NCPoliSearch — NC Legislation Made Simple

Community Scale Weatherization + Health

This bill expands North Carolina's Weatherization Assistance Program to include health and safety improvements for low-income households and allows for community-scale projects that serve multiple homes in the same area. The bill appropriates $10 million in state funding and requires the Department of Environmental Quality to adopt rules for implementing these expanded services.

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

S1056Introduced

NC Small Business Capital & Jobs Act

This bill establishes the North Carolina Small Business Capital Access Program, a comprehensive initiative to help small businesses and companies in underserved communities access funding through loan guarantees, direct investments, technical assistance, and other support mechanisms. The bill creates a new Office of Small Business Capital Access within the Department of Commerce, an oversight board, and a $50 million fund to implement six main program components. It also modifies state tax credit laws to provide incentives for investments in eligible businesses that receive assistance from the program.

Senate2026-05-05

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

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

S1043Introduced

2026 Water Safety Act

This bill creates a comprehensive water safety initiative focused on addressing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and 1,4-dioxane contamination. It establishes funding for mitigation grants to water systems, research programs, drinking water standards, industrial discharge limits, a moratorium on certain water transfers from the Cape Fear River Basin, and studies on water supply sustainability and wastewater treatment impacts.

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

S895Introduced

Nonprofit Hospitals Tax Exemption

This bill modifies how nonprofit hospitals receive property tax and sales tax exemptions in North Carolina. Instead of exempting all hospital property from taxes, the bill limits exemptions to an amount equal to the actual cost of charity care the hospital provides to low-income uninsured and underinsured patients (those earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level).

Senate2026-04-30

S922Introduced

Fund International Black Theatre Festival

This bill appropriates $200,000 in state funds to the City of Winston-Salem to support the planning and operations of the International Black Theatre Festival scheduled for July and August 2026. The money comes from the General Fund and is designated as a one-time grant for that specific fiscal year.

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

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

S898Introduced

Citizens' Tax Relief Circuit Breaker Mods

This bill appropriates $250,000 to help counties advertise North Carolina's property tax relief programs and modifies the Property Tax Homestead Circuit Breaker program by raising the income eligibility limit to $45,000 (with an additional allowance for married couples) and adjusting it annually for cost-of-living increases.

Senate2026-04-30

S897Introduced

NC CROWN Act

The NC CROWN Act expands North Carolina's employment discrimination law to explicitly prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on natural hairstyles and hair characteristics associated with race, including braids, locks, twists, and bantu knots. The bill also adds protections against retaliation for employees who report violations and provides $100,000 in funding for employer and employee education.

Senate2026-04-30

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

S693Engrossed

Veteran Access, Liberty, Options for Recovery

This bill regulates how people can charge fees for helping veterans navigate benefits claims. It limits contingency fees to five times the monthly benefit increase, prohibits upfront charges, requires written agreements with specific disclosures, and bans aggressive solicitation and deceptive guarantees. Attorneys licensed in North Carolina are exempt from these restrictions.

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

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

S825Introduced

School-Based Complaint/SROs

This bill defines what a school resource officer (SRO) is in North Carolina and requires all SROs to complete specific training in mental health, disabilities, racial equity, and de-escalation. It also requires that complaints about student misconduct filed by SROs must be approved by a school administrator or social worker before going to juvenile court. The bill provides $1 million in grants to help schools cover costs related to these new requirements.

Senate2026-04-23

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

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

S799Introduced

Restore State Emp/Teacher Retiree Med Benefit

This bill restores medical benefits for state employees and teachers who began service on or after January 1, 2021, preventing their elimination under state retirement systems. The bill repeals previous language that would have ended these retiree medical benefits and allocates $2 million in state funding to cover the increased costs of maintaining these benefits.

Senate2026-04-23

S780Introduced

Modernize Medicaid Primary Care Rates

This bill appropriates $48 million in state funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services in North Carolina to match Medicare rates, effective July 1, 2026. The increased payments would apply to primary care services as defined by the state's Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force.

Senate2026-04-23

S805Introduced

Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC

This bill appropriates $80 million in recurring state funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services, which have not been meaningfully increased since 2008. The goal is to encourage more dentists to accept Medicaid patients and improve access to oral health care for low-income North Carolinians.

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

S795Introduced

Modify Taxation of 1031 Exchanges

This bill modifies how North Carolina taxes 1031 exchanges, which allow property owners to defer federal taxes when exchanging one investment property for another. The bill allows taxpayers to deduct from their North Carolina state income any gains from non-like-kind property received in a 1031 exchange, up to the amount of their original investment basis in the property sold.

Senate2026-04-22

S790Introduced

Small Business Capital Improvement Account

This bill allows small businesses in North Carolina (those with annual gross receipts under $10 million) to deduct a portion of revenue from state income taxes if they deposit that money into a designated capital improvement account for property upgrades. The deduction is tiered: 5% of income up to $1 million, 2% between $1-2 million, and 1% between $2-3 million, with unused funds being added back to taxable income.

