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Increase Medicaid PCS and PDN Rates

This bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for two types of home healthcare services in North Carolina: personal care services (PCS) to $7.50 per 15-minute increment and private duty nursing (PDN) services to $16.25 per 15-minute increment. The state would allocate $120.8 million and $20.1 million respectively from the General Fund, with matching federal funds, beginning in fiscal year 2026-2027.

Senate2026-05-06

S1054Introduced

No Child Left Unfed

This bill directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers who are legally operating but currently excluded from the program. The bill appropriates $150,000 for planning and $500,000 in recurring funds to support implementation, and requires annual reporting on participation and barriers.

Senate2026-05-06

S1045Introduced

Utility Profit Oversight Act

This bill requires the North Carolina Utilities Commission to obtain approval from the General Assembly before allowing electric utility rate increases that would raise a utility's authorized rate of return on equity. The bill also directs the Utilities Commission to study the cost of equity capital for electric utilities and report findings by January 1, 2027.

Senate2026-05-05

S1027Introduced

Extreme Heat/Ban Utility Disconnections

This bill prohibits utility companies and landlords from disconnecting electric and water service to residential customers during periods of extreme heat, extreme cold, or poor air quality. It also allows tenants to install portable cooling and air filtration devices in rental units unless specific safety or structural concerns apply, and requires landlords to offer deferred payment plans to customers affected by extreme weather events.

Senate2026-05-05

S1026Introduced

Power Bill Protection/Large Load Tariff

This bill creates a new regulatory framework for large electricity customers (those using 50+ megawatts) in North Carolina, requiring utilities to file special tariffs for these customers with long-term contracts, upfront infrastructure costs, and exit fees. It also establishes a surcharge on large customers to fund grid modernization projects that benefit other residents, requires utilities to report on grid planning, and mandates large customers report their energy and water usage annually.

Senate2026-05-05

S1005Introduced

We Need More Midwives Act

This bill establishes a Midwifery Education Grant Program that provides up to $20 million in state funding to University of North Carolina constituent institutions to create new certified nurse-midwife training programs. The program aims to increase the number of midwives available to provide prenatal, birth, and postpartum care across North Carolina, with priority given to historically Black colleges and universities and institutions near partner hospitals.

Senate2026-05-05

S971Introduced

Statewide Year-Round School Study

This bill directs the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to conduct a study examining whether North Carolina should implement a year-round school calendar statewide. The department must analyze educational outcomes, summer learning loss, testing, community impacts, employment, and other relevant factors, then report findings and recommendations to the legislature by February 1, 2027. The bill appropriates $50,000 to fund this study.

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

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

S950Introduced

School Meals for Every Child

This bill requires all public schools in North Carolina to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student. The state would appropriate $116 million annually starting in 2026-2027 to fund these meals, with the State Board of Education distributing funds to school districts based on factors like school size and number of low-income students.

Senate2026-05-04

S983Introduced

TIPs Tax Deduction

This bill allows North Carolina taxpayers to deduct tips from their state income tax calculations. Tips that are already reported to employers would no longer be counted as taxable income for state tax purposes, effective for tax years starting January 1, 2026.

Senate2026-05-04

S964Introduced

Expanded Acc. to Doulas and Midwives/BC Lic

This bill expands access to doula and midwifery services in North Carolina by requiring Medicaid to cover doula services during pregnancy and postpartum, establishing a licensing system for Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), and creating a licensure process for birth centers. The bill appropriates $1.55 million for implementation and support services.

Senate2026-05-04

S957Introduced

Portable-Scale Solar Energy Devices

This bill allows North Carolina residents to use small portable solar energy devices (up to 1.92 kilowatts) without needing utility company approval or paying installation fees, as long as the devices are primarily for personal use and have safety features. The bill also provides $100,000 in funding to expand the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors' public awareness program about electrical code requirements.

Senate2026-05-04

S949Introduced

Fully Fund School Psychologists & Counselors

This bill appropriates $359.3 million in annual state funding to hire additional school psychologists and counselors in North Carolina public schools. The goal is to achieve statewide ratios of at least one school psychologist per 700 students and one school counselor per 250 students, as called for in the Leandro education funding plan.

