NCPoliSearch — NC Legislation Made Simple

Support the Dept. of Adult Correction.-AB

This bill makes several changes to support the Department of Adult Correction's operations. It expands tuition waivers for survivors and disabled family members of fallen probation officers, clarifies technical requirements for electronic and satellite-based monitoring devices, allows a three-member panel to handle post-release supervision decisions, modifies sexually violent predator evaluation procedures, increases purchase limits from prison enterprises, and makes various administrative and technical adjustments to state corrections operations.

Senate2026-07-08

S1041Passed

Public Workforce Modernization Act

This bill replaces North Carolina's current human resources system (Chapter 126) with a new modernized system (Chapter 126A) that applies to state employees in the executive branch, judicial branch, and legislative branch. The new system aims to simplify hiring, compensation, and personnel management by decentralizing some authority to individual agencies while maintaining standards for employee protections, leave benefits, and nondiscrimination policies.

Senate2026-07-07

S257Passed

2026 Appropriations Act

This is North Carolina's biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. It appropriates billions in state funding across all major agencies and departments including education, health, transportation, courts, corrections, and more. The bill also includes numerous changes to state laws and regulations affecting everything from education policy to business operations.

Senate2026-07-07

S1076Passed

Rocky Mount/Louisburg Utility Rev./Advisory

This bill restricts how the City of Rocky Mount and Town of Louisburg can use revenues from their electric and natural gas utility systems. It requires these revenues to be used primarily for operating costs, infrastructure improvements, and debt service, while limiting transfers to other municipal funds and prohibiting Louisburg from using electric revenues for economic development projects.

Senate2026-07-02

S992Engrossed

Truth in Taxation

This bill requires local governments to follow specific notification and public hearing procedures before adopting a property tax rate that exceeds the 'revenue-neutral rate' (the rate that would generate the same total revenue as the previous year despite property reappraisals) during reappraisal years. The bill also increases the late reinstatement fee for real estate appraiser trainees and clarifies that tax refunds can be issued when governments fail to follow these procedures.

Senate2026-07-01

S858Passed

GSC Add Member from High Point Law School

This bill increases the membership of the General Statutes Commission from 13 to 14 members by adding one representative appointed by the dean of High Point University School of Law. The new member will begin their initial three-year term on September 1, 2026.

Senate2026-06-29

S153Passed

North Carolina Border Protection Act

This bill requires North Carolina state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, restricts state-funded benefits and housing assistance to legally authorized residents, verifies immigration status for unemployment benefits, removes liability protections for local governments that adopt sanctuary policies, and prohibits UNC universities from limiting immigration law enforcement on campus.

Senate2026-06-24

S227Passed

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education

This bill prohibits North Carolina public schools from teaching, promoting, or requiring professional development related to what it defines as "divisive concepts" — including ideas that individuals should feel guilt based on race or sex, that meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or that character traits should be ascribed to people based on race or sex. Schools must certify annual compliance and cannot maintain offices or employ staff whose primary duties involve promoting these concepts or discriminatory practices.

Senate2026-06-24

S558Passed

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Higher Ed

This bill prohibits North Carolina public universities and community colleges from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or programs, requiring employees to affirm certain concepts, or endorsing what the bill defines as 'divisive concepts' related to race and sex. It requires institutions to certify annual compliance and allows instruction on these topics only if the institution makes clear it does not endorse them.

Senate2026-06-24

S280Engrossed

Dominique Moody Act

The Dominique Moody Act makes comprehensive changes to North Carolina's child welfare system to improve child safety. Key provisions include creating a statewide Child Welfare Case Escalation Team to review high-risk cases, requiring photo/video documentation during abuse investigations, establishing a predictive risk modeling program to identify at-risk children, creating a public dashboard showing county-level child safety data, and requiring public disclosure of child fatalities and near-fatalities with prior protective services contact.

Senate2026-06-22

S889Passed

Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium

This bill delays the use of new property values from 2026 reappraisals in counties with populations over 15,000 for the 2026-2027 tax year, requiring them to use the previous schedule of values instead. Starting in 2027-2028, counties will use the 2026 reappraisal values going forward. The bill also requires county assessors to pay a $20 examination fee to the Department of Revenue.

Senate2026-06-19

S863Introduced

Streamline Adult Care Home Inspections

This bill allows adult care homes to use passing inspection results from the state's Adult Care Licensure Section to satisfy similar routine inspections by other state or local departments, rather than requiring separate inspections. The bill includes exceptions for complaint-based investigations, abuse allegations, and inspections prompted by specific safety concerns, and provides $100,000 in funding to implement the streamlined process.

Senate2026-06-17

S394Engrossed

Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land

This bill prohibits entities from adversarial foreign governments (as defined by federal arms regulations) from purchasing, leasing, or holding agricultural land or property within 50 miles of North Carolina military installations. Entities that owned such land before the law takes effect must register with the Secretary of State and cannot buy additional land. Those acquiring such land after the effective date must divest within one year, or face civil penalties and forced sale through court receivership.

Senate2026-06-09

S1008Introduced

Pilot for Shoreline Stabilization Projects

This bill creates a pilot program allowing North Carolina to test shoreline stabilization structures like sheet pile walls in limited locations where oceanfront homes face imminent erosion danger. The University of North Carolina Collaboratory will select a small number of pilot projects based on erosion severity, scientific value, and economic impact, with all construction costs and permits funded by local governments or homeowners associations, not the state.