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

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

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

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

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

S579Introduced

Transforming the High School Experience

This bill establishes a High School Redesign Commission to study ways to better prepare students for college and careers, and creates four pilot programs in North Carolina schools using competency-based education (learning measured by skills mastery rather than time spent in class). The bill also funds evaluations of these programs through 2030.

Senate2025-04-30

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

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

S507Engrossed

Auto Enrollment in Advanced ELA Courses

This bill expands North Carolina's automatic enrollment policy for advanced courses to include English Language Arts (ELA) in addition to mathematics. Students who score at the highest level on end-of-grade or end-of-course tests will be automatically enrolled in advanced ELA courses for the next school year, unless parents provide written consent to opt out. The bill also requires the Department of Public Instruction to report data on student demographics and socioeconomic status in advanced course placements.

Senate2025-04-14

S508Introduced

LL to CPL/Apprenticeship Program

This bill creates a Teacher Apprenticeship Program that allows people with bachelor's degrees to work as paid apprentices in classrooms while earning teaching credentials, removes the exam requirement for converting limited teaching licenses to continuing professional licenses for teachers with positive student growth data, and directs university and community college systems to develop an expedited pathway for high school students to enter teaching.

Senate2025-04-09

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

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

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

S580Introduced

Competency-Based Education Grant Program

This bill establishes a grant program to help North Carolina schools transition to competency-based education (CBE), where students progress based on demonstrated mastery rather than seat time. The program will award $330,000 grants to 10 participating schools over a four-year period (2025-2029), provide professional development and resources, and create a statewide network to develop proficiency scales and share best practices.

Senate2025-04-01

S634Introduced

Kayla's Act: Protecting Dom. Violence Victims

Kayla's Act modifies North Carolina's domestic violence laws in three main ways: it allows statements from witnesses who were prevented from testifying by the accused to be used as evidence in court; it extends the statute of limitations for certain domestic violence misdemeanors to 10 years; and it permits domestic violence victims to testify remotely (outside the defendant's physical presence) in criminal proceedings when certain conditions are met.

Val Applewhite

Val Applewhite

Sponsored Bills (29)

Protect Moms Who Serve

Milit. Sexual Trauma/Study Comm./Pilot Prog

Military Family Food Security & Readiness Act

School Meals for Every Child

Ban Online For-Profit Charters

The Ciji Graham Act

Living Wage Guarantee Act

Save More Tatas Act

Lead. Invest. Families/Foster Teen Act (LIFT)

Taskforce on Missing BIPOC Women

Investing in North Carolina Act

Honoring Sacrifice: NC Veterans Relief Act

Protect Moms Who Serve

Working Families Act

Fair Districts Stronger Democracy Act

Prison Reform Omnibus

Moratorium on Opportunity Scholarships

Disaster Relief Eviction Moratorium Act

Ban Ghost Guns & Undetectable Firearms

Reallocate Civil War & Reconst. Hist Ctr Fnds

Home Comfort Act

NC Farmland and Military Protection Act

Student Health and Responsibility Act

2025 Safe Drinking Water Act

Budgeting Accountability and Transparency

Make Corporations Pay What They Owe

Reenact the Earned Income Tax Credit

The Jenesis Firearm Accountability Act

19th Senatorial District Local Act-1

Cosponsored Bills (111)

Address Confidentiality/Study & DL

Charitable Orgs. Privacy Protection Act

Community College Workforce Readiness Act

Community Scale Weatherization + Health

Workforce Act of 2026

NC Small Business Capital & Jobs Act

Utility Profit Oversight Act

Grid Utilization

2026 Water Safety Act

Family Support for Those Who Serve Act

Nonprofit Hospitals Tax Exemption

Fund International Black Theatre Festival

2026 Governor's Budget

CFSS Gun Prsnt. for Grade 7 and 9 Students

Citizens' Tax Relief Circuit Breaker Mods

NC CROWN Act

Funds for Veterans/HBOT

Veteran Access, Liberty, Options for Recovery

Medicaid Innovations Waiver Slot Expansion

Luggage for Children Placed in Foster Care

School-Based Complaint/SROs

Child. of Wartime Vets Sch'ship Funds & Flex

Agency Vacant Property

Restore State Emp/Teacher Retiree Med Benefit

Modernize Medicaid Primary Care Rates

Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC

Hands Free NC

Modify Taxation of 1031 Exchanges

Small Business Capital Improvement Account

Align Medicaid Eligibility with Federal Law

Military and Veteran Support Act

Allow Lottery Winners To Be Confidential

AEDs and CPR in Schools

North Carolina Work and Save

Transforming the High School Experience

Medicaid Telehealth Services

Confirm McKinley Wooten, Sec. of Rev

Auto Enrollment in Advanced ELA Courses

LL to CPL/Apprenticeship Program

Gabriel Esparza/Secretary of DOA

Protecting First Responders Act

Support Firefighters Fighting Cancer

Competency-Based Education Grant Program

Kayla's Act: Protecting Dom. Violence Victims

Allow Housing Near Jobs

NC Farmland and Military Protection Act

Menstrual Products Sales Tax Exemption