Senate2026-05-04

S973Introduced

DOA Agency Requests

This bill makes four operational changes to how North Carolina's Department of Administration manages state property and facilities. It requires quarterly reports on state-owned facilities needing repairs, allows faster sales of seized vehicles with low value, permits electronic signatures on property transactions, and expands options for advertising state property leases beyond just newspapers.

Senate2026-05-04

S954Introduced

Learning & Enrichment in Afterschool Programs

This bill establishes the Learning and Enrichment in Afterschool Programs (LEAP) Grant Program, which provides funding to community organizations, schools, and local governments to offer afterschool and summer youth activities. It creates an advisory council to guide the program and appropriates $19.5 million for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, with grants directed toward rural and underserved communities.

Senate2026-05-04

S997Introduced

Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU

This bill establishes the Nursing Fellows Program at Winston-Salem State University to provide forgivable loans to nursing students pursuing Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degrees in nursing. The program aims to recruit and support future nurses and nursing instructors in North Carolina, with loans forgiven through years of service in the state. The bill also appropriates $1.4 million for the program and $650,000 for nursing curriculum support services.

Senate2026-05-04

S1019Introduced

Grid Utilization

This bill requires North Carolina electric utilities to submit detailed reports analyzing how efficiently they use their existing power grid infrastructure and to propose ways to improve that efficiency through alternatives like energy storage and distributed generation. The Utilities Commission will evaluate these reports and set performance targets to help utilities better utilize current grid assets.

Senate2026-05-04

S956Introduced

Omnibus Life Sciences Appropriations

This bill appropriates $10 million for small business support and $2 million for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. It transfers the Advisory Council on Rare Diseases from UNC Chapel Hill to the Department of Health and Human Services, expands council membership from 15 to 19 members, and allocates $250,000 for its operations. The bill also creates a water/sewer economic development program for large manufacturers investing $2 billion and a $20 million Life Science and Biomanufacturing Technologies Reserve Fund to match federal grants.

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

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

S906Introduced

MOMnibus 3.5

MOMnibus 3.5 is a comprehensive maternal health bill that allocates $20.5 million to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly among Black women in North Carolina. It establishes grant programs for community organizations, requires implicit bias training for perinatal healthcare providers, funds lactation support training at historically Black colleges and universities, and creates a mobile health initiative to improve access to maternal care in underserved areas.

Senate2026-04-30

S945Introduced

Safe Camps Act

The Safe Camps Act establishes a statewide permitting and safety program for youth camps in North Carolina. It creates minimum health and safety requirements for youth camps, generally prohibits cabins in floodplains with limited exceptions, requires comprehensive emergency planning and warning systems, and mandates regular inspections. The bill also applies similar floodplain and emergency planning requirements to campgrounds.

Senate2026-04-30

S924Introduced

Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit

This bill restores North Carolina's state Earned Income Tax Credit, which expired in 2014. The credit would provide eligible low- to moderate-income working individuals a tax refund equal to 5% of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit they receive, with the credit becoming refundable starting in 2026.

Senate2026-04-30

S942Introduced

Reenact EITC

This bill reenacts North Carolina's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which had previously expired. The credit allows eligible working individuals to receive a state tax credit equal to a percentage of the federal EITC they qualify for, with the credit being refundable if it exceeds the taxpayer's state income tax liability.

Senate2026-04-30

S915Introduced

2026 Governor's Budget

This is North Carolina's budget bill for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It appropriates approximately $35.4 billion in General Fund spending for state operations, includes tax policy changes, sets employee salaries and compensation, funds K-12 and higher education, and authorizes capital improvement projects. The bill also modifies existing tax rates and creates new tax credits.

Senate2026-04-30

S899Introduced

School Mental Health Support Act

This bill establishes two programs to increase mental health support in North Carolina schools and recruit mental health workers to underserved areas. It appropriates $50 million for school mental health grants to public school units and $50 million for a loan repayment program for mental health professionals working in high-need areas.

