Sen. Joyce Waddell

Maddy summarySB 691 would allow certain non-citizens, including those without lawful immigration status, to pay in-state tuition at UNC constituent institutions and North Carolina community colleges. To qualify, students must have graduated from a North Carolina high school or earned a high school equivalency diploma in the state, attended North Carolina schools for two consecutive years before high school, and (if undocumented) submit an affidavit about applying for legal status. The bill requires colleges to use a centralized process for residency determination and ensures all applicant information remains confidential. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to the 2025-2026 academic year.

Maddy summarySB 698, the "Fair Districts Stronger Democracy Act," would amend the North Carolina Constitution to create an independent redistricting process for state legislative and congressional districts after each federal census. It establishes a North Carolina Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw district lines, removing the General Assembly’s direct role in the process. The bill requires districts to be contiguous, avoid dividing counties where practicable, and ensure equal population representation for both state and federal elections. This change would take effect if approved by voters in the 2026 general election, with districts remaining unchanged until the next census.

Maddy summarySB 659, the "Investing in North Carolina Act," raises salaries for public school teachers and state employees for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It establishes a new monthly salary schedule for teachers based on experience (ranging from $4,600 for 0 years to $6,370 for 29+ years), adds specific supplements for certified teachers, nurses, counselors, and specialists, and provides cost-of-living increases for retirees. The bill also expands the Wage$ program statewide and creates a tax credit for qualifying employers equal to 5% of wages paid or $10,000, whichever is lower. Directly affecting teachers, state employees, community college staff, UNC employees, retirees, and participating employers, it focuses on concrete pay adjustments through funding appropriations.

Maddy summarySB 694 automatically restores driver's licenses in North Carolina after 36 months for individuals whose licenses were revoked solely due to unpaid fines for minor traffic offenses (e.g., speeding tickets), removing a major barrier to employment. This change applies to people who haven’t paid court costs or fines but haven’t committed serious offenses like driving while license revoked. The bill requires the state to notify affected individuals via mail and online about license restoration and appropriates funds for a text reminder system to help prevent missed court dates. Individuals will still owe unpaid fines but no longer face license suspension for nonpayment after the 36-month period.

Maddy summarySB 575 makes failing to yield to a pedestrian when causing serious injury a Class 2 misdemeanor for drivers. It requires North Carolina's driver education programs to add a new pedestrian safety module covering when drivers must yield the right-of-way. The bill also mandates the Division of Motor Vehicles and Department of Public Instruction to study and report by January 1, 2026, on improving pedestrian safety instruction in driver education. These changes directly affect drivers, public school driver education curricula, and state agencies responsible for traffic safety training.

Maddy summarySB 611 allows drivers with non-REAL ID compliant licenses in North Carolina to renew their licenses remotely two times in a row. After two consecutive remote renewals, these licenses must be renewed in person. The bill applies only to licenses that do not meet federal REAL ID standards (required for certain federal purposes like air travel) and does not affect REAL ID-compliant licenses, which still require an in-person renewal after a remote one. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all renewals on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 606 requires North Carolina state services to be accessible in 25 additional languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Cherokee, by mandating translations for driver's license materials, tests, and traffic signs. It also mandates that public schools translate parent documents - such as enrollment forms, consent forms, and disciplinary notices - into those 25 languages. Additionally, the bill encourages schools to grant excused absences for religious observances and allocates $1 million to cover substitute teacher costs when educators take leave for such holidays. These provisions aim to improve access to essential services and education for non-English speaking residents while respecting cultural traditions.

Maddy summarySB 421, the "Fair and Rehabilitative Prison Labor Act," replaces outdated North Carolina prison labor laws to ensure incarcerated individuals receive fair pay, vocational training, and protections. It requires prison labor programs to pay at least $5 per hour (or state minimum wage for PIECP-certified programs), prioritize job skills for post-release employment, and prohibit using prison labor to displace migrant or seasonal agricultural workers. The bill mandates annual transparency reports on wages, hours worked, and job impacts in agriculture, and requires labor market assessments before agricultural contracts. These changes directly affect incarcerated people in North Carolina prisons, prison labor programs, and agricultural businesses that contract prison labor.

Maddy summarySB 475, "Wendy Williams's Law," requires court-appointed guardians and guardians ad litem (representatives for adults deemed legally incompetent) in North Carolina to complete mandatory training within six months of their appointment. The training covers essential topics like legal duties, the rights of the incompetent person, medical terminology related to their condition, and preparing required reports. This applies to all guardians managing personal care or finances, as well as court-appointed representatives in legal proceedings. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, for appointments made on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 465 requires North Carolina's Department of Administration to maintain detailed inventories of all state-owned land and buildings, including location, condition, costs, and vacancy status. It mandates the department to develop a comprehensive five-year facilities plan identifying needed space, analyzing current property utilization, and recommending disposal or consolidation of underused properties. The bill also establishes space planning standards for state agencies based on federal benchmarks, requiring annual audits to ensure compliance with utilization metrics. This directly affects all state agencies that own or lease buildings, aiming to reduce costs by optimizing existing property use rather than acquiring new facilities. The law focuses on administrative procedures for managing state real estate, not new funding or services.