NCPoliSearch — NC Legislation Made Simple

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

S375Passed

Harrison's Law

Harrison's Law makes two main changes to North Carolina law. First, it strengthens penalties for hazing by making it a Class 2 A1 misdemeanor for students who haze and a Class I felony for school staff who engage in or enable hazing, while expanding the definition to include serious psychological injury. Second, it requires local school boards to publish detailed compensation and position information for central office employees on their websites by August 15, 2025, and annually thereafter.

Senate2025-07-09

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

S402Engrossed

Allow Lottery Winners To Be Confidential

This bill allows North Carolina lottery winners who win $5 million or more to request that their identity be kept confidential for 90 days after claiming their prize. The winner's name and identifying information would be protected from public disclosure during this period, though certain government agencies (like the IRS and state tax authorities) and debt collection programs would still have access as required by law.

Senate2025-06-24

S110Introduced

North Carolina Work and Save

This bill creates the North Carolina Work and Save Program, a state-facilitated retirement savings program for small business employees, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors who lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. The program uses payroll deduction to help workers save through individual retirement accounts (IRAs), modeled after successful public-private partnership structures like the NC 529 College Savings Program.

Senate2025-05-01

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

S760Passed

Confirm Lee Lilley, Sec. of Commerce

This Senate resolution confirms Lee Lilley as Secretary of the Department of Commerce, the state agency responsible for economic development, business regulation, and workforce programs in North Carolina. The confirmation requires Senate approval of the Governor's Cabinet appointment.

Senate2025-04-17

S372Passed

Confirm McKinley Wooten, Sec. of Rev

This Senate resolution confirms McKinley Wooten, Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Revenue for North Carolina. The Secretary oversees the state agency responsible for tax collection, revenue administration, and related fiscal operations. This confirmation allows Wooten to officially assume the leadership role.

Senate2025-04-17

S260Passed

Confirm Dr. Devdutta Sangvai/DHHS

This Senate Resolution confirms Dr. Devdutta Sangvai as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the state agency overseeing health, mental health, social services, and child welfare programs. The confirmation requires Senate approval and, once adopted, makes Dr. Sangvai the head of this cabinet-level department.

Senate2025-04-03

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

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

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

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

S491Introduced

NC Debt Settlement Services Act

This bill creates a new licensing and regulatory framework for debt settlement services in North Carolina under the State Banking Commission. It requires companies that negotiate with creditors to reduce or forgive debts to obtain a license, maintain a $1 million surety bond, comply with specific business practices, and undergo regular examinations. The bill exempts banks, credit unions, lawyers, and nonprofit credit counseling organizations.

Senate2025-03-26

S649Introduced

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, using the pay policy that was in effect on June 30, 2013. The bill appropriates $8 million in state funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to implement these education-based salary increases.

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

S517Introduced

Fair Pricing & Trnspncy/340B Covered Entities

This bill establishes two requirements for North Carolina hospitals and other entities participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program. First, it prohibits these covered entities from charging patients more than their actual acquisition cost when dispensing drugs purchased at 340B discounted prices. Second, it requires covered entities to annually report detailed information about their 340B drug purchases, pricing, patient assistance programs, and third-party payments to the state Department of Health and Human Services, with reports made public online.

Senate2025-03-26

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

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

S313Introduced

Supporting Small Farmers for NC's Future Act

This bill establishes a Small Farmers Support Grant Program that provides financial grants to North Carolina farmers with gross cash farm income of $1 million or less. The program, funded with $15 million in state money for 2025-2026, aims to help small farmers purchase equipment, inputs, and make operational improvements to remain viable.

Senate2025-03-25

S471Introduced

Horse Race Wagering Modifications

This bill legalizes and regulates pari-mutuel wagering on horse races in North Carolina. It creates a licensing system for horse racing tracks and online wagering platforms, establishes taxes on wagering revenue, and creates funds to support the state's equine industry including horse breeding incentives, purses for races, and horse care programs.

