Sen. Kandie Smith

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina legislation creates a Military Sexual Trauma Study Commission and a two-year pilot program to assist survivors of military sexual trauma. The Commission will investigate barriers to reporting and support access among active duty, reserve, and veteran populations, with a requirement to submit findings to the General Assembly by April 2027. The pilot program, managed by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, provides a confidential hotline, counseling, legal referrals, and emergency assistance to affected service members and families. These provisions aim to improve care coordination and inform future statewide implementation without duplicating existing federal services.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill prohibits charter schools from being managed by for-profit organizations, restricting them to nonprofit management instead. It also mandates that students in remote charter academies take state-mandated tests in person with a social worker present and limits the renewal terms for these remote schools to one year. Additionally, the legislation requires annual financial audits for remote charters and bars renewal for any remote academy deemed low-performing. To support affected families, the bill allocates funding for coaches to assist with school transitions and to establish the new in-person testing program.

Maddy summarySB 946, titled the Keep Our Schools Standing Bond Act of 2026, proposes to issue up to $50 billion in state bonds to fund public school construction, repairs, renovations, and security improvements in North Carolina. The funds would be distributed as grants to counties through the Department of Public Instruction, while excluding expenses for salaries, trailers, and administrative buildings. This legislation requires approval from North Carolina voters via a special election before the State Treasurer can issue the bonds.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates that all public schools in North Carolina, including charter and laboratory schools, provide free breakfast and lunch to every student starting in the 2026-2027 school year. To support this requirement, the state will allocate $116 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction, with additional flexibility to use existing state aid if necessary. The legislation outlines specific criteria for distributing these funds, such as school size, the number of eligible students, and the quality of food provided, while ensuring that state money supplements rather than replaces other funding sources.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Investing in North Carolina Act, establishes a new salary schedule for public school teachers and provides raises for state employees, community college staff, and University of North Carolina employees. The proposed teacher salary schedule sets monthly pay based on years of experience, ranging from $4,600 for new teachers to $6,370 for those with 29 or more years of service, while also adding specific supplements for certified teachers, school nurses, counselors, and other instructional support personnel. These salary increases are contingent on the failure of the 2026-2027 Current Operations Appropriations Act to pass, meaning the changes would only take effect if that budget bill does not become law. Additionally, the bill includes a 6% cost-of-living adjustment for eligible state-funded employees effective July 1, 2026, and allocates $921.2 million in recurring funds to implement the teacher salary raises.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric public utilities in North Carolina to submit detailed reports on how well they use their existing power grids. These reports must analyze current performance, explore ways to improve efficiency without building new lines, and outline plans for implementing these improvements. The state's Utilities Commission will review the reports and set specific targets for utilities to meet, while also establishing metrics to measure grid usage. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Commission decide within 240 days how these usage metrics will influence future decisions on approving utility investment costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill introduces a new 7% state income tax specifically on earnings that exceed $1 million. The revenue generated from this tax, after deducting administrative costs, will be sent directly to the Public School Fund to support local schools. The law applies to individual taxpayers and is scheduled to take effect for tax years starting on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 960 increases the funding cap for North Carolina public schools serving students with disabilities from 13% to 16% of a district's student population. The bill also creates a new High-Cost Disabilities Support Fund to provide extra reimbursement for students requiring intensive and specialized services. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, the state will allocate approximately $97.8 million in recurring funds to help districts meet these obligations without diverting money from general classroom instruction.

Maddy summaryThis North Carolina bill allocates $359.3 million in recurring funds to hire additional school psychologists and counselors starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The legislation establishes specific staffing ratios, requiring one psychologist for every 700 students and one counselor for every 250 students statewide. These positions are intended to create a tiered support system for students within the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority to conduct a feasibility study on creating a student loan forgiveness program for graduates of public colleges and universities in the state. The study will evaluate the costs, eligibility requirements, and potential economic benefits of offering debt relief to encourage graduates to remain in North Carolina after graduation. To fund this analysis, the bill appropriates $150,000 from the state's General Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The Authority must complete the study and submit a report with recommendations to the legislature by October 1, 2027. The bill does not establish a forgiveness program itself but rather authorizes a review to determine if such a program is viable.