Sen. Sydney Batch

Maddy summarySB 717 (North Carolina) increases penalties for assault by strangulation by creating three new felony classifications based on injury severity. It establishes a Class F felony for strangulation causing serious bodily injury (defined as risk of death, disfigurement, permanent impairment, or prolonged hospitalization), a Class H G felony for strangulation causing physical injury, and a Class H felony for strangulation without specified injury. The law directly affects individuals convicted of strangulation assaults in North Carolina, defining "strangulation" as pressure on the throat/neck or obstruction of nose/mouth. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 732 requires North Carolina's Department of Commerce to measure economic well-being using specific, publicly reported metrics like poverty rates, living wage job access, housing/childcare costs relative to income, and concentrated poverty areas. The bill appropriates $200,000 annually (2025-2027) to conduct bi-annual analyses and submit reports to the General Assembly by January 31 each odd-numbered year. These reports must include data on hardship, cost burdens, education costs, and neighborhood conditions across all counties. The law directly affects how state policymakers assess economic progress, shifting focus from market metrics alone to people's lived experiences. It does not change existing laws but establishes a framework for measuring policy impacts on residents' economic security.

Maddy summarySB 483, "The Children First Act," expands affordable child care access for North Carolina families by increasing financial assistance eligibility to 85% of the state median income and raising subsidy rates to match 2023 market costs. It allocates $50 million annually for subsidies and $15 million for grants to establish new child care facilities in rural or underserved areas, targeting "child care deserts." The bill also creates an employer child care credit and includes workforce licensing reforms to address staffing shortages. These provisions directly affect low-to-moderate-income families, child care providers, and employers seeking to support working parents.

Maddy summarySB 692 reduces the copayment rate for subsidized child care in North Carolina from 10% to 5% of a family's gross income. This directly affects low-income families who qualify for state-subsidized child care services. The bill amends existing law to lower the percentage parents pay for care, while maintaining the same blended and part-time care calculations (83% and 75% of full-time copayments, respectively). The change takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 659, the "Investing in North Carolina Act," raises salaries for public school teachers and state employees for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It establishes a new monthly salary schedule for teachers based on experience (ranging from $4,600 for 0 years to $6,370 for 29+ years), adds specific supplements for certified teachers, nurses, counselors, and specialists, and provides cost-of-living increases for retirees. The bill also expands the Wage$ program statewide and creates a tax credit for qualifying employers equal to 5% of wages paid or $10,000, whichever is lower. Directly affecting teachers, state employees, community college staff, UNC employees, retirees, and participating employers, it focuses on concrete pay adjustments through funding appropriations.

Maddy summarySB 611 allows drivers with non-REAL ID compliant licenses in North Carolina to renew their licenses remotely two times in a row. After two consecutive remote renewals, these licenses must be renewed in person. The bill applies only to licenses that do not meet federal REAL ID standards (required for certain federal purposes like air travel) and does not affect REAL ID-compliant licenses, which still require an in-person renewal after a remote one. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all renewals on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 606 requires North Carolina state services to be accessible in 25 additional languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Cherokee, by mandating translations for driver's license materials, tests, and traffic signs. It also mandates that public schools translate parent documents - such as enrollment forms, consent forms, and disciplinary notices - into those 25 languages. Additionally, the bill encourages schools to grant excused absences for religious observances and allocates $1 million to cover substitute teacher costs when educators take leave for such holidays. These provisions aim to improve access to essential services and education for non-English speaking residents while respecting cultural traditions.

Maddy summarySB 733 designates January 14th of each year as "Tamil Pongal Day" in North Carolina. The bill amends state statutes to formally recognize this date as a cultural observance, specifically honoring the Tamil Pongal festival. It directly affects state recognition of this holiday but does not create new state programs, alter existing laws, or impact public holidays for government operations. The provision is purely ceremonial, adding the designation to North Carolina's official holiday calendar without requiring state action or funding. This procedural bill has been referred to the Senate Rules committee after its first reading.

Maddy summarySB 440, the "Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2025," allocates base budget funding for North Carolina's state departments, agencies, and universities for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. It specifies exact funding amounts for all state operations, including $12.94 billion for public instruction, $8.83 billion for health and human services, and $4.24 billion for the University of North Carolina system. The bill directs all state entities to spend within these allocated amounts, with unused funds reverting to the appropriate fund at year-end. As a routine budget measure, it does not create new policies or affect specific groups beyond funding existing state services.

Maddy summarySB 438, titled "NC Adopt ERA," is a bill to formally ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. The ERA, proposed by Congress in 1972, was ratified by 38 states (including Virginia in 2020), meeting the constitutional requirement for three-fourths of states. This bill directs North Carolina to send a certified copy of its ratification to the U.S. Archivist and Congress, completing the state's role in the federal amendment process. If enacted, North Carolina would join the 38 states that have ratified the ERA, which the bill states is now the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.