Senate2026-04-30

S909Introduced

The BUMP Act

The BUMP Act directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to provide free, evidence-based educational materials on stillbirth prevention to all pregnant patients and training to prenatal care providers. It also appropriates $600,000 annually to fund these educational programs and launch a statewide 'Count the Kicks' campaign focusing on fetal movement monitoring, with priority given to areas with higher stillbirth rates.

Senate2026-04-30

S901Introduced

CFSS Gun Prsnt. for Grade 7 and 9 Students

This bill requires the Center for Safer Schools to develop an interactive presentation about the legal, medical, and emotional consequences of gun possession, gun violence, and gun safety for 7th and 9th grade students in North Carolina public schools. Local school districts must provide this presentation to all students in these grades, with parents given at least 14 days' notice and the option to opt their child out. The bill allocates $900,000 in state funding to support the program.

Senate2026-04-30

S850Introduced

Pay Teachers What They're Worth Act

This bill increases teacher salaries across North Carolina using a new monthly salary schedule for the 2026-2027 school year, reinstates education-based salary supplements for teachers with advanced degrees, establishes a $5,000 student teaching grant program to help future teachers during their training, and requires a study on long-term educator compensation strategies. The bill appropriates $1.693 billion in state funding for these initiatives.

Senate2026-04-29

S875Introduced

No Firearm Possession After DV Misdemeanors

This bill prohibits people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses from purchasing or possessing firearms. It expands the definition of domestic violence relationships to include intimate partners, and appropriates $1 million for a domestic violence education program.

Senate2026-04-29

S882Introduced

Reenact EITC

This bill reenacts North Carolina's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which expired in 2014. The credit would provide eligible working individuals a refundable state tax credit equal to a percentage of the federal EITC they claimed, with the credit taking effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Senate2026-04-29

S868Introduced

Medicaid Innovations Waiver Slot Expansion

This bill increases the number of available slots in North Carolina's Innovations waiver program by 1,000 slots, starting July 1, 2026. The bill appropriates $36.2 million in recurring funds to pay for these additional waiver slots.

Senate2026-04-29

S865Introduced

Restore Benefits to Educators/State Employees

This bill restores several benefits and compensation for North Carolina educators and state employees beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It reinstates education-based salary supplements for teachers, restores longevity payments (annual bonuses based on years of service), preserves retiree medical benefits for educators hired after January 1, 2021, and expands the NC Teaching Fellows Program to include one additional higher education institution.

Senate2026-04-29

S867Introduced

Increased Admin Fund for Medicaid

This bill appropriates $6.5 million in state funds to the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to help county departments of social services cover increased administrative costs in the Medicaid program. The funds are designated as nonrecurring (one-time) money and are exempted from certain standard funding requirement procedures.

Senate2026-04-29

S856Introduced

Const Amend: Legislative Terms/Compensation

This bill proposes five constitutional amendments to be voted on by North Carolina voters in November 2026. The amendments would: (1) tie legislators' salaries to teachers' average starting salary, (2) limit consecutive service to 16 years per chamber, (3) change State Senate elections from every 2 years to every 4 years, (4) cap legislative sessions at 120 days in odd years and 90 days in even years, and (5) withhold legislator pay if the state budget isn't passed by June 30.

Senate2026-04-29

S836Introduced

Domestic Violence Divorce Reform Act

This bill makes three main changes to North Carolina family law: it shortens the separation period required for divorce from one year to six months (with exceptions), allows domestic violence victims to divorce immediately without a separation period if they provide evidence, and eliminates the civil lawsuits for 'alienation of affection' and 'criminal conversation.' The bill also appropriates $3 million to expand family planning education programs.

Senate2026-04-28

S849Introduced

Real Tickets, Real Fans Act

This bill prohibits the use of bots to purchase tickets, bans the sale of speculative tickets (those not yet owned by the seller), and requires ticket sellers to clearly disclose total prices and seat locations. It also prevents deceptive marketing practices like using entertainer names or logos without permission, and establishes enforcement through the Attorney General with civil penalties up to $15,000 per day of violation.

