This week at the Legislature, Senate confirmation of Cabinet secretaries continued as Legislators filed dozens of bills ahead of filing deadlines.
Confirmations
Senate committees are continuing the process of confirming Governor Cooper's Cabinet members. Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Machelle Sanders, Secretary of the Department of Administration, were both confirmed by the Senate Thursday. Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, Michael Regan, was recommended for confirmation by the Senate Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources Committee Thursday. He will next go before the Senate Nominations Committee.
Education Boards
This week the House voted to elect their six appointees to the UNC Board of Governors. Kellie Hunt Blue, chair of the UNC Pembroke trustees, Rob Bryan, former Republican House member, Carolyn Lloyd Coward, trustee of Western Carolina University, Leo Daughtry, also a former Republican House member, Wendy Murphy, UNC Wilmington trustee, and Doyle Parrish, an incumbent member were all elected Wednesday.
The House and Senate also elected Burr W. Sullivan, former CEO of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, and current Board member Wade Bryan Irwin, respectively, to serve six- year terms on the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges.
Ethics and Elections (SB68)
The House passed a bill this week that aims to consolidate the state elections and ethics boards and evenly divide membership of the eight person board between Republicans and Democrats. A similar piece of legislation, passed in December of 2016, was recently ruled an unconstitutional encroachment on executive authority by a three judge panel. The new proposal gives the Governor the authority to appoint all eight members from names submitted by the State's two largest political parties. It was adopted in the House largely on a party-line vote and Governor Cooper has indicated he will veto it if it reaches his desk.
Bills Filed
| House Bills | |
| H548 | Equalize Treatment of Wastewater Products. |
| H549 | UNC Benchmark/Reporting Dates. |
| H550 | Establish New Nurse Licensure Compact. |
| H551 | Strengthening Victims' Rights. |
| H552 | General Contractor Licensing Amendments. |
| H553 | Lane Departure Driver Education Curric./Study. |
| H554 | Fines and Forfeitures/Payment to Schools. |
| H555 | Funds/Street Gang Prevention & Intervention. |
| H556 | Office of Early Childhood Education. |
| H557 | Mitigation Services Amendments. |
| H558 | Study/Texting While Driving Enforcement. |
| H559 | Outdoor Heritage Enhanced. |
| H560 | I/DD Services Waiting List Transparency. |
| H561 | Sanitary Districts/Impact Fees. |
| H562 | Enhanced Penalty for Second Degree Trespass. |
| H563 | