North Carolina General Assembly · 2025–2026 session
Showing 1009–1032 of 2,338 bills
Introduced by Chris Humphrey
This bill restricts what types of automobile physical damage insurance can be included in credit property insurance policies (insurance tied to car loans). Specifically, it prohibits coverage for repossession costs, skip/confiscation/conversion coverage, deductibles below $250, and coverage broader than state minimum requirements. Lenders can still offer these coverages separately, but cannot charge borrowers for them.
Business & Labor
Introduced by Robert Davis
This bill strengthens North Carolina's hazing laws by creating new criminal penalties for individuals and organizations that commit hazing, and requires public schools and colleges to develop anti-hazing education programs, investigate hazing allegations, and publicly report hazing violations. The bill defines hazing broadly to include physical brutality, substance consumption, mental abuse, and other harmful activities used to recruit or initiate members into student organizations.
Education
Introduced by Edward Goodwin
This bill requires North Carolina employers with five or more employees to post notices about veterans' benefits in the workplace, alongside existing labor law notices. The notices can be printed with a QR code or digital, and must include information about veterans' services, benefits, employment assistance, and housing support provided by the state.
Introduced by Phillip Shepard
This bill prevents the City of Jacksonville from exercising planning and development authority in its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)—the area just outside city limits where cities normally have some regulatory power. The city would only have planning authority within its actual city boundaries, though existing development regulations would remain in effect temporarily under state law.
Local Government
Introduced by Carson Smith
This bill requires the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to add a request for emergency contact information to driver's license applications and renewal forms. The provision of this emergency contact information by applicants is optional, and the bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Introduced by Jeff Zenger
This bill allows law enforcement, probation/parole, and corrections officers who have earned advanced certificates to purchase up to four years of additional service credit in the state retirement system by paying the full cost upfront. The law applies to both the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System and the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, and becomes effective January 1, 2027, pending IRS approval.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Introduced by Timothy Reeder
This bill requires health insurance plans in North Carolina that cover prescription eye drops to also cover early refills. Patients could request refills after using 70% of their medication or after 21 days, whichever comes first, as long as the refill doesn't exceed the prescriber's limit. The bill applies to most health insurance plans starting October 1, 2025, and allocates $100,000 per year to implement it.
Healthcare
Introduced by Stephen Ross
This bill changes how local governments, school districts, and public authorities select auditors by requiring sealed-bid processes and giving the State Auditor authority to certify auditors. It also appropriates $3.52 million to the State Auditor to hire 32 finance professionals to help small local governments maintain compliant financial records.
This bill requires North Carolina's 911 Board to allocate a minimum of 20% of 911 service charge revenues to the State Highway Patrol for maintenance and support of the VIPER public safety radio system. VIPER is used to enable 911 system interoperability and coordinate first responder dispatch across the state. The change takes effect July 1, 2025.
Introduced by Aisha Dew
This bill prohibits business entities and corporations from purchasing single-family homes for rental purposes in North Carolina counties with populations over 150,000 once they already own 100 or more rental homes in such counties. The bill allows the Attorney General, county commissioners, and affected residents to sue violators for civil penalties up to $100 per day per home, plus damages and attorney fees.
Housing
Introduced by John Torbett
Liam's Law increases criminal penalties for reckless driving, street racing, and hit-and-run offenses that result in serious injury or death. It upgrades penalties for street racing from misdemeanors to felonies when serious injury or death occurs, extends driver's license revocation periods (including permanent revocation for deaths), and strengthens hit-and-run requirements by distinguishing between crashes resulting in serious bodily injury versus other injuries.
Introduced by Allen Chesser
The FRESH Act directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to expand North Carolina's Home Processor Program to allow home-based food producers to make and sell refrigerated, frozen, and perishable products—including items like cheesecakes with cream fillings—in addition to products currently allowed. The expanded program would remain subject to existing food safety laws and inspections.
