Sen. Natalie Murdock

Maddy summarySB 407 prohibits using someone's sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation - whether accurate or not - as a defense in homicide or assault cases in North Carolina. It amends Chapter 14 to explicitly state that such beliefs cannot be used to justify the crime or negate elements like malice in murder prosecutions. The bill applies only to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025, and does not affect past cases. It clarifies that evidence about a victim's conduct may still be admitted if relevant and admissible under existing rules.

Maddy summarySB 434, the School Workers Fair Pay Act, requires North Carolina public schools to pay all noncertified employees (such as cafeteria workers, custodians, and administrative staff) a minimum hourly wage of $17.00, effective July 1, 2025. The bill mandates the State Board of Education to adjust salary schedules to meet this rate and allocates $144.7 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to support this change. Funds must supplement existing salaries without replacing current state or local funding. This policy directly affects thousands of non-teaching school staff across all North Carolina public school districts.

Maddy summarySB 446 increases funding for North Carolina's Housing Trust Fund to address the state's affordable housing shortage. It allocates $30 million in one-time funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and establishes recurring revenue streams: 1.5% of property transfer fees and 33% of real estate excise tax proceeds will now flow directly to the fund. This funding supports affordable housing solutions like rentals, home ownership, and repairs for North Carolinians struggling with housing costs - over 815,000 residents currently lack access to affordable housing. The bill aims to rebuild the fund's capacity after a 68% funding decline over the past decade.

Maddy summarySB 456, "Healthy Start NC," creates a program providing cash assistance to reduce maternal mortality and childhood poverty. It allocates $161.6 million annually from TANF funds and $146.3 million from the General Fund for the 2025-2027 biennium to give expecting mothers a one-time $1,500 prenatal allowance and $500 monthly for the first year after birth for infant needs like food, diapers, and childcare. Eligibility uses a means-based test tied to federal poverty levels, with funds administered through nonprofit partners to avoid affecting other benefits. To offset costs, the bill gradually reduces the corporate income tax rate from 2.25% (2025) to 0% (2029). The program becomes effective July 1, 2025, with tax changes starting January 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 406 would establish a new court process in North Carolina called Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), allowing family members, law enforcement, or health care providers to seek temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a significant risk of self-harm or harm to others. Courts could issue emergency orders without the person present if danger is imminent, requiring immediate surrender of firearms and ammunition, with seizure ordered if compliance fails. The bill mandates specific evidence in petitions (e.g., details on firearms and safety risks), includes due process safeguards like verifying existing protection orders, and waives court costs for petitioners. It also requires annual reports to the legislature tracking ERPO usage, including petitions filed, orders issued, and denials.

Maddy summarySB 467, the "Right to Reproductive Freedom Act," codifies protections from the Supreme Court's *Roe v. Wade* and *Planned Parenthood v. Casey* rulings into North Carolina law. It prohibits the state from imposing "undue burdens" on abortion access before fetal viability (approximately 24 weeks), allowing restrictions only to preserve life or health after viability. The bill updates consent rules to let minors consent to abortion care without parental notification (under specific medical circumstances), clarifies healthcare provider immunity, and requires health insurance plans to cover abortion-related complications even if they don’t cover the procedure itself. This directly affects all patients seeking abortion services in North Carolina, particularly those facing prior barriers like young people, low-income individuals, and rural residents.

Maddy summarySB 459 proposes to amend North Carolina's constitution by removing Article XIV Section 6, which currently states that "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State." If approved by voters in the November 2026 general election, this constitutional change would eliminate the state's legal restriction on same-sex marriage recognition. The bill would require a majority vote in favor to take effect on January 1, 2027, changing the constitutional framework governing marriage validity. This bill directly affects all North Carolina residents by altering the state's constitutional definition of marriage.

Maddy summarySB 392 creates new criminal penalties for threatening or pressuring voters, election officials, or poll workers to influence voting choices or election participation. It makes it a felony to threaten someone for voting, voting for a specific candidate, registering to vote, or for election workers performing duties, and prohibits fraudulent challenges to voter eligibility. Employers cannot condition pay or employment on voting behavior, with violations carrying fines up to $100,000 or five years in prison. Convicted individuals must pay restitution fines that fund voter education programs, and election workers can seek civil damages for intimidation.

Maddy summarySB 439 imposes a moratorium on new Opportunity Scholarships starting in the 2025-2026 school year, requiring new applicants to have received a scholarship in the prior year. It reduces funding for the program by $83.46 million annually (recurring) and $28.46 million (nonrecurring) for 2025-2026, while redirecting $113.46 million (recurring) and $28.46 million (nonrecurring) to public schools for the same year. The bill phases out the scholarship program entirely by 2037-2038 as current recipients become ineligible, and limits future scholarship funding increases to match public school funding growth. This directly affects new private school scholarship applicants and redirects funds from the Opportunity Scholarship program to North Carolina public schools.

Maddy summarySB 460 creates a statewide Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Program within North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, directly affecting individuals diagnosed with FASD, their families, and healthcare/education providers. The program requires the department to establish a coordinator, develop screening and evidence-based interventions, and serve as a central resource for FASD support and education. It also mandates a 17-member advisory committee - comprising agency representatives, affected individuals/families, and professionals - to guide prevention efforts and coordinate existing services. The bill appropriates $2 million in recurring funds for 2025-2027 to cover program operations and committee expenses, effective July 1, 2025.