaged during work-related injuries. It requires that repair or replacement of these devices only occurs if the damage happens incidentally to a compensable injury (e.g., glasses breaking during a workplace fall). Workers will not receive coverage for routine damage or loss unrelated to a covered injury. The change applies to all claims arising on or after the bill's effective date.