Sen. Buck Newton

Maddy summarySB 429 creates new criminal offenses for knowingly exposing children under 16 to controlled substances (like drugs or opioids), with penalties ranging from a Class H felony (exposure alone) to a Class B1 felony (if exposure causes death). It also revises rules for sharing autopsy records: medical examiners must provide finalized toxicology and autopsy reports to prosecutors during criminal investigations, but public disclosure is restricted to specific recipients like family members or estate representatives. The law applies to offenses occurring on or after December 1, 2025, and excludes cases where a medical professional administers prescribed medication to a child. This bill directly affects caregivers, medical examiners, and prosecutors handling child exposure cases.

Maddy summarySB 664 amends North Carolina's Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund (JMAC) program to allow flexibility for businesses that miss compliance requirements, while updating Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) laws to expand business ownership options and align "to go" mixed beverage rules with federal standards. It exempts certain municipalities from nonbetterment costs and corrects technical errors in the megasites readiness program. The bill directly affects businesses seeking JMAC grants (including major employers, manufacturers, and heritage manufacturers), ABC license holders, and local governments managing development projects. Key changes include revised investment thresholds for grant eligibility, expanded "alternating proprietorships" for ABC businesses, and updated employment maintenance rules.

Maddy summarySB 442, the "Parents Protection Act," prohibits using a child's biological sex as a basis for abuse or neglect petitions in juvenile care cases. It also bars adoption agencies from denying placements or delaying adoption opportunities due to adoptive parents' refusal to support a child's gender transition. The bill amends North Carolina law to clarify that parents or caregivers raising children consistent with their biological sex - including making related medical and mental health decisions - cannot be charged with child abuse under misdemeanor (§14-318.2) or felony (§14-318.4) statutes. These provisions apply to all adoption placements and abuse petitions filed before, on, or after July 1, 2025. The law explicitly states it does not override other prohibitions against abuse, such as causing serious injury.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal status called "special economic interest owner" for the estate of a deceased LLC member in North Carolina. When a member dies, their estate automatically becomes this status, granting them three specific rights: the right to receive financial distributions (economic interest), access to company records (information rights), and the ability to seek court-ordered dissolution of the LLC if needed. The law applies to all LLCs in North Carolina starting October 1, 2025, and directly affects estates of deceased members who were not otherwise managing members. It does not change liability for existing obligations under the LLC.

Maddy summarySB 710 modernizes North Carolina's alarm systems licensing requirements for businesses providing security services. It requires alarm security companies to designate a licensed full-time "qualifying agent" in a management role, who must pass background checks for crimes involving violence, drugs, or moral turpitude. The bill also mandates that businesses notify the licensing board within 10 days if a qualifying agent leaves and find a replacement within 90 days. This directly affects alarm security businesses and their qualifying agents, updating oversight to strengthen accountability and security standards.

Maddy summarySB 295 clarifies North Carolina's motor vehicle dealer laws to prevent unfair franchise terminations and protect dealers' transfer rights. It prohibits manufacturers from conditioning approval of dealership transfers, sales, or management changes on requirements like building new facilities, acquiring specific vehicle lines, or signing "right of first refusal" agreements. The bill also requires manufacturers to reimburse dealers' legal fees if they unreasonably deny a transfer and a court later overturns that decision. This directly affects car dealers seeking to sell their businesses or change ownership, and manufacturers who control dealership franchises.

Maddy summarySB 117 updates North Carolina's Uniform Commercial Code to govern transactions involving "controllable electronic records" (e.g., digital assets like blockchain-based tokens or programmable contracts). It defines key terms like "controllable electronic record" and establishes rules for transferring control - requiring a buyer to have exclusive power to benefit from and restrict access to the record. The bill protects "qualifying purchasers" (those who buy in good faith for value) from claims by others over the same digital asset, while clarifying that standard filings under Article 9 of the Commercial Code do not create notice of ownership claims. This directly affects businesses and individuals engaging in digital asset transactions, excluding existing categories like bank accounts or electronic money from these new rules.

Maddy summarySB 771 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow North Carolina to provide state funds for restoring privately-owned business buildings damaged by federally declared natural disasters. Currently, the state constitution prohibits such payments under its "emoluments" clause, but this bill would create an exception specifically for disaster recovery. If approved by voters in March 2026, the amendment would permit the state to use funds for rebuilding private structures after events like hurricanes or floods officially labeled major disasters by the federal government. This change directly affects businesses that own property damaged in these events, removing a legal barrier to receiving state disaster relief.

Maddy summarySB 423 (Title Fraud Prevention) requires individuals to present government-issued photo ID, like a driver's license, before recording property deeds or similar documents at the register of deeds office. This applies to regular property buyers/sellers (not trusted submitters like title companies, lawyers, or banks), who must show ID in person or submit a redacted photocopy for electronic filings. The bill also creates a new court process for property owners to quickly remove fraudulent deeds from records after fraud is proven. It directly affects homeowners, real estate buyers, and sellers in North Carolina by adding an ID verification step to property transactions to prevent title fraud. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee as of March 2025.

Maddy summarySB 639, the North Carolina Farm Act of 2025, updates agricultural water planning, addresses feral swine damage, and strengthens farm conservation protections. It requires the Department of Agriculture to revise the state’s agricultural water plan by 2026, including funding for water infrastructure, conservation practices, and flood mitigation. The bill creates a Feral Swine Working Group with industry and agency representatives to develop control strategies and report annually, while also mandating 100-foot vegetative buffers around protected farm tracts in new subdivisions. Local governments gain authority to deny development permits that would negatively impact agricultural production, directly affecting farmers, landowners, and municipal planning decisions.