Sen. Natalie Murdock

Maddy summarySB 585 creates a tuition and registration fee waiver for mental health clinicians and peer support specialists working in municipal or county emergency medical services (EMS), rescue, or lifesaving departments. It specifically applies to professionals embedded in 911 call centers to direct mental health resources or paired with first responders during emergency calls. The bill amends North Carolina's community college tuition waiver rules to add these departments as eligible entities, allowing their employees to take approved community college courses without tuition costs. This policy directly affects local government emergency response teams and their mental health staff, effective July 1, 2025. The waiver covers standard tuition and registration fees for relevant training programs.

Maddy summarySB 586, "Allergy Safe NC," requires child care centers in North Carolina to implement specific safety protocols for children with food allergies. It mandates that caregivers receive training on administering allergy emergency medication (epinephrine), require immediate contact with emergency services after such medication is used, notify parents about allergic reactions and their causes, and provide written food allergy policies to parents. These requirements apply to all child care facilities licensed under state law, directly affecting centers that care for children with known food allergies. The bill aims to standardize emergency response and prevention measures to protect children’s health during care.

Maddy summarySB 574 creates the North Carolina Healthy Soils Task Force within the Department of Agriculture to develop a statewide soil health initiative. The task force, composed of 11 voting members including agricultural leaders, university representatives, and farmers (with specific acreage representation), will create an action plan to improve soil health through voluntary partnerships. Key duties include identifying financial incentives for farmers, promoting compost use, coordinating with federal programs like the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, and setting measurable goals for soil health. This bill directly affects North Carolina farmers and agricultural communities by establishing a formal process to enhance soil productivity, water quality, and environmental resilience.

Maddy summarySB 511 requires all North Carolina public schools (K-12) to teach informational literacy, defined as skills to find, evaluate, and use information effectively - including digital, media, and technological literacy. The bill mandates the State Board of Education to create age-appropriate standards covering research processes, source evaluation (primary vs. secondary), fact vs. opinion, ethical information use, and access to library resources. Schools must develop curriculum in consultation with library/media staff and implement it starting in the 2025-2026 school year. This policy directly affects every public school student and educator in North Carolina through mandated curriculum changes.

Maddy summarySB 583, the Lead. Invest. Families/Foster Teen Act (LIFT), creates a program providing $1,000 monthly cash payments to four specific groups: homeless high school seniors (grade 12), expectant or new mothers with children under 18 months, natural disaster survivors qualifying for FEMA aid, and young adults exiting foster care (aged 16-27). Payments begin April 1, 2026, and continue until April 1, 2035, with disaster survivors receiving payments for 12 months post-disaster. The program is funded through a new LIFT Fund established within the Department of Health and Human Services, which receives state appropriations and other designated funds, and payments are exempt from state income tax and do not affect eligibility for other public benefits. The bill also modifies the corporate income tax rate to offset program costs, aligning the effective tax rate for corporations more closely with individual taxpayers.

Maddy summarySB 537 defines the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in North Carolina, specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). The bill provides statutory definitions for each role, detailing permitted activities like diagnosing conditions, prescribing medications, ordering diagnostic tests, and managing patient care within their specialized focus areas. By codifying these definitions in state law, the bill removes longstanding ambiguity about APRN practice that has persisted for decades, as noted by North Carolina courts and the executive branch. This change directly affects over 20,000 APRNs in the state by legally clarifying their scope of practice.

Maddy summarySB 549 creates two new paid leave programs for North Carolina state employees, public school staff, and community college workers. It provides at least 56 hours of paid leave for pregnancy loss (including miscarriage, failed adoption, or surrogacy) and up to three consecutive workdays of paid bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, etc.). The leave is in addition to existing sick/vacation time, requires a minimum service period that can be aggregated across state agencies and schools, and has no cash value upon termination. Funding of $1.8 million for pregnancy loss and $2 million for bereavement is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal years 2025-2027, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 534 allocates $237.5 million in one-time state funding from the Capital and Infrastructure Fund for capital projects at two North Carolina universities. Specifically, it provides $125 million to North Carolina A&T State University for an Agricultural Research Classroom and $112.5 million to Winston-Salem State University for a Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex. The funding is designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and becomes effective July 1, 2025. This bill directly affects the operations and infrastructure development of these two public universities.

Maddy summarySB 638, the "Fair Maps Act," proposes a constitutional amendment to replace North Carolina’s current legislative redistricting process with an independent commission. It would establish the North Carolina Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw congressional and state legislative districts after each federal census, removing direct control from the General Assembly and governor. The law requires districts to have equal population, remain contiguous, avoid splitting counties, and preserve communities of interest (like shared cultural or geographic ties). If approved by voters in 2026, this change would take effect for the 2030 census-based redistricting cycle.

Maddy summarySB 636, the School Psychologist Omnibus, increases compensation for North Carolina school psychologists and creates programs to boost recruitment and training. It provides a $650 monthly salary supplement for all school psychologists, plus a 12% supplement for those with a nationally certified credential, funded by $8.1 million. The bill also allocates $1.7 million for grants to school districts offering up to $5,000 signing bonuses to recruit psychologists, $5 million for internship stipends, and $5 million for a virtual training program at Appalachian State University, plus $1.6 million to expand university training programs at five UNC schools. These changes, effective July 2025, directly affect school psychologists, public school districts, and university training programs to address staffing shortages.