Sen. Steve Jarvis

Maddy summarySenate Bill 207 amends North Carolina's littering law by creating a new "permissive rebuttable presumption." This presumption states that if discarded litter includes documents or objects clearly bearing a person's name, such as bank statements, utility bills, or prescription bottles, it suggests that person committed the offense. However, advertising, marketing, and campaign materials are specifically excluded from creating this presumption. This bill affects individuals accused of littering and provides a new mechanism for establishing culpability, while allowing the accused to present evidence to rebut the presumption. The changes are set to become effective on December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides local boards of education with a new alternative for setting their school calendars, directly affecting public schools and students. It allows schools to start as early as the Monday closest to August 19, provided fall and spring semesters have an equal number of instructional days, and end no later than the Friday before the last Monday in May. The bill also establishes stricter enforcement mechanisms, enabling the State Board of Education to investigate non-compliance and withhold central office administration funds from local boards that fail to follow calendar requirements. Additionally, it permits residents or businesses to file civil actions against non-compliant local boards, potentially leading to court-ordered remedies, attorney's fees, and civil penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to repeal North Carolina's Certificate of Need (CON) laws, which currently require healthcare providers to obtain state approval for certain projects. These projects include building new facilities, expanding existing services, or acquiring major medical equipment. By eliminating these requirements, the bill would remove a regulatory step for various healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and diagnostic centers, looking to establish or grow their operations. The bill achieves this by amending several state statutes to remove references to the Certificate of Need process.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends North Carolina law to strengthen property rights for landowners regarding recreational activities. It requires written permission (signed, dated within 12 months, and carried on person) for hunting, fishing, or trapping on private land, with fines of $500 for first offenses on posted property and $1,000 for repeat violations. Landowners can also prohibit pine straw harvesting without written consent, creating a Class 1 misdemeanor for unauthorized removal. Repeat trespass offenses trigger license suspensions for hunting/fishing, and new rules ban launching watercraft from public roadways into waterways. The law directly affects hunters, fishers, landowners, and pine straw harvesters.

Maddy summarySB 63 establishes a nine-member Board of Motor Vehicles to oversee North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles, replacing the current structure where the Commissioner is appointed by the Transportation Secretary. The Board will appoint the Motor Vehicles Commissioner and include members from the Transportation Secretary, Information Technology Secretary, Highway Patrol, and appointments by the Governor and General Assembly. The bill also mandates a study by the Department of Transportation to evaluate creating a separate Motor Vehicle Authority (replacing the current Division), including feasibility, required legal changes, a timeline, and implementation steps. The study must be completed and reported to the General Assembly by January 1, 2026, but does not create the Authority itself.

Maddy summarySB 728 requires permits for utility-scale battery storage systems (1+ megawatt capacity) in North Carolina, affecting companies building or operating these facilities. The bill mandates that owners submit emergency response plans, decommissioning plans, and proof of financial responsibility to the Department of Environmental Quality before installation. It requires systems to be properly decommissioned within one year of shutdown, including recycling components like batteries and cables, restoring the site to pre-installation conditions, and covering all associated costs. Owners must also coordinate with local emergency officials and detail disposal methods for hazardous waste under the plan.

Maddy summarySB 494 limits North Carolina's Certificate of Need (CON) requirements, which typically require state approval for new healthcare facilities or expansions. The bill exempts all counties from CON rules except those with fewer than 100,000 residents *and* at least one functioning hospital. It creates a new "qualified urban ambulatory surgical facility" category, allowing certain surgical centers in larger counties to opt out of CON by meeting charity care reporting standards (ensuring at least 4% of revenue comes from self-pay or Medicaid patients). This directly affects healthcare providers planning new facilities or expansions in most counties, removing a major regulatory hurdle for projects exceeding $4 million in cost. The policy change takes effect November 2025, with specific reporting requirements for facilities choosing the opt-out path.

Maddy summarySB 688 amends North Carolina's local government planning and development laws, directly affecting cities and counties by limiting their zoning authority. It prohibits local governments from regulating specific building design elements (like exterior colors, roof styles, or window placement) except in historic districts or for safety code compliance. The bill also bans minimum building size requirements for residential properties, overly large parking space standards (beyond ADA requirements), and unnecessary road design rules. All changes take effect January 1, 2026, making inconsistent local ordinances void.

Maddy summarySB 700 creates a new Office of Engineering and Codes within North Carolina's Department of Labor to centralize oversight of building codes, manufactured housing standards, and home inspection regulations. It transfers existing councils and boards - including the Building Code Council, Manufactured Housing Board, and Home Inspector Licensure Board - to this office, which will be led by a State Engineer appointed by the Labor Commissioner (with Senate confirmation). The State Engineer gains authority to adopt rules, enforce compliance, impose civil penalties (ranging from $100 to $1,000 per violation), and conduct investigations, while ensuring public access to most records. This bill directly affects contractors, home inspectors, manufacturers, and local governments responsible for code enforcement.

Maddy summarySB 705 requires North Carolina state agencies to assess the financial impact of proposed permanent rules that would cost affected individuals or businesses at least $1 million over five years. For rules costing $1 million or more, agencies must obtain budget office approval for a fiscal note and secure a two-thirds vote for adoption. Rules costing $10 million or more require unanimous agency approval (unless federally mandated), with all cost analyses needing to be monetized and include net present value calculations. This bill applies to all state agencies creating new permanent rules, aiming to ensure significant financial impacts undergo formal review before implementation.