Senate2026-06-09

S310Engrossed

Criminal Law Changes

This bill makes multiple changes to North Carolina criminal law, including increasing penalties for firearm discharge, creating a new offense for shoplifting preparation, increasing penalties for peeping offenses involving minors, raising penalties for disrupting religious services, allowing law enforcement to obtain cell phone location data in emergencies, requiring written explanations for no probable cause findings in DUI cases, increasing penalties for providing alcohol to minors, allowing oral drug screening tests, prohibiting rideshare drivers from driving after consuming alcohol, and creating pathways for license restoration for repeat DUI offenders.

Senate2026-06-03

S1007Introduced

Human Trafficking Omnibus

This bill creates a new statewide human trafficking reporting and response system allowing the public and professionals to report suspected trafficking through multiple channels with AI-assisted analysis and real-time routing to law enforcement. It also imposes a 10% excise tax on materials deemed harmful to minors sold at physical retail locations, with proceeds funding anti-trafficking efforts and domestic violence services, while making technical clarifications about employee training requirements and government device usage.

Senate2026-06-02

S1080Passed

Lower Taxes for All NC

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would lower North Carolina's maximum income tax rate from 7% to 3.5%. The amendment would be submitted to voters in the November 2026 election, and if approved, would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.

Senate2026-05-21

S1082Engrossed

NC Right to Work Amendment

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would protect workers' rights to employment without being required to join or pay dues to labor unions. If approved by voters in November 2026, it would establish as state policy that employment cannot be denied based on union membership or non-membership.

Senate2026-05-20

S1081Introduced

Constitutional Right to Farm

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would add a new section to the North Carolina Constitution explicitly protecting the right of people to engage in farming and forestry activities, including crop cultivation, livestock raising, dairy and apiary production, and timber harvesting. The amendment would be subject to voter approval in the November 2026 general election.

Senate2026-05-18

S991Introduced

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

This bill appropriates $3.85 million in recurring funds to expand workforce training programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across up to 25 community colleges, $4.9 million in nonrecurring funds to implement digital credential systems statewide, and directs ApprenticeshipNC to develop an expedited pathway for apprentices to become teachers.

Senate2026-05-13

S990Introduced

Students First Act

This bill contains three main parts: (1) the Protect Campus Survivors Act, which keeps student disciplinary records at public universities and community colleges confidential by exempting them from public records requests if they contain personally identifiable information; (2) a $300,000 appropriation to study transitioning K-12 school funding from an allotment-based model to a weighted student funding formula; and (3) a $445,000 pilot program allowing one high school to provide students up to $395 each to use toward approved educational activities like career training, arts, STEM programs, and civic engagement through individual electronic accounts.

Senate2026-05-13

S1040Introduced

Repeal CON for ASCs and Inpatient Rehab

This bill eliminates Certificate of Need (CON) requirements for ambulatory surgical facilities and inpatient rehabilitation services in North Carolina. It appropriates $50,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services to implement these changes and develop a plan to phase out remaining CON laws over three years.

Senate2026-05-13

S985Introduced

HALO Law

The HALO Law creates a new crime in North Carolina that makes it illegal to approach within 25 feet of a first responder (police officers, firefighters, EMTs, probation officers, and corrections staff) after being warned not to do so, if the person intends to impede their duties, threaten them, or harass them. The law classifies this violation as a Class 2 misdemeanor and includes $25,000 in state funding for a public awareness campaign.

Senate2026-05-13

S164Engrossed

Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency

This bill increases the criminal penalty for stealing from temporary housing (like tents, trailers, or mobile homes) during a declared state of emergency. Theft from temporary housing becomes a Class F felony instead of a Class H felony, while theft of other property during emergencies remains a Class H felony. The bill also allows victims to sue for triple damages plus court costs and attorney fees.

Senate2026-05-12

S316Engrossed

Lower Healthcare Costs

This bill increases healthcare price transparency and protects consumers from unexpected medical bills by requiring hospitals to publicly disclose pricing for common procedures, mandating advance notice of out-of-network providers, limiting facility fees, and establishing good-faith cost estimates for scheduled procedures. It also strengthens insurance appeals processes and removes requirements for certificate-of-need approval for rehabilitation facilities.

Senate2026-05-06

S1075Introduced

Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Military Counties

This bill restores the ability of local governments in five military-host counties (Craven, Carteret, Onslow, Jones, and Lenoir) to reduce zoning allowances on property without requiring permission from all affected property owners. A 2024 state law had required unanimous property owner consent for such 'down-zoning' changes, and this bill creates an exception for these specific counties.

Senate2026-05-06

S866Introduced

Add Home Schools to Opportunity Scholarships

This bill expands North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship program to include home schools alongside private schools. Home school students would receive $1,500 per year in scholarship grants, with funds usable for books, equipment, and other required educational materials. The bill also increases overall funding for the scholarship program from $700-825 million annually to $950 million-$1.075 billion annually.

Senate2026-05-06

S1077Introduced

City of New Bern Even-Year Elections

This bill changes when the City of New Bern holds its municipal elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. It skips the 2029 election, extends current officials' terms by one year, and moves regular elections to 2030 and every four years after that.

Senate2026-05-06

S969Introduced

First Grade Reading Promise

This bill appropriates $5 million to provide first grade students with tutoring based on reading science methods, clarifies that schools can offer tutoring virtually, and requires schools to publicly report detailed reading proficiency data for grades 1-3 including student performance rates and reading camp attendance.

