Sen. Kandie Smith

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 447 establishes the Sewer Repair Task Force to assess North Carolina's wastewater infrastructure needs, develop implementation strategies, and identify funding sources. The bill appropriates $50 million from the General Fund specifically to the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority for four concrete projects: expanding facilities in Creedmoor and Butner ($20M), upgrading treatment for PFAS compliance ($15M), modernizing water meters ($10M), and replacing lead pipes ($5M). The Task Force, composed of 18 members including legislators, agency directors, county commissioners, and wastewater entity representatives, must submit a final report by December 2026. This bill directly affects South Granville's service area and addresses state-identified infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural and developing communities.

Maddy summarySB 392 creates new criminal penalties for threatening or pressuring voters, election officials, or poll workers to influence voting choices or election participation. It makes it a felony to threaten someone for voting, voting for a specific candidate, registering to vote, or for election workers performing duties, and prohibits fraudulent challenges to voter eligibility. Employers cannot condition pay or employment on voting behavior, with violations carrying fines up to $100,000 or five years in prison. Convicted individuals must pay restitution fines that fund voter education programs, and election workers can seek civil damages for intimidation.

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 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 453 limits nonrefundable "due diligence" fees in home sales to 1% of the purchase price, preventing sellers from requiring higher amounts as a condition of accepting offers. Any contract clause exceeding this amount is void, and sellers who enforce it may face legal costs and attorney fees. The bill also allocates $10 million to the North Carolina Housing Coalition to fund homebuyer education programs statewide. These provisions directly affect homebuyers and sellers in residential transactions, aiming to reduce upfront financial barriers and improve buyer preparedness. The law takes effect for new offers on or after October 1, 2025, with the funding provision beginning July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 395, the Disaster Relief Eviction Moratorium Act, allows North Carolina's Governor to issue an executive order banning residential evictions in declared emergency areas during disasters causing widespread job loss or economic hardship. The moratorium starts at up to 90 days, with possible 30-day extensions, for a maximum total of 180 days, and applies directly to renters and landlords in the affected area. The Governor must determine that the disaster would lead to increased homelessness without the ban, and the moratorium cannot be overridden by the General Assembly or Council of State. The bill also permits the Governor to direct state and federal funds toward rental assistance programs to support both tenants and landlords during the moratorium.

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.

Maddy summarySB 411 changes how school bus camera footage is used in traffic enforcement and extends contracts for these cameras. It makes footage from automated school bus safety cameras "prima facie evidence" (meaning it automatically counts as proof) that a driver failed to stop for a bus displaying stop signals, directly affecting drivers who violate this rule. The bill also extends the maximum contract length for local school boards to partner with private vendors for these cameras from 3 to 5 years, with one possible 5-year renewal. These changes apply to offenses committed after December 1, 2025, and new contracts after July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 457 requires automatic voter registration for eligible North Carolina residents at driver's license offices, public agencies, community colleges, and UNC system institutions starting January 2026. Individuals applying for or renewing a driver's license, ID card, or college enrollment would be automatically registered to vote unless they explicitly decline during the process. The bill mandates clear disclosures about voter qualifications, penalties for false information, and an outreach campaign by the State Board of Elections. Registration applications submitted at these locations must meet standard deadlines (e.g., received by 5:00 PM, 25 days before an election) to be valid for upcoming votes.