Senate2026-04-28

S841Introduced

Garner/Town Manager Auth. Settle Claims

This bill increases the authority of Garner's town manager to settle certain claims against the town without town council approval. It raises the limit for personal injury and property damage claims from $100 to $10,000, adds authority to settle eminent domain claims up to budgeted amounts, and adds authority to settle claims for debts owed to the town up to $10,000.

Senate2026-04-28

S838Introduced

The Frontline Mental Health Support Act

This bill establishes the Frontline Mental Health Support Program to provide free, confidential mental health counseling services to teachers and first responders (including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 dispatchers, and correctional officers) in North Carolina. The bill appropriates $10 million to run the program and $3 million in grants to expand the behavioral health workforce to support it.

Senate2026-04-28

S831Introduced

25-Year Retirement for First Responders

This bill allows law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel in North Carolina to retire with full, unreduced benefits after 25 years of service instead of the current requirement of 30 years or age 55 with 5 years of service. The change applies to both state employees and local government employees and takes effect January 1, 2027.

Senate2026-04-27

S827Introduced

Hate Crimes Prevention Act

This bill expands North Carolina's hate crime laws by increasing penalties for crimes motivated by a victim's race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation. It also requires the State Bureau of Investigation to track hate crime statistics, mandates law enforcement training on identifying and reporting hate crimes, and requires prosecutor training on prosecuting hate crimes.

Senate2026-04-23

S826Introduced

Posting of State Costs

This bill requires state government entities—including state departments, UNC, the court system, and the General Assembly—to publicly report all their expenditures of $1 or more each month on their websites. The bill provides $300,000 in funding to help agencies implement these reporting requirements, with the new transparency system beginning in October 2026.

Senate2026-04-23

S802Introduced

Agency Vacant Property

This bill requires the Department of Administration to create a system for identifying, cataloging, and disposing of vacant and surplus state-owned properties. The bill establishes criteria for determining which properties are surplus, mandates that surplus properties be sold within six months or auctioned/transferred to local governments, and directs that sale proceeds be split between the state General Fund and property repair projects.

Senate2026-04-23

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

S378Engrossed

Align Medicaid Eligibility with Federal Law

This bill directs North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services to terminate Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its associated entities, and to arrange for other Medicaid providers to deliver services that Planned Parenthood currently provides.

Senate2025-10-23

S55Passed

Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons

This bill creates an expedited court process for property owners to remove people occupying residential property without legal authorization, such as unpaid squatters. The process requires a court hearing within 48 hours of filing, and if the property owner wins, the unauthorized person must vacate within 4 hours of the court order.

Senate2025-08-06

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

S77Passed

School Contracted Health Services

This bill allows parents to choose which nurse provides nursing services to their child if those services are required by the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), under specific conditions. The school district must use the parent's chosen nurse if the child previously received services from that nurse, the nurse is willing and qualified, the nursing agency meets standard contract requirements, and the cost is competitive with other contracted nurses.

Senate2025-07-01

S124Passed

State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization

This bill modernizes North Carolina's state hiring system by reducing educational barriers to state jobs, streamlining job applications, simplifying job postings, and giving state agencies more flexibility in recruiting, hiring, and compensating employees. It also allows agencies to hire temporary employees permanently and rehire qualified candidates from previous postings without reposting positions.

Senate2025-07-01

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

S345Engrossed

PA Team-Based Practice

This bill allows physician assistants (PAs) with significant experience to practice in team-based settings (like hospitals and clinics) without direct physician supervision, while maintaining some oversight for certain procedures. It also transfers regulation of nurse practitioners and nurse midwives from a joint Medical Board-Nursing Board subcommittee to the Board of Nursing alone, and increases physician assistant representation on the Medical Board from one to two members.

Senate2025-05-06

S357Engrossed

Pharmacists/Collaborative Practice

This bill expands the role of pharmacists in North Carolina by allowing them to work under collaborative practice agreements with physicians to manage drug therapy, modify dosages, and order tests. It also requires health insurance plans to cover pharmacist-provided healthcare services when performed within their scope of practice and applies these coverage requirements to third-party administrators and pharmacy benefits managers.

