Sen. Sophia Chitlik

Maddy summarySB 301 modifies North Carolina's Film and Entertainment Grant Fund to clarify eligibility and funding limits for film and TV productions. It sets minimum qualifying expenses (e.g., $1.5 million for theatrical films, $500,000 per TV episode) and caps grants at 35% (for rural areas) or 25% (for urban areas) of production costs, with maximums like $7 million for feature films. Priority is given to productions hiring North Carolina residents and featuring state landmarks to boost tourism. The bill directly affects film producers meeting these financial and geographic criteria who seek state funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates North Carolina's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program, which provides a state tax credit to low-income workers who qualify for the federal EITC. It sets the state credit at 5% of the federal credit amount (down from 4.5% in 2013), making it refundable so eligible taxpayers receive cash even if they owe no state tax. The credit applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2025, and continues a program that expired after 2013. The bill does not change eligibility rules or create new benefits - it simply reenacts the prior policy structure.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $237,000 from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund an art installation honoring Stagville descendants' history. The funds will support The Stagville Memorial Project's design and development of the installation on land near Durham's Museum of History. The appropriation becomes effective July 1, 2025, and is a one-time (nonrecurring) funding measure.

Maddy summarySB 288 appropriates $150,000 in one-time state funds for the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice in Durham. The bill directs these funds to develop the "Pauli Murray Center Green," which will improve physical access to the center while also providing stormwater drainage systems. The funds are allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and become effective July 1, 2025. This is a funding bill, not a policy change, directly supporting the center's infrastructure.

Maddy summarySB 282 aims to expand access to clubhouse model psychosocial rehabilitation programs for adults with severe mental illness in North Carolina who are Medicaid beneficiaries. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a statewide reimbursement plan by December 2025, including incentives for clubhouse accreditation, consistent payment rates across managed care organizations, and staff training. The bill also appropriates $2.5 million annually (2025-2027) from the General Fund to the North Carolina Clubhouse Coalition to support member clubhouses for program expansion, accreditation, or staff training. This directly affects Medicaid-funded clubhouses, managed care organizations, and the coalition itself. The plan must be reported to the legislature by December 2025, with implementation effective July 2025.

Maddy summarySB 281, the Essential Relief for Child Care Act, appropriates $50 million in nonrecurring state funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to continue compensation grants for child care providers. This funding directly supports licensed child care facilities across North Carolina, helping them cover operational costs and prevent closures. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain these grants at current 2024-2025 funding levels through the fourth quarter. It aims to address ongoing financial pressures on providers, which the bill states could lead to 20% facility closures without continued support.

Maddy summarySB 279 establishes a Baby Bond Trust Fund that automatically deposits $2,000 into individual accounts for eligible North Carolina infants born on or after January 1, 2024. Eligibility requires parents to reside in North Carolina (or establish residency within six months of birth) and have household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Funds in these accounts cannot be accessed before age 18 (except for qualified education expenses), and after age 18, distributions may be used for postsecondary education, home purchases, business startup, or approved long-term investments. The State Treasurer administers the accounts with a Board of Trustees, ensuring funds remain protected from creditors and are managed solely for the account holder’s benefit.

Maddy summarySB 273 requires day camps providing aquatic activities (like swimming or water instruction) for school-age children (up to age 18) to have certified lifeguards on-site. It mandates specific ratios (two lifeguards for every 25 children, plus one additional per 15 children), a 6-foot lifeguard chair, and a mandatory swim test before activities begin - requiring U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets for non-swimmers. The bill prohibits aquatic activities in hot tubs, spas, saunas, portable pools, and unfiltered water containers. It applies to all day camps operating for less than four months yearly and takes effect June 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 233, titled "Make Corporations Pay What They Owe," would repeal a specific provision (Section 42.2) from a 2021 law (S.L. 2021-180) that was phasing out North Carolina's corporate income tax. This bill does not create new taxes but stops the planned reduction of corporate tax rates, meaning corporations would continue paying the current rate instead of a lower rate scheduled to take effect. It directly affects corporations subject to North Carolina's corporate income tax, as the repeal prevents the phaseout from proceeding. The bill is purely procedural, with no additional provisions or mechanisms beyond this repeal.

Maddy summarySB 242, the H.A.L.L. Accountability Act, repeals a previous law (S.L. 2023-134, Section 27.7(d)) that kept redistricting documents private. It requires all redistricting documents to be treated as public records, making them accessible to the public. This directly affects North Carolina legislators, state agencies, and local governments involved in redistricting by mandating transparency in their process. The bill changes the legal status of these documents from non-public to public records upon enactment.