Sen. Jim Burgin

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the fee for vehicle safety inspections in North Carolina. It directly affects vehicle owners who require safety inspections, as the fee for a safety-only inspection will rise from $12.75 to a new amount (specified in the bill's text). The key mechanism adjusts the inspection fee amount while maintaining the same structure for authorization fees and free re-inspections within 60 days of a failed test. The fee increase applies to safety inspections only and becomes effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 160, the Respiratory Care Modernization Act, updates North Carolina's laws governing respiratory care professionals to reflect current practices, especially after increased pandemic demands. It creates a new "Advanced respiratory care practitioner" (ARCP) role for licensed professionals with specialized training, allowing them to perform advanced procedures under physician supervision - while explicitly excluding medical diagnosis, prescribing, or invasive surgeries. The bill clarifies the scope of practice for both standard respiratory care practitioners and ARCPs, defining permitted tasks like mechanical ventilation support and diagnostic testing, and establishing requirements for board-approved training. This directly affects respiratory therapists seeking advanced roles, their supervising physicians, and healthcare facilities providing respiratory care services.

Maddy summarySB 170 requires North Carolina's child welfare system to notify foster parents before a juvenile is placed with a biological parent. Specifically, it mandates that foster parents receive 15 days' written notice of court hearings about placement decisions and at least 48 hours of verbal notice if a child returns to a parent after a permanency hearing. This directly affects foster parents by ensuring they are informed about potential changes in a child's living situation. The bill amends existing law to explicitly include "the person providing care for the juvenile" (i.e., foster parents) as a required recipient of notice, strengthening their role in transition planning. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 147, titled "Teacher License Reciprocity," changes North Carolina's teacher licensing rules to make it easier for out-of-state educators to work in the state. It prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring teachers licensed in other states to pass a standardized exam for a North Carolina continuing professional teaching license (CPL), provided they have at least three years of teaching experience and are in good standing with their home state. This directly affects educators seeking to move their teaching careers to North Carolina without retaking exams. The bill applies to license applications submitted on or after its effective date.

Maddy summarySB 126 requires North Carolina state agencies to create zero-based budget plans every eight years on a rotating schedule, starting in 2025. Agencies must justify all activities from a "zero" funding baseline (not building on past budgets), detailing current services, minimum service levels, potential impacts of cuts, and program outcomes. The bill specifically excludes statutory appropriations (legally mandated funds) from these plans. It affects all executive branch agencies, with the Department of Health and Human Services divisions first required to submit plans in 2025. This policy mandates agencies to justify each program's necessity and cost-effectiveness before requesting funding.

Maddy summarySB 123 requires all North Carolina public schools - including traditional, charter, regional, and university-operated schools - to display U.S. and North Carolina flags in every classroom and near school entrances, and to schedule daily Pledge of Allegiance recitation with age-appropriate historical instruction. The law explicitly states that no student or staff member may be compelled to stand, salute, or recite the pledge. It allocates $1 million (nonrecurring) for flag purchases in 2025-2026 and $100,000 annually starting in 2026-2027. This applies to all public schools beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

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 113 creates a new process for property owners to quickly remove unauthorized occupants (squatters) from residential property. Property owners or their authorized representatives must file a sworn affidavit with a court clerk or magistrate, pay a $25 fee, and provide specific details proving the occupant has no legal claim (e.g., no rent paid, not a tenant, and directed to leave). Once the affidavit is processed, local law enforcement must remove the person within 24 hours. This process does not apply to tenants with valid leases or rental agreements.

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 summaryThis bill appropriates $1.5 million annually from 2025-2027 to fund Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in North Carolina. It directs funds to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. to mail age-appropriate books monthly to registered children through the early literacy program. The bill provides recurring state funding for an existing program that delivers books directly to children's homes.