Senate2025-05-05

S89Introduced

AEDs and CPR in Schools

This bill requires all North Carolina public schools, charter schools, and participating nonpublic schools to install at least two automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in each school building and provide training to school staff on how to use them. The State Board of Education will establish rules for installation, maintenance, and training, and the bill appropriates $12 million to help schools purchase AEDs and train personnel.

Senate2025-05-01

S369Engrossed

Medicaid Telehealth Services

This bill allows telehealth providers who are licensed in North Carolina to become Medicaid providers without needing to have a physical office or location within the state. It applies to both individual providers and provider groups that exclusively offer telehealth services.

Senate2025-04-28

S190Engrossed

Physician Assistant Licensure Compact

This bill establishes a Physician Assistant Licensure Compact that allows PAs with unrestricted licenses in participating states to practice in other participating states through a 'Compact Privilege' without obtaining separate state licenses. The compact creates a national commission to coordinate PA licensure, maintain a shared data system for tracking licensing actions, and set uniform standards while allowing states to maintain their own scope-of-practice rules.

Senate2025-04-28

S335Engrossed

Pharmacists/Test and Treat/Influenza & Strep

This bill allows North Carolina pharmacists to test for and treat influenza and streptococcal infections using FDA-approved tests, and requires health insurance plans to cover pharmacist-provided services that would be covered if performed by other healthcare providers. The bill also requires insurers, pharmacy benefits managers, and third-party administrators to reimburse pharmacists fairly for services within their scope of practice.

Senate2025-04-15

S97Introduced

Support Firefighters Fighting Cancer

This bill adds stomach cancer to the list of cancers presumed to be occupationally related to firefighting under North Carolina's Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. When a firefighter dies from stomach cancer, their death will be legally presumed to have occurred in the line of duty, making their family eligible for death benefits. The bill allocates $500,000 annually for the 2025-2027 fiscal period to cover these benefits.

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

S482Introduced

Don't Tread on Me Act

This bill creates an Individual Freedoms Act that establishes protections against state surveillance, medical privacy requirements, parental authority in education and healthcare, fact-based education standards, and prohibitions on employment/housing discrimination based on political beliefs or medical history. The bill requires that any restrictions on these rights meet a 'compelling state interest' test and use narrowly tailored means.

Senate2025-03-26

S510Introduced

Menstrual Products Sales Tax Exemption

This bill removes the sales tax from menstrual products including tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and panty liners in North Carolina. The exemption would take effect October 1, 2025, and apply to all future sales of these products.

Senate2025-03-26

S486Introduced

Funds for NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature

This bill appropriates $30,000 per year for the 2025-2027 fiscal period to the Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Aging to support the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature. The funding becomes available starting July 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-26

S497Introduced

Expand Middle Housing

This bill requires North Carolina local governments to allow middle housing types (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, and townhouses) in all residential zones served by water or sewer systems. Local governments must use the same permitting process for middle housing as for single-family homes and cannot impose unreasonable restrictions that discourage their development.

Senate2025-03-26

S659Introduced

Investing in North Carolina Act

This bill appropriates funds to raise salaries for teachers, state employees, community college and university workers, and provides cost-of-living increases for retirees. It also expands the WAGE$ early childhood educator supplement program to all 100 North Carolina counties and creates a tax credit for small businesses with annual receipts of $8 million or less.

Senate2025-03-26

S708Introduced

Working Families Act

This bill makes multiple changes to support working families in North Carolina. It lowers copayments for subsidized child care from 10% to 7% of family income, restores a state child tax credit, increases the minimum wage to $15/hour starting September 1, 2025 and allows cities/counties to set higher local minimum wages, expands property tax relief for homeowners, creates a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers in public service jobs (teachers, police, firefighters, military, medics), and establishes a paid family and medical leave insurance program funded through employer and employee payroll contributions.

