Sen. Julie Mayfield

Maddy summarySB 456, "Healthy Start NC," creates a program providing cash assistance to reduce maternal mortality and childhood poverty. It allocates $161.6 million annually from TANF funds and $146.3 million from the General Fund for the 2025-2027 biennium to give expecting mothers a one-time $1,500 prenatal allowance and $500 monthly for the first year after birth for infant needs like food, diapers, and childcare. Eligibility uses a means-based test tied to federal poverty levels, with funds administered through nonprofit partners to avoid affecting other benefits. To offset costs, the bill gradually reduces the corporate income tax rate from 2.25% (2025) to 0% (2029). The program becomes effective July 1, 2025, with tax changes starting January 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 436, the Age with Dignity Act, creates a new tax credit for North Carolina taxpayers who care for adult dependents. It provides a $15,000 credit for caregivers supporting a veteran relative and $12,000 for others, directly affecting families claiming dependent adults as tax exemptions. To qualify, taxpayers must earn below specific income thresholds ($75,000 single, $112,500 head of household, $150,000 married filing jointly) and have adjusted gross income under these limits. The credit reduces state tax liability for qualifying taxpayers and takes effect for 2025 tax years.

Maddy summarySB 406 would establish a new court process in North Carolina called Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), allowing family members, law enforcement, or health care providers to seek temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a significant risk of self-harm or harm to others. Courts could issue emergency orders without the person present if danger is imminent, requiring immediate surrender of firearms and ammunition, with seizure ordered if compliance fails. The bill mandates specific evidence in petitions (e.g., details on firearms and safety risks), includes due process safeguards like verifying existing protection orders, and waives court costs for petitioners. It also requires annual reports to the legislature tracking ERPO usage, including petitions filed, orders issued, and denials.

Maddy summarySB 467, the "Right to Reproductive Freedom Act," codifies protections from the Supreme Court's *Roe v. Wade* and *Planned Parenthood v. Casey* rulings into North Carolina law. It prohibits the state from imposing "undue burdens" on abortion access before fetal viability (approximately 24 weeks), allowing restrictions only to preserve life or health after viability. The bill updates consent rules to let minors consent to abortion care without parental notification (under specific medical circumstances), clarifies healthcare provider immunity, and requires health insurance plans to cover abortion-related complications even if they don’t cover the procedure itself. This directly affects all patients seeking abortion services in North Carolina, particularly those facing prior barriers like young people, low-income individuals, and rural residents.

Maddy summarySB 459 proposes to amend North Carolina's constitution by removing Article XIV Section 6, which currently states that "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State." If approved by voters in the November 2026 general election, this constitutional change would eliminate the state's legal restriction on same-sex marriage recognition. The bill would require a majority vote in favor to take effect on January 1, 2027, changing the constitutional framework governing marriage validity. This bill directly affects all North Carolina residents by altering the state's constitutional definition of marriage.

Maddy summarySB 439 imposes a moratorium on new Opportunity Scholarships starting in the 2025-2026 school year, requiring new applicants to have received a scholarship in the prior year. It reduces funding for the program by $83.46 million annually (recurring) and $28.46 million (nonrecurring) for 2025-2026, while redirecting $113.46 million (recurring) and $28.46 million (nonrecurring) to public schools for the same year. The bill phases out the scholarship program entirely by 2037-2038 as current recipients become ineligible, and limits future scholarship funding increases to match public school funding growth. This directly affects new private school scholarship applicants and redirects funds from the Opportunity Scholarship program to North Carolina public schools.

Maddy summarySB 431 protects law enforcement officers (including criminal justice and justice officers) who report excessive force or misconduct by colleagues. It requires officers to report such incidents within 72 hours to a supervisor not involved, and prohibits retaliation like termination or discipline for making a good-faith report. The bill explicitly allows agencies to still discipline officers for misconduct that occurred *before* the report was made. It also allocates $50,000 each to two training commissions for implementing these changes, effective December 2025.

Maddy summarySB 464 creates a new team-based care coordination service for Medicaid recipients with substance use disorders, including screening, medication treatment, recovery support, and case management. It also changes Medicaid policy to suspend coverage during incarceration (rather than terminate it), aligning with federal law to maintain access to care upon release. The bill requires the state health department to develop this service, report costs and implementation plans by October 2025, and launch a statewide education campaign for providers. This directly affects Medicaid enrollees with substance use disorders and incarcerated individuals in North Carolina.

Maddy summarySB 452 raises North Carolina's minimum marriage age to 18 for all individuals, eliminating exceptions that previously allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with court approval or parental consent. The bill repeals existing provisions (G.S. 51-2(a1) and G.S. 51-2.1) that permitted judicial authorization for marriages involving minors under 18, including requirements for court orders, guardian ad litem appointments, and best-interest determinations. This change directly affects minors under 18 who would have sought marriage under the previous law, removing all pathways for underage marriage except for those 18 or older. The policy shift standardizes the marriage age without exceptions, aligning North Carolina with states that prohibit marriage for individuals under 18.

Maddy summarySB 435 restores education-based salary supplements for North Carolina teachers and instructional support personnel (ISP) that were previously eliminated. It directs the State Board of Education to use the 2013 policy (TCP-A-006) to determine eligibility for the "M" salary schedule and degree-based pay increases (e.g., for master's or doctoral degrees). The bill appropriates $8 million from the General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to fund these reinstated supplements. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, directly affecting eligible educators' pay through revised salary calculations.