Senate2026-05-05

S986Introduced

Workforce Act of 2026

The Workforce Act of 2026 appropriates approximately $8.85 million to expand North Carolina's workforce development programs, including apprenticeships, industry-recognized credentials, short-term training grants, and career information resources. The bill also funds technology improvements to make it easier for students to transfer credits between colleges and universities.

Senate2026-05-05

S1036Introduced

Mutual Aid/Tribal Police & Sheriff's Offices

This bill allows tribal police chiefs to enter into mutual aid agreements with other law enforcement agencies in North Carolina, such as municipal police departments, county police departments, and sheriff's offices. It adds tribal police departments to the existing law that permits law enforcement agencies to cooperate and provide assistance to each other, and allocates $10,000 to the Department of Public Safety to implement these changes.

Senate2026-05-04

S1004Introduced

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

This bill expands tuition waivers at North Carolina community colleges to include children (ages 17-24) of law enforcement officers, experienced correctional officers, and firefighters who are actively serving. Previously, tuition waivers were limited to survivors of officers killed in the line of duty or children of officers permanently disabled in service. The new provision applies to all children of these public safety employees, regardless of disability or death status.

Senate2026-05-04

S977Introduced

Moratorium on New Coastal Fishing Regulations

This bill establishes a 10-year moratorium (through January 1, 2037) on new fishing regulations that restrict commercial or recreational fishing in North Carolina's coastal waters, pending completion of a state study on marine fisheries. It also restores recreational fishing rules to 2019 levels and creates a Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture to oversee the fishing industry.

Senate2026-05-04

S966Introduced

The SAVE Act

The SAVE Act defines the practice of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)—which include nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists—and allows them to practice independently without physician supervision. The bill removes a prior requirement for joint oversight between medical and nursing boards and eliminates restrictions on APRN prescribing authority.

Senate2026-05-04

S955Introduced

Permit Self-Defense Devices on College Campus

This bill allows people age 18 and older to carry self-defense devices such as pepper spray, tasers, mace, and ordinary pocket knives on North Carolina college and university campuses. It also provides $10,000 in funding to publicize this change to students, staff, and the public.

Senate2026-05-04

S940Introduced

2026 Appropriations Act

This bill appropriates state funding for the normal operations of North Carolina state agencies, departments, and institutions for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It allocates money from the General Fund, Highway Fund, Highway Trust Fund, and federal block grants to cover ongoing government services and programs.

Senate2026-04-30

S916Introduced

2026 Appropriations Act

This bill authorizes spending from North Carolina's General Fund, Highway Fund, Highway Trust Fund, and federal block grant funds to pay for the normal operations of state agencies, departments, and institutions during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The bill sets maximum spending amounts and allows any unspent money to be returned to the appropriate fund at year's end.

Senate2026-04-30

S914Introduced

2026 Appropriations Act

This bill authorizes the North Carolina state government to spend money from various funding sources—including the General Fund, Highway Fund, Highway Trust Fund, and federal block grants—to operate state agencies, departments, and institutions for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The bill allows unused appropriated funds to be returned to their respective accounts at the end of the fiscal year.

Senate2026-04-30

S913Introduced

Screen Free Schools

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.

Senate2026-04-30

S855Introduced

Community-Based Pharmacy Protections

This bill expands the legal definition of 'independent pharmacy' in North Carolina to include community-based pharmacies under independent ownership that are either non-publicly traded or have pharmacy as their core business focus, rather than limiting the definition to groups of 10 or fewer pharmacies. It also appropriates $100,000 to the Department of Insurance for implementation of pharmacy-related regulations.

Senate2026-04-29

S874Introduced

Licensing Certain Fire Safety Equipment

This bill creates a state licensing and permitting system for individuals and companies that install, repair, and service portable fire extinguishers and fire suppression systems in North Carolina. Firms must obtain a $250 license and individuals must obtain a $100 permit from the State Fire Marshal, and both must meet equipment, insurance, and competency requirements including potential examinations.

Senate2026-04-29

S873Introduced

Innovations Waiver Tiers

This bill directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for a tiered Innovations waiver program to address the waitlist for individuals needing services. The tiered system would offer three benefit levels ($25,000, $75,000, and full waiver benefits) and requires a report back to the legislature by December 1, 2026, with $100,000 allocated for implementation.

Senate2026-04-29

S870Introduced

Funds for Veterans/HBOT

This bill appropriates $3 million in state funding for fiscal year 2026-2027 to provide free hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment to North Carolina veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The funding will be directed to a nonprofit called HBOT 4 HEROES to deliver an estimated 15,000 treatments to approximately 350 veterans, with program oversight and outcome reporting required.

Senate2026-04-29

S864Introduced

Safe and Responsible AI in Schools Act

This bill requires North Carolina schools to teach artificial intelligence literacy to students in grades K-12, establish AI use policies across all public school systems, create a framework for evaluating AI educational tools, and provide $500,000 in funding for educator training on responsible AI use through NC State University's Friday Institute.

Senate2026-04-29

S861Introduced

Cut State Gov. Jobs Vacant 24 Months or More

This bill requires the state to eliminate job positions that have remained unfilled for 24 months or longer, effective July 1, 2026. The money saved from eliminating these positions will be held in a budget reserve for future legislative appropriation, with certain exceptions for positions held by court order, federally funded, or deemed critical for emergency response.