Senate2025-03-26

S714Introduced

Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Schools

This bill prohibits corporal punishment (physical pain inflicted as discipline) in North Carolina public schools statewide, effective in the 2025-2026 school year. It allows physical restraint and reasonable force in limited circumstances and requires schools to report data on corporal punishment use by student demographics.

Senate2025-03-26

S435Introduced

Restore Master's Pay for Teachers & ISP

This bill restores salary supplements for teachers and instructional support personnel who hold master's degrees or doctorates by bringing back a 2013 salary policy. It appropriates $8 million in state funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to pay these education-based bonuses.

Senate2025-03-25

S466Introduced

Ensure Continuity of Care in Tailored Plans

This bill allows people enrolled in North Carolina's BH IDD Tailored Plans (Medicaid managed care plans for behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disabilities) to have more flexibility in choosing their coverage. Specifically, it lets beneficiaries stay in traditional Medicaid fee-for-service if their current providers aren't in their plan's network, and it allows them to switch to tailored plans in other regions if those plans offer better services or providers. The state must request federal approval for these changes by July 1, 2025, and report back to lawmakers by August 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-25

S464Introduced

Inmate Medicaid Suspension/Team-Based Care

This bill requires North Carolina to develop a team-based Medicaid service for substance use disorder treatment that includes screening, medication, recovery support, and case management. It also changes policy so that incarcerated individuals have their Medicaid suspended rather than terminated, allowing them to quickly restart coverage upon release.

Senate2025-03-25

S440Introduced

2025 Governor's Budget

This is North Carolina's biennial budget bill appropriating funds for state government operations from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. It allocates approximately $34 billion in general funds annually, establishes funding for education, healthcare, transportation, corrections, and social services, and includes tax policy changes such as maintaining tax rates and creating new tax credits for working families and school supplies.

Senate2025-03-25

S406Introduced

Allow ERPOs to Prevent Suicides & Save Lives

This bill creates Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), which allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed to pose an imminent danger to themselves or others. Family members, law enforcement, health care providers, and others can petition district courts for these orders, which can last up to one year and be renewed. The bill also requires courts to order seizure of firearms from people who fail to surrender them after domestic violence protective orders.

Senate2025-03-25

S414Introduced

Pharmacists/Test and Treat

This bill expands pharmacists' authority to test for and treat certain illnesses (like flu, COVID-19, and strep throat) using FDA-approved tests, and requires health insurance plans to reimburse pharmacists for clinical services at the same rate as other healthcare providers when those services are performed within the pharmacist's scope of practice.

Senate2025-03-25

S426Introduced

Student Borrowers' Bill of Rights

This bill establishes a licensing and regulatory system for student loan servicers in North Carolina under the Commissioner of Banks, creates protections for student loan borrowers through a "Student Borrowers' Bill of Rights," and establishes a Student Loan Ombudsman position to assist borrowers and investigate complaints.

Senate2025-03-25

S362Introduced

Strengthen Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

This bill appropriates $1 million per year for the 2025-2027 fiscal years to strengthen North Carolina's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. The funding supports nine new Regional Ombudsman positions in Area Agencies on Aging, operational expenses, and directs a study on statutory changes needed to improve the program and its volunteer system.

Senate2025-03-24

S384Introduced

2025 Safe Drinking Water Act

This bill requires North Carolina's Commission for Public Health to establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for harmful chemicals in drinking water by October 15, 2025. The bill specifically mandates MCLs for PFAS, PFOA, PFOS, hexavalent chromium, and 1,4-Dioxane, and requires annual reviews to update standards based on the latest science.

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

S352Introduced

Community Health Center Grants for LARCs

This bill appropriates $2.5 million per year for fiscal years 2025-2027 to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to nonprofit community health centers. These centers would use the funds to purchase and distribute long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) to uninsured and low-income patients.

Senate2025-03-20

S351Introduced

Right to Start Act

This bill allows new corporations, S corporations, and business entities (like LLCs and partnerships) that are less than five years old and have net income under $5,000 to defer their state income taxes for one year. It also encourages state agencies to hire in-state contractors less than five years old and requires the Department of Administration to track and report data on contracts awarded to these newer contractors.

