Sen. Ralph Hise

Maddy summarySB 109, the Veterans Appreciation Act, increases property tax relief for disabled veterans in North Carolina by expanding the homestead exclusion to cover the value increase from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) housing grants. It directly affects disabled veterans who receive VA housing grants for service-connected disabilities, allowing them to exclude up to $45,000 of their home’s appraised value plus grant-funded improvements from property taxes. The bill adds a prequalification process, letting veterans apply in advance of purchasing a home to confirm eligibility, with county assessors required to notify applicants within 30 days. This change takes effect for property taxes on homes owned after July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 105 creates the "Continuing Care Retirement Communities Act" to regulate CCRCs in North Carolina. It requires all providers (both for-profit and nonprofit) to obtain a license from the Department of Insurance and undergo annual financial reviews by actuaries to ensure they can meet long-term care obligations. The law mandates that entrance fees and deposits paid by residents be held in escrow accounts, with specific requirements for financial transparency and solvency checks. This directly affects CCRC residents who pay upfront fees and providers who must now comply with these new oversight standards to protect residents' savings. The bill aims to prevent financial harm to older adults if a provider becomes insolvent.

Maddy summarySB 113 creates a new process for property owners to quickly remove unauthorized occupants (squatters) from residential property. Property owners or their authorized representatives must file a sworn affidavit with a court clerk or magistrate, pay a $25 fee, and provide specific details proving the occupant has no legal claim (e.g., no rent paid, not a tenant, and directed to leave). Once the affidavit is processed, local law enforcement must remove the person within 24 hours. This process does not apply to tenants with valid leases or rental agreements.

Maddy summarySB 24 requires that any new state health insurance mandate must be paired with the repeal of an existing mandate and include funding to cover the new cost. It directly affects North Carolina employers (especially small businesses) and taxpayers by targeting mandates that increase insurance premiums and state health plan expenses. Key provisions mandate that new health benefit requirements (like coverage for specific treatments or drugs) must include both a repeal of an equivalent existing mandate and recurring state funding for the new cost. The bill applies to all health insurance plans, including the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees, and takes effect 30 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.5 million annually from 2025-2027 to fund Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in North Carolina. It directs funds to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. to mail age-appropriate books monthly to registered children through the early literacy program. The bill provides recurring state funding for an existing program that delivers books directly to children's homes.

Maddy summarySB 86 increases North Carolina firefighters' monthly pension payments from $175 to $180 starting January 1, 2025, for eligible members who reach age 55 with 20 years of service. It updates disability benefit rules, clarifies death benefits for firefighters killed on duty (including monthly payments to surviving spouses or beneficiaries), and adds protections for members displaced by city annexations or department takeovers. These changes directly affect current and future firefighters, rescue squad workers, their families, and members whose departments are absorbed by municipalities. The bill modifies existing pension fund statutes without creating new programs or altering contribution requirements.

Maddy summarySB 71 creates a new process for North Carolina property owners or their authorized representatives to expedite the removal of unauthorized occupants from residential properties. To use this process, the property owner must file a sworn affidavit (with a $25 fee) with a court clerk or magistrate, confirming the occupant meets strict criteria like having no lease, no rent paid, and the owner having previously requested their departure. Law enforcement must remove the occupant within 24 hours of receiving the affidavit, and the bill grants immunity to law enforcement and property owners acting in good faith. It also allows civil lawsuits against property owners for wrongful removal, with potential damages including triple the fair market rent.

Maddy summarySB 83 extends the North Carolina Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force's deadline for completing its work from May 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026. The bill does not create new policy but continues the task force's existing mandate to study primary care payment systems across Medicaid, state health plans, and commercial insurance. Key provisions include requiring the task force to define primary care, analyze current spending, study other states' approaches, and develop data collection methods - all while ensuring HIPAA-compliant data handling. The extension allows more time for the task force to gather data and submit recommendations to legislative committees by the new deadline. This is a procedural extension of an existing legislative task force, not a substantive policy change.

Maddy summarySB 78 designates Sparta's annual Fried Apple Pie Festival as North Carolina's official Fried Apple Pie Festival. The bill, which would be enacted through a new section of state law, formally recognizes the event held every May at the Town of Sparta's Alleghany County Fairgrounds. This designation applies solely to the festival's status as the state's official event, with no new funding, regulations, or policy changes. The bill affects the festival's community and its organizers by granting it official state recognition. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as specified.)

Maddy summarySB 81 designates North Carolina's standard time as the time set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (currently Eastern Time) and establishes a process for the state to observe Daylight Saving Time year-round *if* Congress authorizes such a change. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to notify the Governor within 60 days of congressional authorization, triggering implementation via executive order. This bill directly affects all of North Carolina and its local governments, but only if Congress passes legislation allowing year-round DST. The measure itself does not change current time practices; it prepares the state to adopt year-round DST if federal law permits.