Sen. Ralph Hise

Maddy summarySB 56, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I, authorizes the transfer of funds from North Carolina's State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund. It applies to counties designated as part of the "affected area" under a federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene. The bill directs the General Assembly to use existing SERDRF funds for Helene recovery efforts, without creating new programs or changing eligibility. This procedural bill focuses solely on redirecting existing disaster relief funding to support recovery in Helene-impacted counties.

Maddy summarySB 47 would eliminate the ability for North Carolina state employees, local government workers, and public school staff to have dues paid through automatic payroll deductions to their employee associations. Currently, employees could authorize such deductions if their association met specific membership thresholds (e.g., 2,000 members with 500 state/local employees). The bill repeals this provision, meaning employees would no longer be able to set up automatic payroll deductions for association dues. This change directly affects all covered state and public sector employees who previously used this method to pay dues.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students attending public, private, or homeschools without a specific sport or extracurricular program to participate at the nearest public high school offering that activity. It requires public schools to permit such participation under the same terms as enrolled students, with schools able to charge a reasonable, board-approved fee for non-enrolled students. The law mandates that school districts publish all approved participation fees online by October 15 each year. It applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural local act (SB 26) that solely pertains to North Carolina's 47th Senatorial District. The bill text states it "relates only to" the district and specifies it becomes effective upon enactment, but does not describe any specific policy changes, boundaries, or affected parties. No substantive mechanisms or provisions are detailed in the provided text. As a local act with no identified policy content in the bill summary, it appears to be a procedural or administrative measure without concrete legislative impact described.

Maddy summarySB 14 proposes repealing a North Carolina constitutional requirement that voters must demonstrate the ability to read and write parts of the state constitution. If approved by voters in the November 2026 election, it would remove this literacy test for voter registration, directly affecting individuals registering to vote in North Carolina. The bill requires a statewide referendum with the ballot question: "FOR [ ] AGAINST Constitutional amendment to repeal the requirement that every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in the English language." Approval by a majority of voters would make the repeal effective, ending this specific registration barrier.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 921 proposes a constitutional amendment to require all voters in North Carolina to present photographic identification before voting, regardless of whether they vote in person or by mail. The bill directs the General Assembly to create specific rules for what counts as valid photo ID and allows for potential exceptions. This measure will be put to a public vote at the statewide general election on November 3, 2026, where voters will decide whether to adopt the new requirement. If approved by a majority of voters, the change becomes part of the state constitution; if rejected, it has no effect.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 743, titled the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 - Part II, provides additional state funding to help North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene. The bill allocates a total of $604.15 million from the state's Savings Reserve to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund for use by various state agencies and non-state entities in affected counties. These funds are distributed to departments including education, health and human services, agriculture, natural and economic resources, justice and public safety, and general government for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Additionally, the legislation establishes a separate reserve within the Office of State Budget and Management to handle relief efforts related to Tropical Storm Debby and PTC8. The act also requires state agencies to report any federal disaster assistance awards received to the legislature within 30 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the election rules for the Watauga County Board of Education to align its districts with those of the County Board of Commissioners and to establish four-year terms for all board members. It creates a staggered term schedule where representatives from Districts 1 and 4 serve four-year terms starting in 2026, while those from Districts 2, 3, and 5 begin their four-year terms in 2028. Additionally, the legislation ensures that any future changes to the County Board of Commissioners' districts approved by voters will not take effect until after the 2032 general election.

Maddy summaryThis document is a procedural amendment to Senate Bill 88, which proposes minor text changes to the bill's language. Specifically, it suggests removing a lettered subsection and replacing the phrase "a real person" with "an individual" in the legislation. These adjustments aim to refine the wording of the bill without altering its core policy or scope.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new statewide Medicaid plan specifically for children and families, requiring the state to issue a request for proposals to select a provider by December 2024. The legislation defines this new plan as distinct from standard Medicaid plans and allows the state to require automatic enrollment in this specialty plan unless a social services official determines that a different plan is better for the child. Additionally, the bill establishes a closed network of providers for specialized services like residential treatment and intensive in-home care within this new plan, while also clarifying rules about when certain groups can leave their current Medicaid plans and what services must be covered.