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

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

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

S265Introduced

Protecting Our Community Act

This bill creates a state regulatory system for hemp-derived consumable products (like delta-8 THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids) sold in North Carolina. It establishes licensing requirements for manufacturers, distributors, and sellers; sets testing and packaging standards; restricts sales to people under 21; and prohibits these products on school grounds.

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

S247Introduced

Redirect Crisis Pregnancy Center Funds

This bill redirects $6.25 million annually from state funding for crisis pregnancy centers to evidence-based maternal and infant health programs. It also requires the State Auditor to audit Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship and establishes detailed reporting requirements for crisis pregnancy centers that receive state funds, including information about services offered, staffing qualifications, and client demographics.

Senate2025-03-06

S239Introduced

Raise DSP Pay to $25 Per Hour

This bill aims to increase wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who work with Medicaid beneficiaries under North Carolina's Innovations waiver by $5 per hour in each of two fiscal years (2025-2026 and 2026-2027). Providers must use at least 90% of the rate increase to raise DSP wages, and the state will appropriate over $115 million in state funds and $210 million in federal funds for the first year to cover these costs.

Senate2025-03-06

S246Introduced

Create 13,000 Jobs Serving People With I/DD

This bill appropriates $134 million in state funds for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $357.3 million for 2026-2027 to add 10,000 new slots to North Carolina's Medicaid Innovations Waiver program, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The new slots would be distributed to local managed care organizations based on existing formulas, prioritizing people who have waited longest on the current 19,000-person waiting list, with a requirement that direct care workers be paid at least $20 per hour.

Senate2025-03-06

S181Introduced

Increase Funding for Mobile Crisis Units

This bill appropriates $2 million annually for the 2025-2027 fiscal years to the Department of Health and Human Services to establish five new mobile crisis units that provide mental health and substance use response services, with priority given to areas with the greatest need.

Senate2025-03-06

S150Passed

Confirm Joey Hopkins/Sec. of DOT

This Senate resolution confirms Joey R. Hopkins as Secretary of the Department of Transportation for North Carolina. The resolution was adopted on March 5, 2025, and becomes effective immediately upon passage.

Senate2025-03-05

S200Introduced

Housing Support for Hurricane Impacted Areas

This bill appropriates $150 million in state funds to the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to help residents in counties affected by Hurricane Helene rebuild and repair their homes. The money will be distributed according to existing state housing trust fund rules in federally-declared disaster areas.

Senate2025-03-03

S199Introduced

Home Ownership Market Manipulation

This bill prohibits business entities (including corporations, LLCs, and partnerships) from purchasing single-family homes for rental purposes in North Carolina counties with populations over 150,000 if that entity and its affiliates already own 100 or more single-family rental homes. The Attorney General, county commissioners, and affected individuals can enforce the law through civil actions with penalties up to $100 per day per home, plus potential damages and attorney fees.

Senate2025-03-03

S218Introduced

Increase Access for Small Employers/Insurance

This bill allows small employers with fewer than 5 employees (instead of the current 12) to purchase stop loss, catastrophic, and reinsurance coverage. These insurance products help protect small businesses from extremely high medical claims costs. The bill maintains existing safeguards around attachment points and claim thresholds to prevent the coverage from being used as primary health insurance.

Senate2025-03-03

S135Introduced

Expand Homestead Exclusion Inc. Elig. Limit

This bill increases the income eligibility limit for North Carolina's elderly or disabled property tax homestead exclusion from $25,000 to $48,000, effective July 1, 2025. After 2026, the limit will adjust annually based on Social Security cost-of-living adjustments.

Senate2025-02-25

S128Introduced

Heroes Homestead Act

This bill increases the property tax homestead exclusion for disabled veterans in North Carolina from $45,000 to $76,500 of their home's appraised value. This means disabled veterans would pay property taxes on a smaller portion of their home's value, resulting in lower tax bills starting in 2026.

