Sen. Woodson Bradley

Maddy summarySB 708, the "Working Families Act," directly affects low- and middle-income North Carolina families by reducing child care costs, increasing tax credits, raising wages, and providing housing assistance. It cuts parent copayments for subsidized child care to 7% of gross income (down from 10%), reenacts a refundable child tax credit with income-based payments up to $250 per child, and raises the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour starting September 1, 2025 - while allowing cities to set higher local rates. The bill also increases income limits for property tax relief and creates a homebuyers' program offering assistance to first-time public servant homebuyers (including teachers, firefighters, police, and EMTs). These changes aim to reduce living costs and support working families through concrete financial adjustments.

Maddy summarySB 714 prohibits corporal punishment (physical punishment) in all North Carolina public schools, making it the first statewide statutory ban despite no current school districts using it. The bill requires schools to report detailed data on any corporal punishment administered - including student race, gender, disability status, and reasons - to the State Board of Education annually. It also mandates parental notification and written explanations for any rare instances where it might still occur, while clarifying that physical restraint under federal law and reasonable force are excluded. The law applies starting the 2025-2026 school year and aligns with existing practices where all 115 school districts already prohibit the practice.

Maddy summarySB 722 creates the Online Safety Division within North Carolina’s Department of Justice, the Cyberbullying Unit at the State Bureau of Investigation, and an Online Child Safety Commission. It directly affects major digital platforms with over 5 million users in North Carolina and $25 million in annual revenue, requiring them to implement parental notification systems, disable manipulative design features ("dark patterns"), and provide robust privacy tools for children. Platforms must submit annual Child Impact Assessments detailing risks to minors, limit data collection for children, prohibit targeted advertising, and default to strict privacy settings. The law authorizes civil penalties of up to $500,000 per violation for noncompliance, with funding of $5 million for 2025-2026 allocated to establish these new state units.

Maddy summarySB 719 creates the North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance (NC VOCA) Fund and a competitive grant program to support victim services. It establishes a fund within the Department of Public Safety, administered by the Governor’s Crime Commission, to award grants (up to $1 million per organization annually) to public agencies or nonprofits providing direct assistance to crime victims. The grants must address victims’ emotional, physical, financial, or safety needs, with recipients required to report on fund usage and victims served. This program is funded partly by increased criminal court fees ($147.50 in district court, $154.50 in superior court), with $0.95 from each fee directed to the fund, directly benefiting victims of crime across North Carolina through eligible service providers.

Maddy summarySB 729 clarifies that North Carolina public schools may conduct routine health screenings (such as vision, hearing, dental, and developmental screenings) without parental consent. Schools must still notify parents at the start of each school year about which screenings will be offered and share the results with them. This applies to all public schools in North Carolina and affects parents of students in all grades. The bill specifically excludes these screenings from the parental consent requirement that applies to other health services, while maintaining notice requirements.

Maddy summarySB 712, the "Caring for Our Caregivers Act," provides two key benefits for specific frontline workers. First, it exempts income earned by qualifying workers (including firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement, child care staff, teachers, and corrections officers) from North Carolina's state income tax. Second, it allocates $165 million annually to fund subsidized child care for families where at least one parent works in one of these qualifying roles, with priority given to child care workers. These provisions apply to taxable years beginning January 1, 2025, and the child care program starts July 1, 2025, for workers earning under $125,000 annually and working at least 30 hours weekly. The bill targets direct financial relief for essential service workers facing high childcare costs.

Maddy summarySB 721 requires North Carolina judges to issue a criminal summons instead of an arrest warrant for criminal charges filed by non-law enforcement individuals (like regular citizens), unless the charge involves domestic violence. Exceptions allow warrants if police confirm the facts, if police investigation would burden the complainant, or if other specified conditions exist. This law directly affects citizens who file criminal charges and changes how such cases are processed. It takes effect October 1, 2025, for all charges filed on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 717 (North Carolina) increases penalties for assault by strangulation by creating three new felony classifications based on injury severity. It establishes a Class F felony for strangulation causing serious bodily injury (defined as risk of death, disfigurement, permanent impairment, or prolonged hospitalization), a Class H G felony for strangulation causing physical injury, and a Class H felony for strangulation without specified injury. The law directly affects individuals convicted of strangulation assaults in North Carolina, defining "strangulation" as pressure on the throat/neck or obstruction of nose/mouth. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 753, the NC Highway Patrol Retention Act, provides funding for pay raises for all North Carolina State Highway Patrol officers starting July 1, 2025. It appropriates $40.48 million annually from the General Fund to implement new salary schedules based on years of experience (e.g., $56,000 for new officers, $105,000 for 8+ years) and rank (e.g., $120,750 for Sergeant, $224,612 for Colonel). The bill directly affects all sworn Highway Patrol members by establishing fixed pay scales for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. The changes aim to improve retention through structured compensation increases without altering existing law enforcement duties or responsibilities.

Maddy summarySB 744, the Voucher School Accountability Act, requires nonpublic schools receiving North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship funds to meet new reporting and accountability standards. It mandates annual transparency on tuition fees (capped at 5% annual increases), staff background checks, standardized testing (including ACT for 11th graders), and financial audits for schools receiving over $250,000 in scholarship funds. Schools must also publish student progress data, maintain physical facilities for in-person instruction, and comply with state academic standards. These requirements directly affect participating nonpublic schools and the families using scholarship funds. The bill focuses on enforcing accountability through concrete reporting mechanisms, not changing scholarship eligibility.