Heather Rhyne
Election Day: November 3, 2026 · Register to vote at ncsbe.gov
Sponsored Bills (39)
Home-Based Business Fairness Act
This bill prevents North Carolina cities from banning 'no-impact home-based businesses'—small businesses run from home that don't generate extra traffic, parking, or street visibility. Cities can still enforce health and safety rules and can prohibit certain illegal activities, but they cannot require permits, licenses, or rezoning for qualifying home businesses.
Modify Nonprofit Corp. Act/Charitable Org
This bill makes several changes to North Carolina's nonprofit corporation laws. It allows charitable and religious nonprofits to merge with certain limited liability companies, requires all nonprofits to file annual reports with the Secretary of State, permits nonprofits to change their state of incorporation (domestication), allows nonprofits to have just one director instead of three, and aligns state disclosure rules for charitable organizations with federal tax requirements.
Physical Therapy Practice Act Mods
This bill modernizes North Carolina's physical therapy licensing laws by updating accreditation agency references, adjusting the Board composition, modifying license renewal deadlines, clarifying disciplinary procedures, and adding new provisions for continuing competence assessments and criminal background checks.
Voluntary Portable Benefits Plan Act
This bill creates a voluntary portable benefits plan system that allows independent contractors to build benefit accounts funded by hiring parties. The contributions are not treated as evidence that the worker is an employee, and independent contractors can opt in to have a portion of their pay withheld for these benefits if they choose.
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 (10+ years), and firefighters. Students would attend community college tuition-free while still meeting admission standards and other college requirements, with the waiver covering the duration of their educational program.
Early Intervention School Attendance Pilot
This bill establishes a two-year pilot program in one North Carolina school district to test a data-driven attendance monitoring and intervention system designed to reduce chronic absenteeism. The Department of Public Instruction will select a vendor and school district to implement the system, which includes real-time attendance tracking, automated family communication, and intervention protocols, with $75,000 in state funding allocated for the 2026-2027 school year.
Child Care Initiative Funds/Reform/Study
This bill establishes free training academies to help people become child care lead teachers, provides $15 million for mental and behavioral health services in child care settings, allows child care centers to share administrative credentials between two staff members, funds a study on liability insurance for child care providers, and updates bidding requirements for Smart Start contracts.
Equipping Law Enf. for Better Drug Detection
This bill establishes a pilot program through the North Carolina Collaboratory to provide law enforcement agencies with advanced drug-detection technology to replace traditional field drug tests. The program will measure the technology's impact on case outcomes, officer safety, testing accuracy, and cost-effectiveness, with findings reported to the legislature by 2028.
Tax-Free Family Essentials Act
This bill removes sales tax from five categories of essential items: diapers, baby wipes, over-the-counter children's medication, prenatal vitamins, and feminine hygiene products. The tax exemption takes effect October 1, 2026.
Cosponsored Bills (70)
NC Farmland and Military Protection Act
This bill prohibits entities controlled by adversarial foreign governments from purchasing, leasing, or holding agricultural land or property within 50 miles of North Carolina military installations. It requires existing foreign owners to register with the Secretary of State, allows the Attorney General to enforce violations through forced sales, and establishes penalties for non-compliance.
Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI
This bill prohibits North Carolina state agencies and local governments from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, policies, or staff positions. It defines DEI as initiatives that influence hiring or employment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, nationality, country of origin, or sexual orientation outside of merit-based processes, and establishes penalties for violations including fines up to $10,000 and potential removal from employment.
Limit Use of AI Medicaid/Commercial Insurance
This bill prohibits the use of artificial intelligence as the sole basis for denying insurance coverage decisions and claims in North Carolina's Medicaid and commercial insurance programs. It also bars healthcare providers and AI developers from using AI systems designed to promote 'upcoding' (billing for higher-level services than actually provided), and requires healthcare providers to annually attest their compliance with these restrictions.
Improve IVC Process and Enhance Public Safety
This bill makes multiple changes to North Carolina's involuntary commitment (IVC) process and mental health procedures. It directs various state agencies to study and develop plans for improving how people in mental health crises are evaluated, treated, and moved through the justice and mental health systems. It also creates new capacity restoration programs for defendants found mentally unable to stand trial and modifies procedures for outpatient commitment orders.
Prohibit Litigation Invest/Amend WC Benefits
This bill has two main parts: it prohibits litigation investments (third-party funding of lawsuits in exchange for a share of any settlement or judgment) in North Carolina civil cases, and it increases workers' compensation benefit amounts for certain injuries, including raising maximum awards for facial disfigurement from $20,000 to $40,000 and other injury categories from $10,000-$20,000 to $20,000-$40,000.
UNC Omnibus & Capital Contracting Law Changes
This bill authorizes approximately $636.9 million in capital improvement projects across UNC campuses funded through bonds and non-appropriated sources, standardizes residency requirements for the NC School of Science and Mathematics, expands tuition grants for NCSSM and UNCSA graduates, increases the UNC Board of Governors' authority over capital projects up to $4 million, raises various construction project thresholds, and restricts state agencies from using appropriated funds for public-private partnerships without legislative approval.
The Seatbelt Act
The Seatbelt Act makes several changes to North Carolina's traffic and impaired driving laws. It requires repeat speeding violators to install Intelligent Speed Assistance systems in their vehicles, lowers the alcohol concentration threshold for certain ignition interlock requirements from 0.15 to 0.08, and expands school zone traffic cameras to enforce not just speed limits but also seat belt and texting violations.
Const. Amend. Property Tax Levy Limit
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the North Carolina General Assembly to pass laws limiting how much local governments (counties, cities, towns, and special districts) can increase their property tax levies each year. The amendment would be submitted to North Carolina voters in the November 2026 general election, and if approved by a majority of voters, would become part of the state constitution.
Principal Fellows & Admin. Intern. Stipends
This bill modifies North Carolina's Principal Fellows Program, which provides forgivable scholarships to help prepare school leaders, and adds a new stipend for administrative interns. The bill appropriates $5 million to expand the program and creates financial support for people in administrative internship programs.
Voting Record (735)
- Yea2025-04-15
The Kelsey Smith Act
- Yea2025-04-15
Various Ed Law/Tax Acct/NIL Changes
- Yea2025-04-15
Child Care Regulatory Reforms
- Yea2025-04-15
Child Care Regulatory Reforms
- Yea2025-04-09
Worker Safety Act of 2026
- Yea2025-04-09
Criminal Falsification of Medical Records
- Yea2025-04-09
Use of Epinephrine Nasal Spray
- Yea2025-04-09
Continuing Budget Operations Part III
- Yea2025-04-09
Increase Accident Thresholds/Safe Driver Plan
- Yea2025-04-09
Various Local Provisions I
- Yea2025-04-09
Town of Andrews/Deannexation
- Yea2025-04-09
2026 Criminal Law Changes
- Yea2025-04-09
Pay Exceptions/Special Separation Allowance
- Yea2025-04-09
Adopt Women Veterans Day
- Yea2025-04-09
Adopt Women Veterans Day
- Yea2025-04-09
Continuing Budget Operations Part II
- Yea2025-04-09
2026 Court Changes
- Yea2025-04-09
Worker Safety Act of 2026
- Yea2025-04-09
School Financial Flexibility Pilot Program
- Yea2025-04-09
Elizabeth City and King/Deannexations