North Carolina General Assembly · 2025–2026 session
Showing 1633–1656 of 2,338 bills
Introduced by David Craven
This bill creates the North Carolina Investment Authority, an independent state agency that will manage the state's investment programs starting January 1, 2026. The Authority will oversee investments for retirement systems, the General Fund, and other special funds currently managed by the State Treasurer's office, with its own Board of Directors, Chief Investment Officer, and separate budget authority.
Taxes & Budget
Introduced by Brad Overcash
This bill prohibits unauthorized camping in North Carolina public spaces like parks and sidewalks, except in designated campsites or approved homeless encampments. First-time offenders are directed to emergency shelters rather than charged criminally, while repeat offenses become Class 3 misdemeanors. The bill also prevents local governments from blocking enforcement of these rules and allows residents, business owners, and the Attorney General to sue municipalities that don't enforce the prohibition.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Introduced by Joyce Waddell
This bill appropriates $6.5 million in state funds to Discovery Place, Inc. for capital improvements at the Charlotte Nature Museum. The money will be used for $1.5 million in infrastructure projects (sidewalks, parking, EV charging stations) and $5 million for the Tree Canopy Walk project, which includes construction, safety features, accessibility improvements, and educational exhibits.
Introduced by Kandie Smith
This bill allows small businesses in North Carolina (those with gross receipts under $10 million) to deduct a portion of revenue from their state income taxes if they deposit that money into a dedicated capital improvement account for property upgrades. The deduction percentage decreases as business income increases: 5% up to $1 million in deposits, 2% from $1-2 million, and 1% from $2-3 million. If money is withdrawn from the account without being used for qualifying property improvements, it must be added back to taxable income.
Introduced by Natalie Murdock
This bill automatically seals eviction records from public access after three years, immediately seals dismissed cases or cases won by tenants, and seals cases involving minors. It also makes it illegal for landlords to deny rental applications based on sealed eviction records under fair housing law.
Housing
This bill increases the authority of the North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board by requiring it to approve all state rules related to charter schools, allowing it to hire its own legal counsel, and giving it oversight of federal funding decisions for charter schools. It also provides regulatory flexibility for charter schools regarding teacher evaluations and class rank reporting, streamlines approval processes for remote charter academies, and grades remote academies separately from their parent schools.
Education
Introduced by Lisa Grafstein
This bill shortens North Carolina's divorce separation period from one year to six months, allows domestic violence victims to divorce immediately without a separation period, and eliminates two old civil lawsuits (alienation of affection and criminal conversation) that allowed people to sue others for damaging their marriage.
Introduced by Michael Lazzara
This bill creates a new Office of Engineering and Codes within the Department of Labor, headed by an independently appointed State Engineer. It transfers responsibility for building codes, manufactured housing standards, home inspector licensing, and code official qualifications from the Department of Insurance (Office of State Fire Marshal) to this new office, effective July 1, 2026.
Local Government
Introduced by Buck Newton
This bill prohibits North Carolina state government and local governments from purchasing small unmanned aircraft systems (drones weighing under 55 pounds) that are manufactured or assembled by certain foreign entities, specifically those from China or Russia, those on U.S. screening lists, or those controlled by those governments. The ban takes effect July 1, 2027.
Technology & Privacy
Introduced by Michael Garrett
This bill would make people ineligible for employment with North Carolina state government if they were convicted of January 6-related offenses, received a pardon for January 6 actions, were found by a court to have engaged in insurrection under the 14th Amendment, or have clear evidence of participating in efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power or attack democratic institutions. The bill applies to new hires starting July 1, 2025, and to current employees if disqualifying conduct is discovered, with procedural protections including notice, hearings, and written decisions.
Introduced by Caleb Theodros
The Wellness Break Act establishes a paid sabbatical leave program for long-term employees in North Carolina's public and private sectors. State, local, and county employees who have worked continuously in the same position for three years can take 4-6 weeks of paid leave (at 70% salary) for health, wellness, or skill development, while private businesses receive tax credits and grants to help offset sabbatical costs.
Business & Labor
Introduced by DeAndrea Salvador
The Child Promise Act is a comprehensive early childhood education and childcare investment package that appropriates approximately $168 million over three years to expand pre-K programs, increase childcare subsidies and affordability, strengthen the childcare workforce through education and retention programs, and improve childcare infrastructure across North Carolina.
