Sen. Bobby Hanig

Maddy summarySB 312, the "Stars and Stripes Commitment Act," requires all North Carolina public schools (including charter, regional, and laboratory schools) to schedule daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance within one hour of the start of the school day, display U.S. and North Carolina flags in classrooms when available, and provide age-appropriate instruction about the flag and pledge. It also mandates that State Board of Education and local school governing body meetings begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill explicitly states these requirements do not compel any student, staff, or attendee to stand, salute, or recite the Pledge. The law applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summarySB 320 creates an additional retirement allowance for North Carolina state and local law enforcement officers who retire after meeting specific service and age requirements. Eligible officers with at least 30 years of service (or 55+ with 5+ years) under age 62 can choose between two calculation methods for their annual allowance: one based on their current pay rate and service, or one based on their pay rate at 30 years of service. The allowance, paid monthly from state funds, stops upon the officer’s death, reaching age 62 (for the first method), or meeting a time-based condition (for the second method). This change supplements retirement income without affecting other retirement benefits or salary increases.

Maddy summarySB 317, the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, creates new rules for dividing property owned by multiple family members (known as "heirs property") where ownership is unclear and at least 20% of shares are held by relatives or acquired through family lines. If a court determines property qualifies as heirs property, it must be divided under this law unless all owners agree otherwise in writing. The bill requires courts to first determine the property's fair market value through appraisal or agreement, then offers co-owners a 45-day window to buy out others' shares at that value before a court-ordered sale. This process aims to clarify ownership for family-held land without requiring all owners to agree upfront.

Maddy summaryNorth Carolina's SB 296 requires state and local governments to use iron and steel products manufactured in the United States for public works projects funded by state money. This applies to permanent materials like structural steel, pipes, and construction components, but includes exceptions when U.S. products are unavailable (e.g., insufficient supply, 20%+ cost increase), or when foreign materials cost less than 0.1% of the total project cost. The bill excludes electrical components (except poles) and does not apply to Department of Transportation projects already covered by federal Buy America rules. It takes effect July 1, 2026, for contracts awarded after that date.

Maddy summarySB 302, "The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act," allows law enforcement, probation/parole, and corrections officers in North Carolina who hold specific advanced certificates to purchase up to four years of retirement credit. It directly affects officers with an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate (from NC Criminal Justice or Sheriffs' training commissions) or an Advanced Corrections Certificate (from NC Criminal Justice Commission), provided they have at least five years of existing retirement service. Officers can pay a lump sum to the retirement system’s Annuity Savings Fund to add this credit, calculated based on actuarial assumptions for the retirement system’s liability. The bill applies to both the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System and Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 315 improves transparency and efficiency in insurance reviews of medical services by setting strict timeframes for insurers to make decisions. For urgent care, insurers must decide within 24 hours; for non-urgent care, within three business days after receiving all necessary information. The bill also requires insurers to clearly explain review processes in patient handbooks, on websites, and on membership cards, and to notify both patients and providers of outcomes. Additionally, it mandates that appeal reviews be conducted by qualified medical professionals without conflicts of interest, ensuring fairer assessments of coverage disputes.

Maddy summarySB 226 expands eligibility for death benefits under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act to include firefighters who die from specific cancers. It adds any cancer diagnosed after January 1, 2022, that qualified a firefighter for benefits under the Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program (or its predecessor, the Health Benefits Pilot Program) to the list of cancers presumed to be "killed in the line of duty." This means firefighters receiving cancer benefits under the program will automatically qualify for death benefits if they later die from that cancer. The bill also permanently establishes the Cancer Insurance Program as the successor to the pilot program and allocates $2 million annually for related death benefits starting July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 286 increases licensing fees for nurses in North Carolina by doubling most existing rates. It directly affects registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and applicants seeking new licenses, renewals, or reinstatements. Key provisions include raising application fees (e.g., $75 to $150 for registered nurses), renewal fees (e.g., $100 to $200 for two-year periods), and reinstatement costs. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and ensures fees cover board expenses without state treasury funding. No refunds are provided for paid fees under this updated schedule.

Maddy summarySB 291 limits cities' ability to regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb) by prohibiting ordinances that ban them, restrict rental nights, require owner occupancy, or classify them as commercial use. Cities may still require a $25 permit for short-term rentals, with revocation only after five health/safety violations (after allowing appeal), and must enforce occupancy limits (two adults per bedroom), parking plans, residential zoning compliance, and posting of local noise/waste/parking rules. The bill directly affects property owners using short-term rentals and cities seeking to regulate them, establishing state-level uniformity instead of local rules. Key provisions allow cities to enforce basic safety and zoning standards but block broader restrictions on how owners operate rentals.

Maddy summarySB 290, the NC REINS Act, requires North Carolina's General Assembly to approve certain state agency regulations before they take effect. It directly affects state agencies creating rules with significant economic impact (over $1 million annually) and gives legislators a 30-day window to block such rules through a specific disapproval bill. The bill adds a legislative review period for all permanent rules and mandates that rules with substantial economic impact must be ratified by the legislature, effectively creating a veto power over those regulations. This changes current process by requiring explicit legislative action for high-impact rules instead of automatic implementation after agency approval.