Sen. Amy Galey

Maddy summarySB 428 (Water Transfer Regulations) requires permits for large-scale transfers of surface water between North Carolina's river basins. It mandates a certificate from the state commission for transfers exceeding 2 million gallons per day (or increases of 25%+ for existing transfers), with exceptions for facilities operational by July 1993. The bill establishes public hearing requirements, including meetings in source and receiving basins, and requires applicants to evaluate alternatives to transfers. It directly affects water users, local governments, and utilities planning cross-basin water transfers. The law aims to regulate water movement between drainage areas while maintaining existing infrastructure.

Maddy summarySB 332, the Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act, requires health care professionals (like doctors, nurses, and dentists) who advertise services to clearly state their specific license or certification type in all marketing materials (such as websites, brochures, or business cards). It prohibits using misleading titles (e.g., "cardiologist" or "surgeon") if not licensed for that specialty, and bans false claims about qualifications. The law applies to all patient-facing practitioners in advertising, with enforcement handled by licensing boards through disciplinary actions for violations. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not apply to non-patient-facing roles like administrative staff.

Maddy summarySB 333 prevents UNC system schools and community colleges from following accrediting agency rules that conflict with North Carolina or federal law. It requires these institutions to prioritize existing state/federal laws over accreditation demands, ensuring they cannot violate legal standards to comply with outside requirements. Certain professional programs - like law, pharmacy, engineering, and others identified by governing boards - are exempt from this rule. The bill clarifies that institutions must not take actions violating current law due to accreditation standards, while maintaining exemptions for programs with specialized accreditation needs.

Maddy summarySB 300 (the NC REACH Act) would require all students graduating with a bachelor's degree from a University of North Carolina institution or an associate degree from a North Carolina community college to complete at least three credit hours of instruction in American history or government. The bill mandates that courses cover specific foundational documents - including the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, Federalist Papers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail, Gettysburg Address, and the North Carolina State Constitution - and include a final exam worth at least 20% of the course grade. Students may be exempted through prior coursework (e.g., AP/IB exams, dual enrollment) that meets the same requirements. The bill explicitly states it will not increase total credit hour requirements for degrees and requires annual reporting on compliance by 2026. This is a proposed bill currently in committee review.

Maddy summarySB 320 creates an additional retirement allowance for North Carolina state and local law enforcement officers who retire after meeting specific service and age requirements. Eligible officers with at least 30 years of service (or 55+ with 5+ years) under age 62 can choose between two calculation methods for their annual allowance: one based on their current pay rate and service, or one based on their pay rate at 30 years of service. The allowance, paid monthly from state funds, stops upon the officer’s death, reaching age 62 (for the first method), or meeting a time-based condition (for the second method). This change supplements retirement income without affecting other retirement benefits or salary increases.

Maddy summaryNorth Carolina's SB 296 requires state and local governments to use iron and steel products manufactured in the United States for public works projects funded by state money. This applies to permanent materials like structural steel, pipes, and construction components, but includes exceptions when U.S. products are unavailable (e.g., insufficient supply, 20%+ cost increase), or when foreign materials cost less than 0.1% of the total project cost. The bill excludes electrical components (except poles) and does not apply to Department of Transportation projects already covered by federal Buy America rules. It takes effect July 1, 2026, for contracts awarded after that date.

Maddy summarySB 302, "The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act," allows law enforcement, probation/parole, and corrections officers in North Carolina who hold specific advanced certificates to purchase up to four years of retirement credit. It directly affects officers with an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate (from NC Criminal Justice or Sheriffs' training commissions) or an Advanced Corrections Certificate (from NC Criminal Justice Commission), provided they have at least five years of existing retirement service. Officers can pay a lump sum to the retirement system’s Annuity Savings Fund to add this credit, calculated based on actuarial assumptions for the retirement system’s liability. The bill applies to both the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System and Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 315 improves transparency and efficiency in insurance reviews of medical services by setting strict timeframes for insurers to make decisions. For urgent care, insurers must decide within 24 hours; for non-urgent care, within three business days after receiving all necessary information. The bill also requires insurers to clearly explain review processes in patient handbooks, on websites, and on membership cards, and to notify both patients and providers of outcomes. Additionally, it mandates that appeal reviews be conducted by qualified medical professionals without conflicts of interest, ensuring fairer assessments of coverage disputes.

Maddy summarySB 309 creates North Carolina's first Uniform Electronic Wills Act, allowing residents to create legally valid wills using electronic means. The bill requires electronic wills to be signed by the person making the will (testator), stored in readable electronic form, and witnessed by two people - matching current paper-will requirements. It also establishes procedures for certifying paper copies of electronic wills for court use and converting existing paper wills to electronic format. This directly affects anyone in North Carolina creating or updating a will, providing a modern method to execute wills while maintaining legal safeguards. The bill aligns with recommendations from the North Carolina Bar Association's Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section.

Maddy summarySB 261, the Energy Security and Affordability Act, removes a mandated interim timeline for carbon reduction by North Carolina's major electric utilities (those serving 150,000+ customers) and introduces an alternative cost recovery method for ongoing construction of base load power plants. The bill requires these utilities to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and carbon neutrality by 2050, with the Utilities Commission developing a Carbon Plan by 2026 for achieving these goals. It specifies that new solar energy must come from 45% third-party power purchase agreements for small solar facilities (80 MW or less) and 55% utility-owned or purchased sources, including for solar paired with storage. This bill directly affects North Carolina's largest electric utilities and the Utilities Commission, altering their regulatory framework for emissions and infrastructure costs.