Sen. Michael Lee

Maddy summarySB 63 establishes a nine-member Board of Motor Vehicles to oversee North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles, replacing the current structure where the Commissioner is appointed by the Transportation Secretary. The Board will appoint the Motor Vehicles Commissioner and include members from the Transportation Secretary, Information Technology Secretary, Highway Patrol, and appointments by the Governor and General Assembly. The bill also mandates a study by the Department of Transportation to evaluate creating a separate Motor Vehicle Authority (replacing the current Division), including feasibility, required legal changes, a timeline, and implementation steps. The study must be completed and reported to the General Assembly by January 1, 2026, but does not create the Authority itself.

Maddy summarySB 505 clarifies definitions and creates procedures for addressing abandoned or derelict vessels in North Carolina waters and on public/private land. It defines "abandoned vessels" as those left unattended for 30+ days without permission or intent to reclaim, and "derelict vessels" as those in disrepair posing safety or environmental risks. The bill gives the Commission authority to remove such vessels after posting notices, with owners having 10 days to respond before removal. It also sets time limits (30 days on land, 10 days in water) for vessel anchoring without permission and exempts historic shipwrecks under state custody. This directly affects boat owners, property owners, and state agencies responsible for waterway safety.

Maddy summarySB 506 increases funding for North Carolina's Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) program, which provides salary supplements to teachers in specialized roles. It allocates an additional $16.2 million for 2025-2026 and $20.1 million for 2026-2027 (totaling $27.1M and $31M annually) to fund these supplements, plus $1 million more for program expansion. The bill directs the Department of Public Instruction to distribute these funds to public school districts participating in the ATR program, as outlined in state law (G.S. 115C-310.13). This funding increase directly affects eligible teachers in participating schools by boosting their salary supplements. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, pending legislative approval.

Maddy summarySB 97 adds stomach cancer (gastric cancer) to the list of cancers presumed to be work-related for firefighters under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. This means firefighters who die from stomach cancer will automatically qualify for line-of-duty death benefits without needing to prove occupational connection. The bill appropriates $500,000 annually from 2025-2027 to cover these new benefits. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to qualifying deaths occurring on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 580 establishes a grant program to help North Carolina public schools transition from time-based learning to competency-based education (CBE), where students advance upon mastering skills rather than completing seat time. The bill allocates $330,000 per school to 10 selected schools (chosen via application) for CBE implementation, including $95,000 annually for educator training and resources. Key provisions include developing proficiency-based assessments, partnering with a third-party vendor for professional development, and creating statewide standards for measuring student mastery. This program directly affects participating schools and their students by shifting instructional approaches to focus on demonstrated proficiency across K-12 subjects.

Maddy summarySB 581 revises North Carolina's definition of a "neglected juvenile" to clarify that parents or guardians cannot be deemed neglectful for allowing certain independent activities if a reasonable parent would consider them safe based on the child's age, maturity, and abilities. It specifically exempts activities like walking or biking to school, visiting nearby recreational areas, staying home briefly, or playing outdoors. This change prevents child welfare authorities from classifying such routine, age-appropriate activities as neglect. The bill directly affects parents, guardians, and child welfare systems by narrowing the circumstances under which independent activities trigger neglect investigations.

Maddy summarySB 596 appropriates $169 million from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund to North Carolina Central University for critical campus repairs. The funds are allocated as $100 million for HVAC, fire safety, and building code upgrades; $9 million for roof and structural repairs; and $60 million for replacing aging electrical, water, and steam infrastructure. These repairs directly address immediate safety risks and system failures affecting the university's campus operations and facilities. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025, with funding designated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Maddy summarySB 619 establishes North Carolina's AI Academic Support Grant Program, providing $10,060,560 in recurring funds for public school districts to contract with Khan Academy for its Khanmigo AI tool. The program directly affects public schools serving grades 6-12, requiring districts to use funds exclusively for Khanmigo licenses, associated teacher training, and secure class rostering systems approved by the state. Schools must annually evaluate Khanmigo's use and report metrics like student interactions, teacher usage, and impacts on learning outcomes to the legislature. A separate study by the Office of Learning Research will measure Khanmigo's effectiveness on student performance, with results due by April 2028.

Maddy summarySB 666 creates a $56 million PFAS Mitigation Fund to help local water and wastewater systems address PFAS contamination through grants for testing, treatment upgrades, and emergency response. It sets strict drinking water limits (e.g., 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS) and requires the state to adopt science-based PFAS discharge limits for industries by October 2025, including source reduction plans and pretreatment technology. The bill also allocates $14 million for research on PFAS detection, health impacts, and removal technologies through UNC’s Collaboratory. These provisions directly affect public water systems, industrial dischargers, and communities facing PFAS contamination in water sources.

Maddy summarySB 709 reorganizes North Carolina's state investment laws by restructuring existing statutes into a new "2025 State Investment Modernization Act." It creates the North Carolina Investment Authority as an independent state agency within the Treasurer's office, granting it autonomy from budgetary controls by the Treasurer, Budget Director, and Department of Administration. The bill establishes definitions, tax exemptions for the authority, and confidentiality rules for investment negotiations, but does not change investment policies or fund management practices. This is a procedural reorganization of legal structure, not a policy change affecting specific residents or programs.