Sen. Joyce Waddell

Maddy summarySB 561, "The Working Hearts, Empowered Homes Act," creates a coordinated system to streamline access to childcare, healthcare, nutrition assistance, and preventive care for working families in North Carolina. It establishes a statewide coordination system under the Department of Health and Human Services to consolidate applications and services, replacing fragmented programs. The bill funds two pilot programs: a $3 million regional hubs initiative (2025-2027) testing centralized access points, and a $7 million childcare innovation program targeting small businesses and rural centers through grants. Both pilots require evaluation reports by February 2028 to assess effectiveness before potential statewide expansion.

Maddy summarySB 562 establishes a 21-member commission to study how quantum computing might threaten North Carolina's current cybersecurity systems, including state government IT, critical infrastructure, and smart city/IoT networks that rely on older encryption methods. The commission will assess vulnerabilities, research quantum-resistant security solutions, and develop recommendations for upgrading systems, with a final report due by July 2026. The bill appropriates $250,000 from the state general fund to cover the commission's work, including research and stakeholder meetings. This study directly affects state systems and infrastructure security planning, not individual citizens or private businesses.

Maddy summarySB 573 updates North Carolina's animal cruelty laws by establishing clear standards for adequate shelter and space for companion animals, directly affecting pet owners and hoarders. The bill defines "adequate shelter" to require protection from extreme weather (e.g., heat above 85°F or cold below 32°F), proper cleaning, and features like resting platforms for dogs and cats. It also sets specific tethering rules, mandating tethers be at least 15 feet long or four times an animal's length (whichever is greater) without causing injury. For individuals convicted of companion animal hoarding (owning 10+ pets without proper care), judges must order psychological evaluations and treatment compliance.

Maddy summarySB 572 requires health benefit plans that cover fertility treatment to remove annual or lifetime limits on ovulation medications and ovulation induction cycles, treating these medications the same as other prescription drugs. It applies to both private health plans (effective October 2025) and North Carolina’s State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees (effective January 2026), which must eliminate such limits for in-network services. The bill does not mandate fertility treatment coverage but ensures existing coverage for ovulation medications faces no stricter restrictions than standard prescriptions. State funding of $300,000 (2025-26) and $600,000 (2026-27) will cover increased costs for the state health plan.

Maddy summarySB 570 prohibits shared ownership between medical practices (professional corporations) and management services organizations (MSOs) that provide non-clinical services. It requires that if a medical practice contracts with an MSO, the MSO must be owned entirely by licensed medical professionals - preventing physicians from being stakeholders in such MSOs. The bill also mandates that physicians retain full control over patient care decisions without interference from non-licensed individuals, MSO stakeholders, or out-of-state medical professionals. This directly affects medical practices using MSOs for administrative services and aims to ensure clinical decision-making remains under physician control. The law applies to contracts entered into on or after its effective date, with related rules required by October 2026.

Maddy summarySB 567 adjusts Medicaid reimbursement rates for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services in North Carolina. It increases daily rates for outpatient programs (e.g., $255.28 for level 2.1 care) and establishes new coverage for residential treatment levels (e.g., $350/day for level 3.1), with higher rates for medically monitored services like detox ($756.65/day). The bill appropriates $15 million annually from the state General Fund to cover these rate changes, matching $27.4 million in federal funds for the 2025-2027 biennium. These changes directly affect Medicaid-certified SUD treatment providers by increasing their reimbursement rates for specific service levels, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 563, "The Michael Jordans of Tomorrow Act," allows North Carolina's public universities (specifically UNC system institutions) to directly compensate student-athletes for participation in intercollegiate sports, up to $20.5 million annually from athletic department revenue. It also creates a 50% tax credit for businesses that pay student-athletes for name/image/likeness (NIL) agreements, capped at $500,000 per business yearly. Universities must report all direct compensation payments to state committees annually and collaborate with the state to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. The bill aims to enhance North Carolina's competitiveness in recruiting athletes by modernizing NIL policies and providing state-level incentives.

Maddy summarySB 578 establishes the North Carolina CARDINAL Corps Program to place recent high school graduates (within two years of graduation or GED) and veterans (within two years of military deployment) into paid fellowships in critical sectors like disaster relief, education, public safety, farming, and military family support. Organizations such as schools, local governments, and nonprofits can host fellows, receiving reimbursement of up to $30,200 per fellow annually for salary, training, and program costs, with a 1:1 matching fund requirement from the host. Fellows serve nine-month terms with a $5,000 completion award, and the program requires annual reports on fund usage and participant outcomes. The bill appropriates $1.485 million for implementation starting July 1, 2025, aiming to grow to 1,000 annual participants.

Maddy summarySB 581 revises North Carolina's definition of a "neglected juvenile" to clarify that parents or guardians cannot be deemed neglectful for allowing certain independent activities if a reasonable parent would consider them safe based on the child's age, maturity, and abilities. It specifically exempts activities like walking or biking to school, visiting nearby recreational areas, staying home briefly, or playing outdoors. This change prevents child welfare authorities from classifying such routine, age-appropriate activities as neglect. The bill directly affects parents, guardians, and child welfare systems by narrowing the circumstances under which independent activities trigger neglect investigations.

Maddy summarySB 569, the Eviction Record Expunction Act, automatically seals certain eviction court records after three years from judgment entry, for dismissed cases, tenant-victory cases, and cases involving minors under 18. It directly affects tenants with past eviction history and landlords who may otherwise deny rental applications based on those sealed records. The bill makes it illegal to deny housing based on sealed eviction records, treating such denial as unlawful discrimination under North Carolina's Fair Housing Act. This policy change applies to new eviction cases filed on or after October 1, 2025, and does not affect monetary judgments from eviction cases.