Sen. Benton Sawrey

Maddy summaryThis bill permits the sale, possession, and use of specific consumer fireworks (like sparklers, party poppers, and novelty items) in North Carolina, while maintaining restrictions on most pyrotechnics. It directly affects consumers and retailers by allowing limited fireworks that comply with strict weight limits (e.g., no more than 16 milligrams for party poppers) and requires compliance with new regulations under Part 2 of Chapter 58. The bill establishes an excise tax on consumer fireworks sales and amends existing laws to define permitted items, such as wire sparklers (under 100 grams) and sparklers emitting showers of sparks. It does not change prohibitions on most fireworks, including indoor displays or sales to minors under 18.

Maddy summarySB 240 establishes the NCSTARS Grant Program to fund community colleges partnering with public schools and local businesses to create work-based learning programs for students aged 16+ in apprenticeships or preapprenticeships. It provides matching grants of up to $500,000 per year per community college, requiring a 3:1 state-to-local funding match for program costs like student stipends, travel, and staff. The program prioritizes applications modeling the Surry-Yadkin Works FLEET program and mandates annual reports on participation and outcomes. Total funding of $4.75 million is allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, supporting the program through 2028-2029.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows North Carolina local governments to borrow money to accelerate transportation projects already identified for funding under the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Local governments can issue "grant anticipation notes" to cover project costs before receiving state funds, but notes must mature within 12 months after the project's scheduled completion year (no renewals allowed). Borrowing is capped at the full project cost, requires a special agreement with the DOT outlining project details and repayment plans, and must be repaid solely from state grant funds - without using local tax revenue or pledging the government's credit. The bill also ensures STIP program changes won't delay repayment of these notes.

Maddy summarySB 128, the Heroes Homestead Act, increases the property tax exemption for disabled veterans in North Carolina from $45,000 to $76,500 of a home's appraised value. This change directly affects qualifying disabled veterans who own and occupy their primary residence, providing greater tax relief on their homes. The bill amends North Carolina's property tax law to set the new exclusion amount, effective for taxes due on or after July 1, 2026. It does not apply to other property tax relief programs.

Maddy summarySB 109, the Veterans Appreciation Act, increases property tax relief for disabled veterans in North Carolina by expanding the homestead exclusion to cover the value increase from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) housing grants. It directly affects disabled veterans who receive VA housing grants for service-connected disabilities, allowing them to exclude up to $45,000 of their home’s appraised value plus grant-funded improvements from property taxes. The bill adds a prequalification process, letting veterans apply in advance of purchasing a home to confirm eligibility, with county assessors required to notify applicants within 30 days. This change takes effect for property taxes on homes owned after July 1, 2025.

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 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 81 designates North Carolina's standard time as the time set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (currently Eastern Time) and establishes a process for the state to observe Daylight Saving Time year-round *if* Congress authorizes such a change. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to notify the Governor within 60 days of congressional authorization, triggering implementation via executive order. This bill directly affects all of North Carolina and its local governments, but only if Congress passes legislation allowing year-round DST. The measure itself does not change current time practices; it prepares the state to adopt year-round DST if federal law permits.

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.