North Carolina Senate

Philip Berger

RepublicanSenator · District 26

phil.berger@ncleg.gov

Running for Reelection · November 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · Register to vote at ncsbe.gov

North Carolina Senate

Philip Berger

RepublicanSenator · District 26

phil.berger@ncleg.gov

Running for Reelection · November 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · Register to vote at ncsbe.gov

Bills Sponsored

Bills Cosponsored

691

Votes Cast

100%

Party Unity Score

Sponsored Bills (12)

S474Passed

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium

This bill adjusts which counties must delay using updated property values from 2026 reappraisals for tax purposes. For the 2026-2027 tax year, affected counties must use older property values instead of the new ones. The bill also prevents public service company property values from decreasing in these counties during the moratorium period.

Senate2026-07-08

S1074Passed

Eden/Mills River/Guilford Art 46 Local Act

This bill has three main parts: it allows the City of Eden to enter into a five-year agreement with Duke Energy where Duke Energy pays $1 million to avoid annexation of its Dan River Plant Property; it voids any unified development ordinances adopted by the Town of Mills River between June 30, 2025 and July 1, 2026; and it modifies how Guilford County distributes proceeds from a quarter-cent local sales tax, changing the allocation percentages for teacher supplements (73%), fire protection (19%), community college (8%), and municipalities (4%).

Senate2026-07-02

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

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

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

S769Passed

Honoring Elizabeth Hanford Dole

This is a Senate Resolution that honors Elizabeth Hanford Dole, a North Carolina native and former U.S. Senator, for her decades of public service in federal government, the American Red Cross, and her foundation supporting military caregivers. The resolution recognizes her pioneering role as a woman in leadership and her contributions to transportation safety, labor policy, and veteran support.

Senate2025-06-04

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

Cosponsored Bills (6)

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

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

S50Vetoed

Freedom to Carry NC

This bill allows North Carolina citizens age 18 and older to carry concealed handguns without a permit, while still offering optional permits for reciprocity when traveling to other states. The bill maintains restrictions for people ineligible to possess firearms (such as convicted felons, domestic violence offenders, and those adjudicated mentally ill), increases line-of-duty death benefits for law enforcement families from $100,000 to $150,000, enhances penalties for assaulting emergency and law enforcement personnel, creates new felony charges for felons possessing or discharging firearms during felonies, and establishes a scholarship program for children of permanently disabled or killed law enforcement and first responder officers.

Senate2026-04-06

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

Voting Record (691)

691

Votes Cast

653

Yea

Nay

98%

Participation

Yea
S225SenatePassed
Eddie Buffaloe/Secretary of DPS
2025-03-13
Yea
S261SenatePassed
Energy Security and Affordability Act
2025-03-13
Yea
S225SenatePassed
Eddie Buffaloe/Secretary of DPS
2025-03-13
Yea
S221SenatePassed
Confirm Pam Cashwell/Sec. N & CR
2025-03-13
Yea
S221SenatePassed
Confirm Pam Cashwell/Sec. N & CR
2025-03-13
Yea
S223SenatePassed
Expand Academic Trans. Pathways/Sophomore HS
2025-03-12
Yea
S59SenatePassed
Age 21 Hemp-Derived Consumables/Kratom
2025-03-12
Yea
S58SenatePassed
AG/Restrict Challenge to Presidential EOs
2025-03-11
Yea
S227SenatePassed
Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education
2025-03-11
Yea
S77SenatePassed
School Contracted Health Services
2025-03-11

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Philip Berger

Philip Berger

Sponsored Bills (12)

Adjust Counties/Reappraisal Moratorium

Eden/Mills River/Guilford Art 46 Local Act

North Carolina Border Protection Act

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Education

Eliminating "DEI" in Public Higher Ed

Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium

America's Semiquincentennial License Plate

Honoring Elizabeth Hanford Dole

School Calendar Flexibility:A New Alternative

LEO Special Separation Allowance Options

Energy Security and Affordability Act

26th Senatorial District Local Act-1

Cosponsored Bills (6)

Lower Taxes for All NC

NC Right to Work Amendment

Constitutional Right to Farm

Lower Healthcare Costs

Freedom to Carry NC

SCRIPT Act

Voting Record (691)