Agriculture
Introduced by Grant Campbell
This bill prohibits North Carolina's public universities from denying admission based on military service, allows active duty service members and their spouses to defer enrollment for 2-5 years, and grants in-state tuition rates to honorably discharged veterans who meet specific criteria (such as graduating from an NC high school after 2004, serving with a permanent NC station, or receiving a Purple Heart).
Introduced by Matthew Winslow
This bill creates the Hometown Teacher Grant Program, which provides $500 monthly salary supplements to teachers who grew up and attended school in their current school district and agree to continue teaching there. The state would allocate $10 million per year to support this program through local school districts.
The NC Compassionate Care Act would allow doctors to certify patients with specific debilitating medical conditions to use cannabis under a regulated system. Patients and designated caregivers would receive registry cards to purchase cannabis from licensed medical cannabis centers, with oversight by state agencies and two advisory boards.
Introduced by Richard Carver
This bill revives a program that allows retired teachers to return to work in high-need schools (Title I schools or schools with D/F grades) without losing their retirement benefits. Retired teachers in STEM and special education fields can earn higher starting salaries, while those in other subjects earn entry-level pay. The program requires IRS approval and includes $10 million in annual state funding.
This bill creates a Career and College Pathways Innovation Challenge Grant Program that provides competitive grants to community colleges for developing partnerships with schools, universities, employers, and community organizations to increase college enrollment and completion, align education with job market needs, and close educational opportunity gaps. The program allocates $5 million for fiscal year 2025-2026, with $2 million specifically directed to Hurricane Helene-affected counties over two years.
Introduced by Bill Ward
The Kelsey Smith Act authorizes wireless telecommunications carriers to provide call location information to law enforcement officers without a warrant in two emergency situations: when a device was used to place a 911 call, or when there is reasonable suspicion the device belongs to someone in immediate danger of death or serious physical harm. The bill also requires wireless carriers to register emergency contact information with the State Bureau of Investigation to facilitate these requests.
This bill transfers approximately 11 acres of state-owned land in Pender County to the Town of Burgaw for $1 to be used for a fire training facility and other public purposes. The state retains a reversionary interest, meaning the property reverts back to the state if it is no longer used for public purposes. The town bears all costs associated with the transfer and receives the property in its current condition without any state warranties.
Introduced by Amber Baker
This bill increases criminal penalties for sexual battery and stalking when the perpetrator is a local government elected official and the victim is a fellow board member or subordinate employee. Sexual battery in these circumstances would be elevated from a Class A1 misdemeanor to a Class H felony, and stalking would be elevated to a Class H felony under these specific conditions.
This bill prohibits North Carolina cities from exercising planning and zoning authority outside their corporate city limits (called extraterritorial jurisdiction). Cities must relinquish all planning control over surrounding unincorporated areas by January 1, 2026, returning that regulatory authority to counties. The bill includes exceptions for law enforcement and makes conforming changes to related state statutes.
Introduced by David Willis
This bill establishes a four-year pilot program (2025-2029) that provides grants up to $10,000 per year to North Carolina public high schools to create or expand speech and debate teams. The program allocates $500,000 annually to fund coach stipends, competition fees, and travel costs, with participating teams required to join the Tarheel Forensic League and National Speech and Debate Association.
This bill allows North Carolinians to play certain social games like poker, bridge, mahjong, and canasta with money bets in private homes or community clubhouses without violating gaming laws, as long as no one profits from hosting and games occur no more than once per week. It also increases the number of annual 'game night' fundraising events that nonprofit organizations can hold from four to twenty-four per calendar year.
Introduced by Sarah Stevens
This bill requires North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services and public housing authorities to regularly verify eligibility for public assistance programs (food stamps, Medicaid, temporary assistance, and housing) by checking multiple state and federal databases for changes in income, employment, residency, incarceration status, lottery winnings, and other circumstances. It also requires the department to verify applicants' information before enrollment rather than accepting self-attestation and to publish quarterly data about fraud investigations and improper payments.
Social Services & Welfare