Introduced by Jay Chaudhuri
This bill establishes a 21-member commission to study how quantum computing technology could threaten North Carolina's current computer security systems and infrastructure. The commission will assess vulnerabilities in state IT systems, research quantum-resistant security solutions, and submit recommendations to the General Assembly by July 1, 2026, with $250,000 in funding allocated for the study.
This bill clarifies North Carolina's dam safety requirements by specifying that downstream inundation maps (which show areas that would be affected if a dam failed) do not need to be prepared by a licensed professional engineer, except for dams associated with coal combustion residuals. The bill also exempts very small dams (less than 15 feet high or with less than 50 acre-feet capacity) from needing inundation maps unless the Department determines site-specific factors warrant one.
Environment & Energy
Introduced by Sydney Batch
This bill expands language access to state services by requiring driver's license materials and traffic signs to be available in 25 languages, mandating school documents be translated into those same languages, and appropriating funds for multilingual health care materials. It also adds six new cultural and religious holidays (Lunar New Year, Greek Independence Day, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Yom Kippur, Diwali, and Rosh Hashanah) as legal public holidays and encourages schools and state agencies to accommodate religious holiday observances.
This bill requires state environmental agencies to consider the cumulative impact of pollution and development on low-income and minority communities when deciding whether to approve permits for mining, waste management, hazardous waste facilities, air pollution sources, and other industrial projects. It also requires agencies to hold public hearings in affected communities and consider community input before approving new or expanded facilities in areas already burdened by pollution.
Introduced by Mujtaba Mohammed
This bill designates January 14th as Tamil Pongal Day in North Carolina. Tamil Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamil communities, primarily in South India and among Tamil diaspora populations. The designation recognizes this cultural observance as a state day.
Other / General Government
Introduced by Ralph Hise
This bill expands which private colleges and universities in North Carolina can participate in need-based scholarship programs. It adds new categories of eligible institutions, including for-profit schools accredited by SACSCOC at certain levels and schools without on-campus housing requirements, while maintaining accreditation and degree-granting standards.
Introduced by Michael Lee
This bill appropriates $169 million in state funding to North Carolina Central University for critical campus infrastructure repairs, including HVAC and fire safety systems ($100 million), roof and building envelope repairs ($9 million), and electrical and water infrastructure replacement ($60 million). The funds come from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund and are designated as nonrecurring appropriations for fiscal year 2025-2026.
This bill clarifies that man-made ditches—including artificial ponds, culverts, canals, swales, storm channels, and roadside ditches—are not regulated as estuarine waters or areas of environmental concern under North Carolina's Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). The changes apply this exclusion to the state's definitions of estuarine waters, tidal areas, and marshland for regulatory purposes.
This bill appropriates $1.5 million in state funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the Town of Davidson for two trail and greenway projects: $1 million for constructing portions of the Carolina Thread Trail connecting Davidson to trail segments in neighboring counties, and $500,000 for building segments of the West Branch Nature Preserve Greenway.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Introduced by Graig Meyer
This bill revises North Carolina utility law to prohibit public utilities from recovering certain costs through customer rates, including advertising, lobbying, political activities, and executive travel expenses. It requires utilities to file annual reports disclosing these activities and establishes penalties for violations, with collected funds directed to an Energy Equity Fund for low-income assistance and disaster relief.
This comprehensive bill addresses North Carolina's housing crisis through multiple strategies: it increases funding for affordable housing programs, creates tax credits for housing development and donations, establishes by-right zoning for accessory dwelling units and multi-family housing, provides down payment assistance and community land trust programs for homebuyers, offers emergency rental and homelessness prevention funds, streamlines permitting for affordable housing projects, and invests in workforce development for construction trades.
Introduced by Todd Johnson
This bill allows North Carolina law enforcement officers to receive retirement benefits while continuing to work, and provides special separation allowances for officers with at least 30 years of service. Officers age 59.5 or older can begin collecting retirement while still employed, and retired officers can return to law enforcement work while continuing their retirement payments. These provisions expire December 31, 2029, unless renewed.