Sen. Vickie Sawyer

Maddy summarySB 614 requires owners of high-hazard or intermediate-hazard dams in North Carolina to develop and submit Emergency Action Plans within 90 days of a dam's classification. These plans must include emergency response procedures, evacuation protocols, and a downstream flood map (unless the dam is under 15 feet tall or stores less than 50 acre-feet of water). Owners must update and resubmit the plans annually for department review. The bill clarifies that flood maps don't need professional engineering oversight for most dams, except those linked to coal ash impoundments, and ensures sensitive security details remain confidential. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to new submissions after that date.

Maddy summarySB 516, the Women's Safety and Protection Act, requires single biological sex use in restrooms, changing facilities, and sleeping quarters within covered facilities like public schools, prisons, domestic violence centers, and juvenile detention centers. It defines "biological sex" based on reproductive anatomy and mandates that facilities designated for one biological sex must be used exclusively by that sex, with exceptions for maintenance, medical emergencies, law enforcement, or natural disasters. The law applies to all state-funded facilities and includes specific rules for public schools regarding student sleeping arrangements during school activities. It explicitly states that facilities may not be used by individuals of a different biological sex unless covered by the listed exceptions.

Maddy summarySB 450, the Novel Opioid Control Act of 2025, updates North Carolina's Controlled Substances Act by adding specific synthetic opioids, fentanyl derivatives, nitazene compounds, and related substances to Schedule I. The bill directly affects individuals or entities producing, distributing, or possessing these newly listed chemicals, including substances like Brorphine, AP-237, and various fentanyl analogs. Its key mechanism bans entire chemical classes - defined by structural characteristics (e.g., substitutions on fentanyl or nitazene molecular frameworks) - rather than listing each compound individually. This prevents legal loopholes for new variants created through minor chemical modifications. The law applies to all such substances unless specifically excepted for medical research or approved pharmaceutical use.

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 summarySB 291 limits cities' ability to regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb) by prohibiting ordinances that ban them, restrict rental nights, require owner occupancy, or classify them as commercial use. Cities may still require a $25 permit for short-term rentals, with revocation only after five health/safety violations (after allowing appeal), and must enforce occupancy limits (two adults per bedroom), parking plans, residential zoning compliance, and posting of local noise/waste/parking rules. The bill directly affects property owners using short-term rentals and cities seeking to regulate them, establishing state-level uniformity instead of local rules. Key provisions allow cities to enforce basic safety and zoning standards but block broader restrictions on how owners operate rentals.

Maddy summarySB 290, the NC REINS Act, requires North Carolina's General Assembly to approve certain state agency regulations before they take effect. It directly affects state agencies creating rules with significant economic impact (over $1 million annually) and gives legislators a 30-day window to block such rules through a specific disapproval bill. The bill adds a legislative review period for all permanent rules and mandates that rules with substantial economic impact must be ratified by the legislature, effectively creating a veto power over those regulations. This changes current process by requiring explicit legislative action for high-impact rules instead of automatic implementation after agency approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits the sale, possession, and use of specific consumer fireworks (like sparklers, party poppers, and novelty items) in North Carolina, while maintaining restrictions on most pyrotechnics. It directly affects consumers and retailers by allowing limited fireworks that comply with strict weight limits (e.g., no more than 16 milligrams for party poppers) and requires compliance with new regulations under Part 2 of Chapter 58. The bill establishes an excise tax on consumer fireworks sales and amends existing laws to define permitted items, such as wire sparklers (under 100 grams) and sparklers emitting showers of sparks. It does not change prohibitions on most fireworks, including indoor displays or sales to minors under 18.

Maddy summarySB 231 allows North Carolina state agencies to sell surplus personal property (like unused equipment or supplies) through third-party online auction platforms, rather than solely through state-run processes. It directly affects state agencies managing surplus assets and private auction companies facilitating these sales. The bill updates existing rules to permit this method while maintaining current requirements for distributing surplus property to nonprofits and schools, particularly for computer equipment donated to low-income students. The key change is enabling state agencies to use external auction sites as an additional sales channel for surplus items.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows North Carolina local governments to borrow money to accelerate transportation projects already identified for funding under the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Local governments can issue "grant anticipation notes" to cover project costs before receiving state funds, but notes must mature within 12 months after the project's scheduled completion year (no renewals allowed). Borrowing is capped at the full project cost, requires a special agreement with the DOT outlining project details and repayment plans, and must be repaid solely from state grant funds - without using local tax revenue or pledging the government's credit. The bill also ensures STIP program changes won't delay repayment of these notes.

Maddy summarySB 165 restores local government authority to initiate "down-zoning" (changing zoning to restrict development density or land uses) in Union and Iredell Counties and their municipalities without requiring written consent from all affected property owners. The bill amends a law that previously mandated such consent for down-zoning actions, removing this barrier for county and municipal governments. It applies exclusively to Union and Iredell Counties and takes effect retroactively to December 11, 2024, restoring pre-existing zoning authority. This is a policy change affecting how local governments can adjust land-use regulations in those specific jurisdictions.