Bills

North Carolina General Assembly · 2025–2026 session

Showing 1537–1560 of 2,329 bills

S726Introduced

Funds for Westmoreland Road Interchange

Introduced by Mujtaba Mohammed

This bill allocates $9.5 million in one-time Highway Fund money to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for planning and design of a new interchange at Westmoreland Road on Interstate 77 (Exit 27) in Cornelius. The funds become available starting July 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-26
H507Introduced

The Children First Act

Introduced by Lindsey Prather

The Children First Act expands child care affordability and access through increased subsidies and grants, strengthens child health and safety protections including firearm storage laws and online safety requirements, raises tobacco/vaping age to 21, establishes a fetal and infant mortality review team, and funds workforce development programs for child care workers. The bill appropriates approximately $150+ million over the 2025-2027 biennium for these initiatives.

House2025-03-26
H510Introduced

Menstrual Equity for All Act

Introduced by Mary Belk

This bill removes the sales tax on menstrual products like tampons, pads, and menstrual cups, and establishes a $750,000 annual grant program to provide these products in schools. The tax exemption would apply to sales made on or after July 1, 2025.

House2025-03-26
S630Introduced

School Mental Health Support Act

Introduced by Woodson Bradley

This bill appropriates $50 million to create a School Mental Health Grant Program that funds mental health services in public schools, prioritizing schools serving students with limited access to care. It also appropriates $50 million for a Mental Health Worker Loan Repayment Program that provides up to 20% student debt repayment to mental health professionals working in economically disadvantaged areas of North Carolina.

Senate2025-03-26
S635Introduced

Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Leave

Introduced by Woodson Bradley

This bill requires North Carolina employers to provide employees with paid sick leave that accrues at a rate of one hour per 30 hours worked. Employees could use this time for their own illness, family member care, medical appointments, or situations involving domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Small businesses (10 or fewer employees) would be limited to 32 hours annually, while larger employers would provide up to 56 hours annually.

Senate2025-03-26
S478Introduced

Enhancing Ag. Opportunities in Rural NC

Introduced by Norman Sanderson

This bill allows banks to deduct interest, fees, and penalties they receive from agricultural loans from their state income taxes. The deduction applies to loans that are secured by agricultural land, beginning in 2025.

Senate2025-03-26
H511Introduced

Award Magistrates Salary Increases

Introduced by Ben Moss

This bill increases salaries for full-time magistrates in North Carolina effective July 1, 2025, and appropriates $11.5 million in recurring annual funds for the 2025-2027 fiscal period to pay for these increases. The salary table shows new pay ranges for magistrates at different experience levels, with entry-level positions increasing from $47,228 to $56,674 annually.

House2025-03-26
S534Introduced

Capital Project Funding at NCA&T/WSSU

Introduced by Gladys Robinson

This bill appropriates $237.5 million in state capital funding for two major building projects: $125 million for an Agricultural Research Classroom at North Carolina A&T State University and $112.5 million for a Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex at Winston-Salem State University. The funds come from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund and become available starting July 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-26
S573Introduced

Reform Animal Cruelty and Neglect laws

Introduced by Natalie Murdock

This bill strengthens North Carolina's animal cruelty laws by adding specific definitions and standards for adequate shelter and adequate space for animals, including detailed requirements for tethered animals. It also creates a new category of offense for companion animal hoarders and requires judges to mandate psychological evaluations and treatment for convicted hoarders.

Senate2025-03-26
S512Introduced

Adopt Official Hip Hop Song

Introduced by Kandie Smith

This bill would designate the song 'Raise Up' by North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo as the official hip hop song of North Carolina. The bill recognizes the state's significant contributions to hip hop music and the cultural importance of this particular song released in 2001.

Senate2025-03-26
S480Introduced

NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act

Introduced by Sophia Chitlik

This bill creates a new paid family leave insurance program in North Carolina, allowing eligible workers to take up to 12-26 weeks of paid leave per year for reasons including birth/adoption, serious health conditions, caring for family members, and military family situations. The program would be funded through employer payroll contributions starting January 1, 2026, with benefits beginning January 1, 2027, and would replace 90% of wages up to the state average weekly wage and 50% above that amount.

Senate2025-03-26
S586Introduced

Allergy Safe NC

Introduced by Sophia Chitlik

This bill requires North Carolina child care facilities to implement specific safety measures for children with food allergies, including training staff to administer epinephrine, establishing food service policies that limit allergen exposure, and requiring immediate notification to parents and emergency services if an allergic reaction occurs.

Senate2025-03-26
S609Introduced

Steele Creek Investment and Improvement Act

Introduced by DeAndrea Salvador

This bill appropriates $1.25 million in state funds for three projects in Mecklenburg County's Steele Creek community: $250,000 to a nonprofit for community health and wellness programs, $500,000 to the local fire and rescue service for equipment and facilities, and $500,000 to the Department of Transportation for a traffic study on Shopton Road West.