Senate2025-03-25

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

S366Introduced

Increase Medicaid PCS and PDN Rates

This bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for two types of in-home health services: personal care services (to $7.50 per 15-minute increment) and private duty nursing services (to $16.25 per 15-minute increment). The bill appropriates approximately $139 million in state funds over two years, which will also unlock approximately $254 million in federal matching funds, with these rate increases taking effect July 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-24

S358Introduced

Hate Crimes Prevention Act

This bill expands North Carolina's hate crimes laws by broadening the characteristics that qualify a crime as a hate crime (adding gender identity, gender expression, and disability to existing protections), increasing criminal penalties for hate crimes, creating a state database to track hate crime statistics, and requiring law enforcement and prosecutors to receive training on identifying and prosecuting hate crimes.

Senate2025-03-24

S360Introduced

Healthy Students - A Nurse in Every School

This bill requires every public school in North Carolina to have at least one full-time, permanent school nurse starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill applies to traditional public schools, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools, and appropriates $95 million in state funding to help schools meet this requirement.

Senate2025-03-24

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

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

S240Introduced

Establish NCSTARS Grant Program

This bill establishes the NCSTARS Grant Program, which provides up to $500,000 per year to three community colleges that partner with public schools and local employers to create work-based learning programs in apprenticeships and preapprenticeships for students 16 and older. The program runs from 2026-2029 with $4.75 million in state funding and requires participants to secure local matching funds.

Senate2025-03-06

S231Introduced

State Surplus Property/Third-Party Auctions

This bill allows North Carolina state agencies to sell surplus state property through third-party auction services instead of only through the state's own system. Agencies must request approval from the State Surplus Property Agency, which can only deny the request if the auction service has licensing problems, is debarred from state contracts, or charges fees exceeding 8% of the sale price. The bill establishes procedures for listing items, setting minimum bids, and requires agencies to report annually on their use of third-party auctions.

Senate2025-03-06

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

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

S154Introduced

NC CROWN Act

The NC CROWN Act prohibits employers in North Carolina from discriminating against employees or job applicants based on natural hairstyles and hair characteristics associated with race, such as braids, locks, twists, and bantu knots. The bill expands the definition of race-based discrimination to explicitly include hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles as protected characteristics under state employment law.

Senate2025-02-25

S143Introduced

Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption

This bill expands the disabled veteran property tax homestead exclusion in North Carolina by increasing the excluded property value from an unspecified amount to $45,000. This means disabled veterans who own and occupy their primary residence can exclude the first $45,000 of their home's appraised value from property taxation, effective for tax years beginning July 1, 2025.

Senate2025-02-25

S129Introduced

Booking Photograph Privacy Act

This bill makes booking photographs (images taken by law enforcement when someone is arrested or booked into jail) confidential and not accessible to the public. Law enforcement agencies would be prohibited from publishing or releasing these photos, with limited exceptions for missing person investigations or when a court orders release for immediate law enforcement needs.

Senate2025-02-24

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

S109Introduced

Veterans Appreciation Act

This bill expands the property tax homestead exclusion for disabled veterans in North Carolina by allowing them to exclude not only the first $45,000 of their home's appraised value, but also any additional value added by VA-funded housing adaptations for service-connected disabilities. The bill also creates a prequalification process that allows disabled veterans to qualify for this tax benefit before they purchase a home, which can help them and lenders determine affordability.

Senate2025-02-18

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

S24Engrossed

Govt Mandates Increase Healthcare Costs

This bill requires that any new state legislation creating health insurance mandates (such as requiring coverage of specific treatments or services) must also repeal an equal number of existing mandates and appropriate funds to cover the new mandate's cost. It applies to both private health insurance plans and the state employee health plan, with an exception if an actuarial analysis shows a mandate would actually decrease costs.

Senate2025-02-17

S99Introduced

Extended-Year Teacher Contracts

This bill requires North Carolina public schools to offer extended 11-month contracts (instead of standard 10-month contracts) to initially licensed teachers and teachers in low-performing schools, while offering optional 11-month contracts to mentor teachers and veteran teachers. The bill allocates $310 million in state funding to cover the cost of these extended contracts, with participating teachers assigned additional duties such as professional development, mentoring, or extended school year instruction.

Senate2025-02-17

S98Introduced

Funds for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

This bill appropriates $1.5 million per year for the 2025-2027 fiscal years to fund Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in North Carolina. The Imagination Library is an early literacy program that mails age-appropriate books to registered children monthly through the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.