Senate2026-04-29

S860Introduced

Nonprofit Fundraising Sales Tax Exemption

This bill provides sales tax exemptions for certain nonprofit organizations and expands existing exemptions. It exempts diapers prescribed by Medicaid providers, exempts fundraising events held by nonprofits from entertainment tax, allows nonprofits to lease (rather than only own) property used for low-income housing and still qualify for property tax exemptions, and establishes a process for nonprofits to obtain sales tax exemption numbers with an annual cap of $31.7 million in state exemptions and $13.3 million in local exemptions.

Senate2026-04-29

S859Introduced

Home Dialysis Accessibility Act

This bill requires health insurance plans in North Carolina to cover home dialysis services for all patients who need dialysis treatment. It specifically mandates coverage of staff-assisted home dialysis for people who are blind, visually impaired, cognitively impaired, neurologically impaired, or have mobility limitations. The bill allocates $100,000 to implement these coverage requirements starting in 2026.

Senate2026-04-29

S851Introduced

America's Semiquincentennial License Plate

This bill authorizes North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles to create and issue a special license plate commemorating America's 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial), featuring the phrase 'America 250' and related imagery. Vehicle owners would be able to voluntarily purchase this plate if they choose to.

Senate2026-04-29

S840Introduced

Teacher Licensure Modifications

This bill removes testing requirements for entry into teacher preparation programs, allows teachers to pass licensing exams within their first three years of teaching instead of before, permits teachers with positive student growth data to skip exams for permanent licensure, and streamlines out-of-state teacher licensing by requiring only three years of experience and good standing rather than additional testing.

Senate2026-04-29

S848Introduced

Rio's Law

Rio's Law requires law enforcement officers, emergency medical services personnel, and firefighters/rescue workers in North Carolina to receive training on recognizing and appropriately interacting with people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have autism spectrum disorder. The bill also establishes a special autism spectrum disorder vehicle registration plate and requires state agencies to adopt rules implementing this training by October 2027-2028.

Senate2026-04-28

S847Introduced

Tyler's Law

Tyler's Law requires that all apparent suicide deaths in North Carolina undergo a full investigation before being officially classified as suicide, including interviews, gunshot residue testing (when applicable), and completion of medical examiner duties. The bill also increases the fee paid to medical examiners for each investigation from $200 to $400 and appropriates $579,000 in state funding to cover the increased costs to counties.

Senate2026-04-28

S845Introduced

Luggage for Children Placed in Foster Care

This bill requires North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services to provide new luggage (suitcases, duffel bags, or backpacks) to children entering or currently in foster care when they are removed from a household. The bill appropriates $142,000 in recurring annual funds and $335,880 in one-time funds starting in fiscal year 2026-2027, and requires annual reporting on luggage distribution and any instances where disposable bags were used instead.

Senate2026-04-28

S816Introduced

Child. of Wartime Vets Sch'ship Funds & Flex

This bill appropriates $11 million to expand the Children of Wartime Veterans Scholarship program. It provides $1 million for the 2025-2026 academic year to restore reduced scholarship amounts, allocates $10 million in recurring funds starting 2026-2027, and doubles the number of available Class II and Class III scholarships from 100 to 200 recipients per class for 2026-2027.

Senate2026-04-23

S800Introduced

Zero-Based Budgeting

This bill requires North Carolina state agencies to use zero-based budgeting on a rotating schedule, starting in 2026. Under zero-based budgeting, agencies must justify all spending from scratch rather than basing budgets on previous year amounts, and must document the purpose, cost, and effectiveness of each activity.

Senate2026-04-23

S815Introduced

Const. Amend./Permitless Carry

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow North Carolina citizens to carry firearms openly or concealed without a permit, provided they have not been convicted of violent crimes or certain drug felonies and have not been adjudicated mentally incompetent. The amendment would be submitted to voters in November 2026, and if approved, would replace current state law that prohibits concealed carry without a permit while maintaining an optional permit system for interstate reciprocity.

Senate2026-04-22

S797Introduced

Hands Free NC

Hands Free NC replaces existing distracted driving laws with a comprehensive ban on using wireless communication devices while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers cannot hold devices in their hands, watch videos, or text, with exceptions for emergency calls and certain professionals performing official duties. Violations result in fines ($100-$200) and potential insurance points, with stricter penalties for school bus operators and repeat offenders.

Senate2026-04-22

S772Passed

Adjournment Resolution

This resolution establishes a schedule for the 2025 regular legislative session, with the General Assembly meeting in scheduled blocks from July 2025 through April 2026, with breaks in between. Each reconvening period restricts what bills and matters can be considered, with the final April 2026 session allowing broader legislative activity including budget bills and constitutional amendments.

Senate2025-07-30

S266Passed

The Power Bill Reduction Act

This bill modifies North Carolina's electric utility regulations by removing an interim carbon reduction deadline (keeping only the 2050 goal), creating a new financing mechanism for large power plant construction costs, adjusting how fuel costs are recovered, updating performance-based rate regulation rules, and codifying securitization authority for retiring coal plants.

Senate2025-07-29

S254Passed

Charter School Changes

This bill restructures charter school oversight by giving the Charter Schools Review Board greater authority over rules, policies, and operations that were previously controlled by the State Board of Education. It also makes various changes to charter school operations, including allowing more flexibility in teacher evaluations, removing class rank requirements, exempting remote academies from certain accountability measures, and streamlining funding processes.

Senate2025-07-29

S479Passed

SCRIPT Act

The SCRIPT Act is comprehensive pharmacy legislation with multiple parts that regulate pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), require transparency in drug pricing and rebates, establish pharmacy of choice protections, create licensing requirements for pharmacy service organizations, strengthen pharmacy audit protections, and require consumers receive benefits from prescription drug rebates. The law takes effect gradually between October 2025 and January 2027.

