Sen. Tom McInnis

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 100 allows Moore County Schools to align its academic calendar with Sandhills Community College's schedule. This specifically changes state law to permit the local school board to match the college's calendar, which may help coordinate student transitions or shared facilities. The bill applies only to Moore County Schools and takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year. It does not alter general school opening/closing dates but exempts Moore County from standard calendar requirements for this alignment.

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 82 establishes a multi-state compact (the "Solemn Covenant of States") to create a commission that awards prizes for scientifically validated disease cures. It would require at least six states to join before forming the commission, which would review and fund cures, then make them widely available at prices covering only manufacturing and distribution costs. Non-participating states would pay royalties based on estimated public health savings, with funds used to cover prize costs and refunded to joining states. The bill directly affects participating states' taxpayers through public health expense calculations and the commission's pricing rules.

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 66 allows Cumberland County Schools to align its academic calendar with Fayetteville Technical Community College's schedule, directly affecting only Cumberland County's public schools. It amends state law to exempt the district from standard school opening (no earlier than August 26) and closing (no later than June 11) dates, permitting calendar coordination with the local community college. This exemption applies specifically to Cumberland County Schools for the 2025-2026 school year and later, without requiring "good cause" justification. The bill creates a targeted exception to existing calendar rules for this single district.

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.

Maddy summarySB 56, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I, authorizes the transfer of funds from North Carolina's State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund. It applies to counties designated as part of the "affected area" under a federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene. The bill directs the General Assembly to use existing SERDRF funds for Helene recovery efforts, without creating new programs or changing eligibility. This procedural bill focuses solely on redirecting existing disaster relief funding to support recovery in Helene-impacted counties.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students attending public, private, or homeschools without a specific sport or extracurricular program to participate at the nearest public high school offering that activity. It requires public schools to permit such participation under the same terms as enrolled students, with schools able to charge a reasonable, board-approved fee for non-enrolled students. The law mandates that school districts publish all approved participation fees online by October 15 each year. It applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.