Senate2025-03-26
S643Introduced

Expand & Enhance the Teaching Fellows Program

Introduced by Paul Lowe

This bill expands and enhances the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program by increasing forgivable loan amounts from $5,000 to $6,000 per semester, adding $10 million in state funding, and restructuring loan forgiveness to require teachers to work in public schools for a period matching their years of support (with credit toward faster forgiveness for working in low-performing schools). The bill also emphasizes recruitment in high-need areas and adds new support services for program participants.

Senate2025-03-26
S523Introduced

Universal Basic Therapy Act

Introduced by Caleb Theodros

This bill establishes a pilot voucher program in five North Carolina counties to help low-income residents access mental health services like therapy, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management. The program allocates $25 million in state and federal funds to provide eligible individuals up to 10 free mental health visits annually, with priority given to veterans, young adults, law enforcement, teachers, and uninsured people. An independent commission will evaluate the pilot's success over time to determine if it should expand statewide.

Senate2025-03-26
S608Introduced

Revise Various Laws/Work 1st Cash Assistance

Introduced by Natalie Murdock

This bill expands North Carolina's Work First cash assistance program by including pregnant women as eligible recipients, increases the maximum income limits families can have to qualify, raises the monthly cash benefit amounts, sets resource limits at $5,000 with vehicle exclusions, and removes state-imposed time limits on assistance (keeping only federal limits).

Senate2025-03-26
S529Introduced

Second Chance Success Act

Introduced by Julie Mayfield

This bill prevents probation terms from being extended solely because someone fails to pay their $40 monthly probation supervision fee. It also removes language requiring the payment of certain criminal justice fees associated with community service and other probation conditions, though the supervision fee itself remains in place.

Senate2025-03-26
S522Introduced

Thrive at Midlife Act

Introduced by Caleb Theodros

The Thrive at Midlife Act expands healthcare access and affordability for North Carolina women ages 40-65 by requiring health insurance plans to cover essential midlife services (menopause care, cancer screenings, mental health services, etc.), establishing grant programs for uninsured women and small businesses, and creating tax credits for individuals and employers paying out-of-pocket midlife healthcare expenses. The bill also funds provider training programs, telehealth infrastructure, regional health hubs, public awareness campaigns, and establishes an advisory council to oversee implementation.

Senate2025-03-26
S571Introduced

MOMnibus 3.0

Introduced by Gladys Robinson

MOMnibus 3.0 is a comprehensive maternal health bill that establishes five new programs funded with $20.5 million over two years: grant programs for community organizations serving black women, a required implicit bias training program for perinatal healthcare providers, funding for lactation consultant training at historically black colleges and universities, perinatal education grants for underserved areas, and a mobile maternal health initiative called the Momni-Bus. The bill also establishes patient rights for perinatal care facilities and requires data collection on maternal mortality causes and rates.

Senate2025-03-26
S511Introduced

Informational Literacy in Schools

Introduced by Natalie Murdock

This bill requires North Carolina public schools to teach informational literacy—skills for finding, evaluating, and using information effectively—from kindergarten through grade 12. The State Board of Education must develop age-appropriate standards covering topics like research methods, distinguishing facts from opinions, and evaluating sources, with implementation beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

Senate2025-03-26
S680Introduced

Comprehensive Capital for Childcare Expansion

Introduced by Sophia Chitlik

This bill creates the North Carolina Child Care Finance Agency, a new state agency that would provide financing (loans, mortgages, and insurance) to help build, rehabilitate, and expand child care facilities across the state. The agency would be governed by a 12-member board with expertise in child care, construction, lending, and workforce needs, and would receive $20 million in initial state funding plus investment from the North Carolina Innovation Fund.

Senate2025-03-26
S516Introduced

Women's Safety and Protection Act

Introduced by Vickie Sawyer

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

Senate2025-03-26
S591Introduced

Revise Animal Fighting Laws

Introduced by Paul Lowe

This bill strengthens North Carolina's animal fighting laws by increasing penalties for cockfighting and dog fighting from Class I to Class H felonies, explicitly prohibiting minors from attending animal fighting events, and creating a new crime for possessing animal fighting equipment (like fighting pits, gaffs, or springpoles) with intent to facilitate fighting. The bill takes effect December 1, 2025.

Senate2025-03-26
S526Introduced

The Hands Free NC Act

Introduced by Kevin Corbin

The Hands Free NC Act makes it illegal for drivers to hold a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle on public roads, and prohibits watching videos or texting while driving. Drivers under 18 are completely banned from using wireless devices except for navigation and emergencies. The law creates a tiered penalty system starting at $100 for first violations and includes exceptions for emergency calls and first responders.

Senate2025-03-26