Senate2025-07-09

S311Passed

The Law and Order Act

The Law and Order Act makes multiple changes to North Carolina criminal law, including increasing penalties for assaults on utility workers and street racing, creating new offenses for possessing explosives, stealing gift cards, and possessing embalming fluid, enhancing burglary sentences when firearms are involved, and establishing workplace protections against mass picketing. The bill also adds a mitigating factor for impaired driving cases where defendants voluntarily install ignition interlock systems before trial, and shortens the waiting period for misdemeanor expunction from five to three years.

Senate2025-07-09

S118Passed

Military and Veteran Support Act

This bill makes multiple changes to support military service members and veterans in North Carolina, including reducing concealed handgun permit fees for honorably discharged veterans, allowing military families more time to provide proof of residency for school enrollment, prohibiting universities from discriminating against applicants based on military service, providing in-state tuition to qualifying veterans, regulating compensation for veterans' benefits services, allowing remote driver's license renewals for active duty military stationed out-of-state, adjusting scholarship awards for children of wartime veterans, and authorizing sheriffs to send concealed handgun permit expiration notices by email.

Senate2025-07-09

S442Passed

Parents Protection Act

This bill protects parents and caregivers from abuse or neglect charges solely for raising a child consistent with the child's biological sex, including through pronoun use and related medical or mental health decisions. It also prevents adoption agencies from denying placement or adoptive parent opportunities based on refusal to support gender transition. The bill clarifies that such parenting practices do not constitute child abuse under state law.

Senate2025-07-03

S771Introduced

Const Amend - Disaster Relief Emolument Excpt

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would add an exception to North Carolina's emoluments clause (which prohibits special privileges from government) to allow disaster relief assistance for restoring privately-owned structures damaged by federally-declared natural disasters. The amendment would be submitted to North Carolina voters in the March 2026 primary election.

Senate2025-06-26

S423Engrossed

Title Fraud Prevention

This bill creates criminal penalties for filing fraudulent deeds and implements identity verification requirements for property deed recordings. It allows property owners to sue in civil court to clear fraudulent recordings from their titles, requires source-of-title documentation on deeds, mandates tax certification checks, and directs a study of a statewide fraud alert system.

Senate2025-06-23

S248Passed

Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted

This bill modifies North Carolina's process for issuing birth certificates to adopted persons by allowing registers of deeds to issue certified copies of new adoptee birth certificates directly to eligible individuals, rather than requiring all requests to go through the State Registrar. The bill also requires registers of deeds to digitize adoptee birth certificate records within two business days when requested and mandates annual privacy training for staff handling these sensitive documents.

Senate2025-06-13

S37Engrossed

Hertford County Rural Development Authority

This bill authorizes Hertford County to establish a Rural Development Authority, which is a local government entity that can undertake economic development projects. The bill amends existing state law to add Hertford County to the list of counties eligible to create such an authority.

Senate2025-06-10

S554Engrossed

Farmers Protection Act

This bill prohibits banks, savings and loans, savings banks, and credit unions from denying or canceling services to farmers based on their greenhouse gas emissions, use of fossil-fuel fertilizers, or use of fossil-fuel powered machinery. The state Commissioner would enforce this rule during regular bank examinations.

Senate2025-05-08

S513Introduced

Modify Rqmts. for Wind Energy Facilities

This bill requires wind energy facilities to install light-mitigating technology systems (such as aircraft detection lighting) approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and expands public notice requirements by requiring notifications to property owners within 1 mile and counties/municipalities within 20 miles of proposed facilities.

Senate2025-05-07

S754Engrossed

School Calendar Flexibility:A New Alternative

This bill provides North Carolina local school boards with flexibility in setting school start and end dates while establishing enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance. It allows boards to choose between two calendar options (starting no earlier than August 26 or August 19) and creates reporting requirements, state oversight procedures, and allows private citizens to sue school boards for calendar violations.

Senate2025-05-05

S370Engrossed

Repeal Certificate of Need Laws

This bill repeals North Carolina's Certificate of Need (CON) laws, which currently require healthcare facilities to obtain state approval before making major purchases, expansions, or opening new services. The bill removes the requirement that healthcare providers get government permission for significant capital expenditures and facility changes, while making technical updates to state law to remove references to the repealed CON system.

Senate2025-04-28

S505Introduced

Address Abandoned and Derelict Vessels

This bill creates state authority to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from North Carolina waters and public/private land. It defines abandoned vessels as those left unattended for 30+ days without permission, and derelict vessels as those in poor condition that may be unsafe or harm the environment. The bill establishes procedures for notifying owners and removing non-compliant vessels, with costs charged to owners.

Senate2025-04-07

S224Passed

Gabriel Esparza/Secretary of DOA

This Senate Resolution confirms Gabriel J. Esparza as Secretary of the Department of Administration, a cabinet-level position. The confirmation was adopted by the Senate on April 3, 2025, and becomes effective immediately upon adoption.

Senate2025-04-03

S38Introduced

Hertford County Economic Development

This bill appropriates $51 million in state funding to Hertford County for economic development during fiscal year 2025-2026. The money is designated for constructing a public industrial dock and barge facility ($40 million) and road construction ($11 million) at a riverside industrial park site in Hertford County, with unused funds remaining available until June 30, 2027.

