North Carolina General Assembly · 2025–2026 session
Showing 433–456 of 2,338 bills
Introduced by Marcia Morey
This bill increases law enforcement staffing in Mecklenburg County, increases penalties for traffic safety violations (school bus stops, move-over law, street takeovers), restricts public access to highway camera recordings, expands 24-hour operation of a Charlotte traffic management center, creates new criminal offenses for reckless boating deaths/injuries, and increases penalties for assaults on public transit operators.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Introduced by Sophia Chitlik
This bill repeals North Carolina's ban on collective bargaining agreements between public employees and labor unions. Currently, state law declares such agreements illegal; this bill would remove that prohibition, allowing public employees to negotiate collectively with their employers starting July 1, 2026. The bill also appropriates $100,000 to inform public employees about the change.
Business & Labor
Introduced by Celeste Cairns
This bill appropriates $3 million in state funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to provide free hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment to North Carolina veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The funds will be directed to a nonprofit organization called HBOT 4 HEROES to deliver approximately 15,000 treatments to roughly 350 veterans, with progress reported back to the legislature by June 30, 2027.
Social Services & Welfare
Introduced by Mitchell Setzer
This bill changes municipal elections in eight Catawba County towns and cities from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, beginning in 2028. To accomplish this transition, the bill skips elections in 2027 and extends current officials' terms by one year.
Elections & Voting
This bill expands insurance coverage for fertility care in North Carolina by requiring health insurance plans to cover fertility diagnostic care and treatment (including up to four egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers), directs the state to seek Medicaid coverage for basic fertility services, appropriates $45 million for Medicaid implementation, establishes a fertility care resource hub, requires medical provider training on LGBTQ+ family building options, and protects the right to access assisted reproductive technology and contraceptives.
Healthcare
Introduced by Michael Lazzara
This bill directs North Carolina's State Auditor to conduct a comprehensive performance audit of the Ferry Division within the Department of Transportation. The audit will examine the division's finances, operations, routes, and revenue options, with a report due to the legislature by October 1, 2026.
Local Government
Introduced by Donna White
This bill appropriates $3.1 million in one-time state funding to the Museum of Life and Science for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to create the Mike Woodard Lab and Living Tools exhibit, which will showcase North Carolina's biotech industry and encourage student interest in STEM careers.
Taxes & Budget
Introduced by Sarah Crawford
This bill expands North Carolina's property tax break for disabled veterans by excluding their entire home value from taxation instead of just the first $45,000. The state will reimburse local governments and school districts for the tax revenue they lose from this expanded exclusion.
Introduced by Mary Harrison
This bill moves North Carolina's official Arbor Week from March to November, with the designated week now containing November 15 instead of March 15. The bill also appropriates $10,000 to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to create education and training materials for Arbor Day celebrations during the new November timeframe.
Agriculture
Introduced by Paul Lowe
This bill appropriates $1 million in state funds to Forsyth County for fiscal year 2026-2027 to help the county and City of Winston-Salem build a joint emergency operations center. The center would improve coordination and emergency response between the two government entities.
This bill appropriates $1 million in state funding for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to Forsyth County, which will grant the money to Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County to build affordable housing in Forsyth County and Winston-Salem.
Housing
Introduced by Natalie Murdock
This bill appropriates $250 million to create a COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Program that provides one-time grants to qualifying small businesses that experienced at least a 25% drop in sales tax collections in 2020 compared to 2019. Grants are capped at $250,000 per business or the amount of actual sales tax loss, whichever is less, and recipients must maintain operations for at least six months or repay a proportional amount.
This bill appropriates $16 million and $69 million in state funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to replace lost federal funding for SNAP administrative costs due to changes in federal law (Public Law 119-21). It also appropriates $10 million for grants to develop projects aimed at reducing SNAP payment errors.
Introduced by Allen Buansi
This bill redirects $6.75 million in state funding away from Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship to evidence-based maternal and infant health programs through the Department of Health and Human Services. It also establishes new transparency and reporting requirements for crisis pregnancy centers that receive any state funds, and requires these centers to provide clients free copies of their records upon request.
This bill appropriates $200,000 in state funds to the City of Winston-Salem to support the planning and operations of the International Black Theatre Festival scheduled for July and August 2026. The money comes from the General Fund and is designated as a one-time grant for that specific fiscal year.
Introduced by DeAndrea Salvador
This bill appropriates $250,000 to help counties advertise North Carolina's property tax relief programs and modifies the Property Tax Homestead Circuit Breaker program by raising the income eligibility limit to $45,000 (with an additional allowance for married couples) and adjusting it annually for cost-of-living increases.
Introduced by Jim Burgin
This bill restricts students' use of wireless communication devices (phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, gaming devices) in North Carolina public schools. Students in K-8 are prohibited from using these devices anywhere on school premises, while high school students (grades 9-12) cannot use them during the school day except for state testing, though schools may allow use before/after school hours. Teachers may authorize device use for educational purposes or emergencies, and students with medical needs or IEP/504 plans may use devices as required.
Education
This bill appropriates $100,000 in state funds to the Winston-Salem Urban League for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support programs focused on economic empowerment, education, and workforce development. The funds are nonrecurring, meaning they are a one-time allocation rather than an ongoing annual appropriation.
Introduced by James Adams
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow North Carolina citizens to carry firearms openly or concealed without a permit, provided they have not been convicted of violent crimes or drug offenses and have not been adjudicated mentally incompetent. The amendment would be submitted to voters in the November 2026 general election, and if approved, would remove the current legal prohibition on concealed carry without a permit while maintaining an optional permit system for interstate reciprocity.
Introduced by Robert Reives
This bill establishes a two-year pilot program for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to test hovercraft ferries on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. The program will study whether hovercraft can reduce travel times, cut dredging costs, replace aging diesel ferries, and generate revenue through visitor fees while keeping rides free for residents. The bill allocates $25 million and requires progress reports to the legislature by March 2027 and December 2027.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Introduced by Robert Davis
This bill expands North Carolina's Film and Entertainment Grant Fund by increasing the maximum grant amounts that can be awarded to film and television productions, raising the grant cap from $7 million to $20 million for feature films and from $15 million to $25 million for television series seasons. The bill also increases the threshold for what qualifies as a 'highly compensated individual' from $1 million to $4 million in compensation per production.
Introduced by Lindsey Prather
This bill appropriates $2 million in recurring annual funding to the Department of Health and Human Services starting in fiscal year 2026-2027 to help recruit, train, and support foster care families. The money will be distributed to county social services departments based on their documented needs.
Introduced by Kandie Smith
This bill establishes a comprehensive framework to address menopause in North Carolina through four main components: funding menopause research and education, providing tax incentives for doctors to take menopause training, requiring health insurance and Medicaid to cover menopause-related care without cost-sharing, and protecting workers from discrimination based on menopause-related conditions.
Introduced by Eric Ager
This bill allows veterans who work as full-time public school employees in North Carolina to purchase up to four years of military service credit toward their teacher retirement benefits at a reduced cost. Instead of paying the full actuarial cost, eligible veterans would pay only 25% of the cost, with the state covering the remaining 75% through appropriated funds.