Senate2025-02-24

S107Introduced

Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act

This bill changes how North Carolina elects judges by returning to nonpartisan elections (without party labels) for Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, superior court, and district court judges. It also reestablishes a public campaign financing system for judicial candidates who voluntarily accept spending limits and demonstrate public support through small donations.

Senate2025-02-18

S83Introduced

Extend Primary Care Task Force

This bill extends the Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force deadline from May 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026, giving the group additional time to study primary care spending and delivery in North Carolina. It also adds requirements for data security protections and clarifies that the task force can collect healthcare spending data from insurance companies and Medicaid programs to inform recommendations about primary care payment reform.

Senate2025-02-12

S57Introduced

Workers' Comp/Pay for Hearing Aids & Glasses

This bill amends North Carolina's workers' compensation law to clarify that damage to eyeglasses and hearing aids can be covered if the damage occurs as a side effect of a compensable work injury. Previously, the law required damage to these devices to be directly caused by a work accident; this change allows coverage when the damage is 'incidental to' rather than the direct result of a workplace injury.

Senate2025-02-06

S20Introduced

Prohibiting Certain Mass Balloon Releases

This bill makes it illegal in North Carolina for people to organize or participate in mass balloon releases into the atmosphere. Violators would face a $250 fine as an infraction. The bill exempts balloons released for scientific or meteorological purposes by government agencies and hot air balloons that are recovered after launching.

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

Gale Adcock

Gale Adcock

Sponsored Bills (22)

Medicaid Rebase

Modernize Medicaid Primary Care Rates

Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC

North Carolina Work and Save

Health Information Exchange Act Revisions

Medicaid Rates/Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Needle Free Epinephrine for Schoolchildren

APRN Definitions

Medicaid SUD Services Rate Adjustment Act

Parity Enhancement for Addiction Recovery

Opt-In to Student Health

Revise Child Passenger Restraint System Law

Hospital Petition/Discharge Incapable Adults

Increase Medicaid PCS and PDN Rates

Healthy Students - A Nurse in Every School

Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU

Protect Youth From Harms of Vaping & Nicotine

NC Board of Nursing Licensure Fees

Safeguard Health Ins. Utilization Reviews

Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Multiple Counties

SchCalFlex/Wake/CC

16th Senatorial District Local Act-1

Cosponsored Bills (101)

Nathaniel Denny; NC Dept I.T

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

Repeal STI Cap on Light Rail/Fund Rail Safety

Increase Medicaid PCS and PDN Rates

No Child Left Unfed

Utility Profit Oversight Act

Extreme Heat/Ban Utility Disconnections

Power Bill Protection/Large Load Tariff

We Need More Midwives Act

Statewide Year-Round School Study

Workforce Act of 2026

First Grade Reading Promise

School Meals for Every Child

TIPs Tax Deduction

Expanded Acc. to Doulas and Midwives/BC Lic

Portable-Scale Solar Energy Devices

Fully Fund School Psychologists & Counselors

DOA Agency Requests

Learning & Enrichment in Afterschool Programs

Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU

Grid Utilization

Omnibus Life Sciences Appropriations

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

The SAVE Act

MOMnibus 3.5

Safe Camps Act

Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit

Reenact EITC

2026 Governor's Budget

School Mental Health Support Act

The BUMP Act

CFSS Gun Prsnt. for Grade 7 and 9 Students

Pay Teachers What They're Worth Act

No Firearm Possession After DV Misdemeanors

Reenact EITC

Medicaid Innovations Waiver Slot Expansion

Restore Benefits to Educators/State Employees

Increased Admin Fund for Medicaid

Const Amend: Legislative Terms/Compensation

Domestic Violence Divorce Reform Act

Real Tickets, Real Fans Act

Garner/Town Manager Auth. Settle Claims

The Frontline Mental Health Support Act

25-Year Retirement for First Responders

Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Posting of State Costs

Agency Vacant Property

Hands Free NC

Align Medicaid Eligibility with Federal Law

Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons

The Law and Order Act

School Contracted Health Services

State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization

Const Amend - Disaster Relief Emolument Excpt