Senate2025-04-01

S514Introduced

Social Media Control in IT Act

This bill requires social media platforms with over 1 million U.S. users to protect North Carolina users' personal data and prohibits using minors' data for targeted advertising or algorithmic recommendations. It establishes privacy requirements, sets protective default settings for minors, creates enforcement mechanisms through the Attorney General, and establishes a Data Privacy Task Force to monitor compliance and study social media's effects on mental health.

Senate2025-04-01

S361Introduced

Protecting First Responders Act

This bill increases criminal penalties for assaulting emergency responders, creates new felony charges for intentionally exposing first responders to fentanyl or harmful chemicals, and appropriates $10.35 million in grants for bulletproof vests and backpack plates for paramedics and EMTs.

Senate2025-04-01

S537Introduced

APRN Definitions

This bill legally defines the scope of practice for four types of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in North Carolina: Certified Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Clinical Nurse Specialists. It establishes a separate APRN license and removes certain requirements for physician oversight of APRN prescribing and medical decision-making, aligning North Carolina with 36 other states that have expanded APRN practice authority.

Senate2025-03-26

S758Introduced

Water & Sewer Allocation Reforms

This bill restricts how local government water and sewer utilities can allocate service to new housing developments. It prohibits utilities from imposing certain conditions (like impact fees or design requirements) or using scoring systems based on building design, minimum square footage, or parking specifications when deciding which projects receive water and sewer connections. The bill also requires utilities receiving public funds to publish quarterly capacity reports, develop expansion plans, and explain any capacity constraints.

Senate2025-03-26

S504Introduced

NC Farmland and Military Protection Act

This bill prohibits foreign governments designated as adversarial by the U.S. State Department from purchasing, leasing, or holding interests in North Carolina agricultural land and land within a 75-mile radius of military installations. Any such transactions would be declared void under the law.

Senate2025-03-26

S516Introduced

Women's Safety and Protection Act

This bill defines biological sex and gender terms in state law and creates the Women's Safety and Protection Act, which requires that bathrooms, changing facilities, and sleeping quarters in certain facilities (prisons, detention centers, schools, domestic violence centers, and rape crisis centers) be designated for use by one biological sex at a time. It also modifies birth certificate and driver's license procedures to reflect biological sex rather than allowing changes based on sex reassignment surgery.

Senate2025-03-26

S548Introduced

Protect Whistleblower LEOs from Retaliation

This bill requires law enforcement officers to intervene when they observe another officer using excessive force (if safe to do so) and to report suspected unauthorized use of force to a supervisor within 72 hours. It also protects officers who make these reports from retaliation, termination, or discipline by their employer for having made the report, while allowing agencies to still discipline officers for unrelated prior misconduct.

Senate2025-03-26

S441Introduced

Revive High-Need Retired Teachers Program

This bill revives a program that allows retired teachers to return to work in high-need schools without losing their retirement benefits or having their earnings count against them. The program is set to expire on June 30, 2027, and includes provisions allowing retired teachers to maintain health insurance coverage while working in these positions.

Senate2025-03-25

S399Introduced

Study Jordan Lake Nutrient Managem't Strategy

This bill directs the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to study and analyze nutrient management strategies for Jordan Lake, including water quality data and the effectiveness of existing regulations. The department must report findings to the Environmental Review Commission and Environmental Management Commission by January 31, 2027, with interim reports due earlier.

Senate2025-03-25

S411Introduced

School Bus Cameras/Evidence & Contract Length

This bill makes video evidence from school bus safety cameras admissible as legal proof that a vehicle failed to stop for a school bus, and extends the maximum contract length for private vendors operating these camera systems from three years to five years.

Senate2025-03-25

S365Introduced

Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency

This bill creates a new Class F felony offense for entering someone's premises without permission and damaging, taking, or destroying their temporary housing (such as tents, trailers, or mobile homes) during a declared state of emergency in a county designated as an emergency area. It also allows victims to sue offenders for three times the actual damages plus court costs and attorney fees.

Senate2025-03-24

S346Introduced

Good Samaritan Law/Immunity

This bill expands North Carolina's Good Samaritan law to provide legal immunity for people who seek emergency medical help during drug and alcohol overdoses. It protects both the person calling for help and the overdose victim from arrest and prosecution for certain drug possession and underage alcohol possession charges, provided they meet specific conditions like calling 911 in good faith and providing their name.

Senate2025-03-20

S322Introduced

Utility Worker Protection Act

This bill adds a new offense to North Carolina law that makes assaulting a utility or communications worker a Class 1 misdemeanor when the worker is readily identifiable (wearing company uniform or logo) and performing their job duties. The bill groups this offense with other enhanced assault penalties, such as assaults on sports officials, that already carry Class 1 misdemeanor charges.

Senate2025-03-19

S320Introduced

LEO Special Separation Allowance Options

This bill creates a second calculation option for the special separation allowance (a monthly payment) that state and local law enforcement officers receive when they retire after 30 years of service. Officers who qualify would be able to choose between two different formulas for calculating their allowance amount, with the choice being permanent and made before their first payment.

Senate2025-03-18

S315Introduced

More Transparency/Efficiency in Utiliz. Rev

This bill increases transparency and efficiency in health insurance utilization reviews—the process insurers use to approve or deny medical services. It sets faster approval timelines (24 hours for urgent care, 3 business days for non-urgent), requires clearer notification to patients and doctors, mandates that qualified medical professionals (not just algorithms) make decisions, and requires insurers to disclose their prior authorization requirements on websites and membership cards.

