Sen. Todd Johnson

Maddy summarySB 155 establishes the Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact to allow licensed social workers in North Carolina to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. It directly affects licensed social workers, particularly those serving military families or providing telehealth services, by removing barriers to cross-state practice. The bill creates a system where a "home state" license permits practice in all member states (called "remote states") through mutual recognition, reducing duplicate licensing requirements. Key provisions include standardized disciplinary information sharing between states and ensuring social workers comply with the laws of the state where the client is located during service.

Maddy summarySB 265, the "Protecting Our Community Act," regulates hemp-derived consumable products (like edibles or vapes with ≤0.3% delta-9 THC) and bans them on school grounds. It requires businesses to verify buyers' ages (no sales to under 21), mandates independent lab testing for THC levels, and defines terms like "distributor" and "final form product." The law directly affects hemp product manufacturers, sellers (including online retailers), and schools, which must prohibit these items on campus. Key provisions include mandatory child-resistant packaging at point-of-sale and restrictions on selling to minors, aiming to limit youth access while creating new regulatory requirements for the industry.

Maddy summarySB 256 clarifies that "transportation protection agreements" - which coordinate transportation for human remains - are excluded from North Carolina's funeral service regulations and life insurance requirements. The bill modifies definitions in state law to explicitly state these agreements are not considered "preneed funeral contracts" or life insurance, meaning funeral service providers offering this coordination are not subject to related insurance licensing or reporting rules. This directly affects funeral service providers who offer transportation coordination services and insurers who might previously have classified such agreements under life insurance regulations. The key mechanism is updating statutory definitions to create a clear regulatory boundary for these specific agreements.

Maddy summarySB 251 revises North Carolina's bail bondsman licensing rules. It requires new bondsmen (defined as "provisional licensees" for their first 24 months) to work under direct supervision of a licensed supervising bondsman for the initial two years, with specific requirements for when supervision ends. The bill also changes rules for out-of-state bond companies, mandating they must use a licensed North Carolina bondsman or runner to arrest defendants instead of arresting them directly. These changes directly affect new bondsmen, out-of-state bond companies operating in North Carolina, and their supervising bondsmen.

Maddy summarySB 240 establishes the NCSTARS Grant Program to fund community colleges partnering with public schools and local businesses to create work-based learning programs for students aged 16+ in apprenticeships or preapprenticeships. It provides matching grants of up to $500,000 per year per community college, requiring a 3:1 state-to-local funding match for program costs like student stipends, travel, and staff. The program prioritizes applications modeling the Surry-Yadkin Works FLEET program and mandates annual reports on participation and outcomes. Total funding of $4.75 million is allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, supporting the program through 2028-2029.

Maddy summarySB 228 modifies North Carolina's property tax exclusion for disabled veterans, replacing a flat $45,000 exemption with a percentage-based system tied to the veteran's VA disability rating. It directly affects veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected disability rating (or surviving spouses if the veteran died from a service-connected condition), who own their primary residence. Under the bill, the tax exclusion equals the veteran's disability percentage multiplied by their home's appraised value (e.g., a 70% disabled veteran would get 70% of their home's value excluded). Eligibility requires VA certification of the disability rating as of January 1 prior to the tax year, and the change takes effect for taxes due in 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits choice of law and forum selection clauses in contracts between North Carolina government entities (like state agencies, counties, or cities) and private parties. It directly affects government agencies, local municipalities, and their contractors by making such clauses invalid for these agreements. The law defines "government contract" broadly to include all contracts with public bodies, blocking efforts to dictate where lawsuits must be filed. The rule applies to contracts entered into, renewed, or amended after the law takes effect.

Maddy summarySB 204 removes standardized testing as a requirement for obtaining or renewing a teaching license in North Carolina. It directly affects all educators applying for teacher licensure (both standard and limited licenses) by eliminating the need to pass standardized exams. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from creating new rules requiring such tests, including for limited licenses (which are for teachers already employed but needing to meet full licensure requirements). This change applies only to new license applications and renewals after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summarySB 218 requires insurers in North Carolina to provide stop loss, catastrophic, and reinsurance coverage to small employers (those with fewer than 12 eligible employees) that meet specific minimum standards. It mandates that policies must have a per-individual claim attachment point of at least $20,000 (adjusted annually using medical inflation rates) and an aggregate attachment point of at least $20,000 or 120% of expected claims, whichever is higher. These requirements apply to all new or renewed policies issued on or after October 1, 2025, ensuring small employers receive standardized coverage thresholds. The bill does not restrict insurers from offering additional wellness-focused benefits but sets baseline protections for coverage affordability.

Maddy summarySB 180 establishes seven single-member residency districts for the Anson County Board of Commissioners, requiring each commissioner to reside in the district they represent. The bill mandates that all county voters elect candidates for all seven seats, with candidates needing to live in the specific district they seek to represent. It adopts the existing 2020-2022 election districts until revised and repeals outdated provisions from prior laws. The new voting structure takes effect for the 2026 elections, directly affecting Anson County residents and commissioners.