Senate2025-02-17

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

S62Introduced

Nonprofit Fundraising Sales Tax Exemption

This bill expands sales tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations by allowing certain 501(c)(3) nonprofits to purchase goods and services without paying sales tax, and exempts admission charges for nonprofit fundraising events from entertainment tax. The bill sets annual caps on the total tax exemptions ($31.7 million statewide and $13.3 million for local taxes) and establishes an application process for nonprofits to obtain exemption certificates.

Senate2025-02-10

S65Introduced

Restore Down-Zoning/Buncombe Co

This bill restores Buncombe County's ability to initiate down-zoning (reducing allowed development density or permitted uses on properties) without obtaining written consent from all affected property owners. It reverses a restriction that was added in December 2024, allowing the local government to enact down-zoning on its own authority while still requiring owner consent for down-zoning initiated by others.

Senate2025-02-10

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

S56Introduced

Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I

This bill establishes the legal framework for the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I, which addresses recovery efforts in North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene following a presidential major disaster declaration. The bill expresses the General Assembly's intent to transfer funds from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund (SERDRF) to the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund to support relief and recovery assistance.

Senate2025-02-06

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

S27Introduced

Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Multiple Counties

This bill restores the ability of local governments in 10 northeastern North Carolina counties to initiate down-zoning (reducing development density or permitted uses on property) without requiring written consent from all affected property owners. A recent state law required such consent; this bill carves out an exception allowing local governments to proceed on their own.

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

Paul Lowe

Paul Lowe

Sponsored Bills (50)

Commuter Transportation Study/Piedmont Triad

State Digital Asset Payments Study Act

Constitutional Amendments - Cannabis

Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU

Funds for Goodwill Industries

Funds for YMCA REACH and Robinhood

Funds for Winston-Salem Urban League

Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit

Winston-Salem/Forsyth Joint EOC Funds

Funds for Smart Start of Forsyth County

Smith Reynolds Airport Hangar Improvements

Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Planning & Zoning

32nd Senatorial District Local Act-1

Traffic Signal Preemption Software

Funds for Forsyth Tech Boost

Forsyth County Affordable Housing Funding

Funds for Brenner Children's Hospital

Fund International Black Theatre Festival

SNAP Administrative Funding/Forsyth County

Forsyth Tech First Responder Funding

Save SNAP Act

Cure Violence Program Grant

Increased Admin Fund for Medicaid

Medicaid Innovations Waiver Slot Expansion

Reduce County Share/SA In-Home Program

Expand & Enhance the Teaching Fellows Program

SAVE Students Act

Put Money to Work in Communities Act

An Act for Better Education

Capital Project Funding at NCA&T/WSSU

Revise Animal Fighting Laws

North Carolina CARDINAL Corps Act

Lasting Economic and Academic Prosperity Act

Western NC Support; Expand Comm. Eco. Dev

Capital Project Funding at HBCUs

Secure Home, Secure Future Act

Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act

Film and Entertainment Grant Fund Mods

Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU

Expand Sickle Cell Disease Programs & Svcs

Funds for Smith Reynolds Airport MRO Hangar

Commuter Rail Study/Piedmont Triad

Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit

Funds for Smith Reynolds Airport MRO Hangar

Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Planning & Zoning

Funds for Ladder Truck for WS Fire Station 19

Winston-Salem Civil Service Board

System Development Fees/Exemption

32nd Senatorial District Local Act-1

Restore Down-Zoning/Forsyth Co

Cosponsored Bills (54)

Real Tickets, Real Fans Act

Align Medicaid Eligibility with Federal Law

Realign Congressional Districts 2025

Military and Veteran Support Act

Harrison's Law

State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization

Allow Lottery Winners To Be Confidential

North Carolina Work and Save

AEDs and CPR in Schools

Medicaid Telehealth Services

Confirm Lee Lilley, Sec. of Commerce

Confirm McKinley Wooten, Sec. of Rev

Confirm Dr. Devdutta Sangvai/DHHS

Support Firefighters Fighting Cancer

Protecting First Responders Act

Social Media Control in IT Act

Don't Tread on Me Act

Funds for NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature

NC Debt Settlement Services Act

Restore Master's Pay for Teachers & ISP

Investing in North Carolina Act

Working Families Act

Fair Pricing & Trnspncy/340B Covered Entities

APRN Definitions

Revive High-Need Retired Teachers Program

Supporting Small Farmers for NC's Future Act