Senate2025-03-18

S312Introduced

The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act

This bill requires North Carolina public schools (traditional, charter, regional, and laboratory schools) to schedule daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance within one hour of the start of the school day, and requires the State Board of Education and local school governing bodies to begin their meetings with the Pledge. The bill specifies that no one can be compelled to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge, and requires age-appropriate instruction on the flag and Pledge's meaning and history.

Senate2025-03-18

S296Introduced

Buy American Steel

This bill requires North Carolina state and local governments to use American-produced iron and steel products in public works projects funded with state money. The requirement applies to construction materials like pipes, structural steel, and other iron/steel components, with exceptions for cases where American products aren't available, cost more than 20% extra, or involve minimal foreign materials.

Senate2025-03-18

S302Introduced

The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act

This bill allows law enforcement, probation/parole, and correctional officers with advanced certifications to purchase up to four years of additional service credit in North Carolina's retirement systems by paying a lump sum equal to the full cost to the retirement fund. The officers must have at least five years of service and obtain the applicable advanced certificate before purchasing the additional service credit.

Senate2025-03-18

S261Engrossed

Energy Security and Affordability Act

This bill modifies North Carolina's carbon reduction requirements for electric utilities by removing an interim 2030 target and keeping only the 2050 carbon neutrality goal. It also creates a new cost recovery mechanism allowing utilities to increase rates outside standard proceedings for baseload power plant construction costs, if the project shows long-term savings for customers.

Senate2025-03-18

S290Introduced

NC REINS Act

The NC REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act) increases legislative oversight of state agency regulations by requiring public objections from 10 or more people to delay a rule's effective date pending potential legislative disapproval, and mandating that rules with an estimated cost of $1 million or more over 12 months must be approved by the General Assembly before taking effect.

Senate2025-03-17

S226Introduced

Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer

This bill expands death benefits for firefighters who die from cancer by including any cancer that qualified them for the state's Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program in the definition of deaths 'killed in the line of duty.' It also makes the cancer insurance program permanent and allocates $2 million annually for related death benefits.

Senate2025-03-17

S225Passed

Eddie Buffaloe/Secretary of DPS

This Senate resolution confirms Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, a cabinet-level position overseeing the state's public safety operations. The confirmation was adopted by the Senate on March 13, 2025.

Senate2025-03-13

S155Introduced

Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact

This bill establishes an interstate compact that allows licensed social workers to practice across multiple member states under a single 'multistate license' from their home state, rather than obtaining separate licenses in each state. The compact creates a Social Work Licensure Compact Commission to oversee the system, maintain a data system tracking licenses and disciplinary actions, and establish uniform standards while preserving each state's authority to regulate social work practice and protect public safety.

Senate2025-03-12

S264Introduced

Flags at Every School

This bill requires all public schools in North Carolina—including traditional public schools, charter schools, and university-operated schools—to display U.S. and North Carolina flags on school grounds and in every classroom. It also requires schools to schedule daily Pledge of Allegiance recitations and teach students about the flag's meaning and history. The bill provides $1 million in funding for the 2025-2026 school year and $100,000 annually after that to help schools purchase flags.

Senate2025-03-12

S259Introduced

School Psychologist Omnibus

This bill increases pay for school psychologists, creates grant and internship programs to recruit and train more of them, funds university training programs, and establishes an interstate compact allowing school psychologists licensed in one state to practice in other member states more easily.

Senate2025-03-11

S258Introduced

2025 Appropriations Act

This bill authorizes state budget spending for the 2025-2027 fiscal years across North Carolina state agencies, departments, and institutions. It appropriates funds from the General Fund, Highway Fund, Highway Trust Fund, and federal block grants for current operations and specified purposes.

Senate2025-03-11

S250Introduced

Celebrate America's 250th-Let Freedom Ring!

This bill legalizes the sale and use of certain consumer fireworks in North Carolina starting January 1, 2026. It establishes a permitting system for fireworks retailers, sets safety requirements and restrictions on where and when fireworks can be used, and imposes a 5% excise tax on consumer fireworks sales, with 25% of proceeds funding firefighter education and training.

Senate2025-03-10

S228Introduced

Disabled Veterans Tax Relief Bill

This bill modifies North Carolina's property tax exemption for disabled veterans by changing how much of their home's value is excluded from taxation. Instead of a fixed $45,000 exclusion, disabled veterans would exclude a percentage of their home's appraised value equal to their disability rating (as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). For example, a veteran with a 50% disability rating would exclude 50% of their home's appraised value from property taxes.

Senate2025-03-05

S160Introduced

Respiratory Care Modernization Act

This bill updates North Carolina's respiratory care licensing laws to reflect modern practice standards and create a new 'Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioner' (ARCP) license for therapists with specialized postgraduate training. The bill defines the scope of practice for both standard respiratory care practitioners and ARCPs, establishes requirements for the state licensing board, and sets educational and examination standards for licensure.

Senate2025-02-26

S162Introduced

Shared Parenting

This bill establishes a legal presumption that joint custody and roughly equal shared parenting time is in a child's best interest in North Carolina custody cases. The presumption can be overruled if a court finds by clear and convincing evidence that shared parenting is not in the child's best interest, or if both parents agree to a different arrangement.

Senate2025-02-26

S170Introduced

Foster Parents Rights/Notice

This bill requires that foster parents receive at least 48 hours verbal notice before a child in their care is returned to their parent following a court decision, and that foster parents be included in transition planning when it serves the child's best interest. The bill also clarifies existing notice requirements for court hearings.

