Sen. Kandie Smith

Maddy summarySB 679, the Women's Care Act, requires North Carolina courts to defer imprisonment for 12 weeks after a pregnant person’s delivery (or end of pregnancy) if they pose no threat to the community. It directly affects pregnant female persons sentenced to prison, mandating courts to postpone incarceration while requiring them to maintain perinatal care, participate in community programs, and report monthly via phone or electronic means. The bill also allows probation supervision without fees during this period and requires prisons to report annual data on pregnant incarcerated women starting in 2026. The law applies to sentences issued on or after its effective date.

Maddy summarySB 662 updates North Carolina's domestic violence protective order law to explicitly include same-sex couples in dating relationships. It amends the definition of "personal relationship" by removing the requirement that dating partners be of opposite sex, ensuring same-sex couples who are romantically involved can seek protective orders under the same criteria as opposite-sex couples. The bill changes Section 50B-1(b)(6) of the statute to clarify that a dating relationship is defined by ongoing romantic involvement, not gender. This policy change applies to protective orders issued on or after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summarySB 661 directs North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to study health issues affecting military women, particularly during pregnancy and postpartum. The study will examine coordinating maternity care between military and civilian facilities, improving access to housing and job resources, addressing mental health risks, expanding childbirth support services, and reducing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. DHHS must consult with military veterans affairs and gather input from currently or formerly serving military mothers. The bill appropriates $100,000 for this study and requires a final report to legislative committees by April 2026. This bill does not enact new programs but mandates a review to inform future policy.

Maddy summarySB 684 creates a 25% tax credit for North Carolina corporations that make charitable donations of at least $1,000 to permanent funds held by qualifying community foundations. The credit, capped at $50,000 per corporation annually and limited to a total $12.5 million statewide each year, directly affects corporations making qualifying donations and community foundations meeting specific criteria (like serving local communities and having community-led governance). The bill requires foundations to maintain permanent funds for community development and mandates annual reporting on the program’s impact. The tax credit expires for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2029.

Maddy summarySB 683 requires North Carolina courts to impose community-based sentencing (not jail) for nonviolent offenders who are the primary caretaker of a dependent child under 18. It applies to individuals convicted of nonviolent offenses, defined as crimes not involving weapons, burglary, arson, or serious injury risks. Courts must assess eligibility before sentencing and can require conditions like parenting classes, drug treatment, job training, or housing assistance to support family unity. Violations of these conditions may lead to jail time, but the law prioritizes rehabilitation over incarceration for eligible parents. The bill takes effect upon enactment for sentences imposed after that date.

Maddy summarySB 687, the NC Land and Wildlife Act, allocates $5 million each for four key conservation initiatives in North Carolina's 2025-2026 budget. It funds expanded monitoring and cash incentives for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer, establishes habitat restoration grants for northern bobwhite quail (up to $5,000 per landowner), and creates red wolf conservation programs including habitat grants for landowners ($10,000) and tourism promotion. The bill also modernizes hunting and fishing licenses with age-based fees, multi-generational family discounts, and installment payment options. These changes directly affect wildlife populations, private landowners participating in conservation, hunters/fishers through license adjustments, and rural communities through tourism opportunities.

Maddy summarySB 686, "The Fair Sentencing Act," reduces mandatory minimum jail terms for impaired driving offenses in North Carolina. It lowers the minimum imprisonment for Level One offenses from 30 days to as little as 10 days if alcohol monitoring is required, and eliminates mandatory minimums for less severe cases (Level Three and Four). The bill requires courts to impose substance abuse assessments and treatment as a probation condition, and allows defendants to avoid jail time by using continuous alcohol monitoring systems for 90-120 days instead. This directly affects individuals convicted of impaired driving, particularly those facing lower-level charges. The law modifies sentencing guidelines under Chapter 20 of North Carolina's General Statutes.

Maddy summarySB 685 requires developers building new subdivisions to provide financial guarantees (like surety bonds or letters of credit) to ensure publicly dedicated roads meet maintenance standards before county or municipal acceptance. The guarantee amount cannot exceed 20% of estimated road construction costs and must cover repairs if roads fail to meet minimum standards. If roads aren't accepted into public maintenance systems within four years of plat recording, they automatically become county/municipal responsibility. This directly affects developers (who must post guarantees), counties (who manage acceptance), and future residents (who rely on maintained public roads). The bill ensures funding for road upkeep without requiring immediate full public ownership.

Maddy summarySB 707 modifies North Carolina retirement rules for law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System or Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System. It allows LEOs to retire with full, unreduced benefits after 25 years of creditable service, regardless of age (replacing previous age/service requirements). The bill specifies that LEOs retiring on or after January 1, 2026, will receive a benefit calculated as 1.82% of their average final salary multiplied by their years of service, without age-based reductions. This change directly affects current and future LEOs who meet the 25-year service threshold, providing them equal retirement benefits to non-LEO members who reach 30 years of service.

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.