Senate2025-02-26

S172Introduced

STIP Grant Anticipation Notes

This bill allows North Carolina local governments to borrow money through special 'grant anticipation notes' to speed up transportation projects that are scheduled for state funding under the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The borrowed money would be repaid once the state provides the promised funding, with safeguards requiring an agreement with the Department of Transportation and approval from the Local Government Commission.

Senate2025-02-26

S123Introduced

Flags at Every School

This bill requires all North Carolina public schools, charter schools, and university-affiliated schools to display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds and in every classroom, and to schedule daily Pledge of Allegiance recitation with age-appropriate instruction about the flag's meaning and history. The bill provides $1 million in funding for the 2025-2026 school year and $100,000 in ongoing funding for schools to purchase flags, while clarifying that no student can be compelled to stand, salute, or recite the pledge.

Senate2025-02-24

S126Introduced

Zero-Based Budgeting

This bill requires North Carolina state agencies to use zero-based budgeting on a rotating schedule, starting in 2025. Under this approach, agencies must justify all spending from scratch rather than basing budgets on previous years' appropriations, and must document the costs, outcomes, and necessity of each activity they perform.

Senate2025-02-24

S35Introduced

Modify Local Workforce Development Board

This bill modifies the duties of the Northeastern Workforce Development Board, which serves 10 counties in northeastern North Carolina (Dare, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington). The bill adds a new requirement that the board use a competitive selection process to designate providers of adult and dislocated worker services under federal workforce law, with selections due by July 1, 2014 and annually thereafter.

Senate2025-02-03

S19Introduced

Various Environmental Amendments

This bill makes three environmental policy changes: it designates Jockey's Ridge sand dune as a protected area of environmental concern with development restrictions, requires public hearings and legislative consultation before the state grants easements for disposal of dredged materials, and clarifies that certain surfaces like artificial turf and permeable materials do not count as impervious surfaces in state and local stormwater management programs.

Senate2025-01-30

S14Introduced

Constitutional Amendment/Repeal Literacy Test

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to remove North Carolina's literacy test requirement for voter registration, which currently requires people to read and write any section of the Constitution in English. The amendment would be submitted to voters in November 2026, and if approved by a majority, would eliminate this registration requirement.

Senate2025-01-30

S10Introduced

Mobile Drivers Licenses

This bill requires North Carolina to issue mobile drivers licenses (digital versions on smartphones) as a supplement to physical licenses and recognizes mobile licenses from other states. It also mandates law enforcement training on how to interact with mobile license holders and clarifies that mobile licenses satisfy voting photo ID requirements.

Senate2025-01-30

S15Introduced

Adopt Bottlenose Dolphin/State Marine Mammal

This bill designates the bottlenose dolphin as North Carolina's official state marine mammal. The bottlenose dolphin is already common along North Carolina's coast and would join other state symbols like the cardinal (state bird) and flowering dogwood (state flower).

Senate2025-01-30

Norman Sanderson

Norman Sanderson

Sponsored Bills (20)

Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners Amendments

Coastal Regulatory Reform

Moratorium on New Coastal Fishing Regulations

Alternative Bridge Funding Formula

Environmental Management Commission Staffing

North Carolina Farm Act of 2025

Funds for Beaufort's Boat Docks

Funds for TEAPOT Project

Funds For Coastal Federation

Enhancing Ag. Opportunities in Rural NC

Upland Basin Permitting Reform

Teach Critical Thinking in Elementary

Clarifying Estuarine Waters AEC Under CAMA

Funds for Oyster Farming

New Health and DSS Building

Cape Carteret Capital Funds

Increase Small County Funding

Government Transparency Act of 2025

NC REACH Act

2nd Senatorial District Local Act-1

Cosponsored Bills (116)

Additional Medicaid Funds and Requirements

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium

GSC Update Funeral Board and DOI Licensing

Support the Dept. of Adult Correction.-AB

Public Workforce Modernization Act

2026 Appropriations Act

Rocky Mount/Louisburg Utility Rev./Advisory

Truth in Taxation

GSC Add Member from High Point Law School

North Carolina Border Protection Act

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Higher Ed

Dominique Moody Act

Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium

Streamline Adult Care Home Inspections

Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land

Pilot for Shoreline Stabilization Projects

Criminal Law Changes

Human Trafficking Omnibus

Lower Taxes for All NC

NC Right to Work Amendment

Constitutional Right to Farm

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

Students First Act

Repeal CON for ASCs and Inpatient Rehab

HALO Law

Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency

Lower Healthcare Costs

Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Military Counties

Add Home Schools to Opportunity Scholarships

City of New Bern Even-Year Elections

First Grade Reading Promise

Workforce Act of 2026

Mutual Aid/Tribal Police & Sheriff's Offices

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

Moratorium on New Coastal Fishing Regulations

The SAVE Act

Permit Self-Defense Devices on College Campus

2026 Appropriations Act

2026 Appropriations Act

2026 Appropriations Act

Screen Free Schools

Community-Based Pharmacy Protections

Licensing Certain Fire Safety Equipment

Innovations Waiver Tiers

Funds for Veterans/HBOT

Safe and Responsible AI in Schools Act

Cut State Gov. Jobs Vacant 24 Months or More

Nonprofit Fundraising Sales Tax Exemption

Home Dialysis Accessibility Act

America's Semiquincentennial License Plate

Teacher Licensure Modifications

Rio's Law

Tyler's Law

Luggage for Children Placed in Foster Care

Child. of Wartime Vets Sch'ship Funds & Flex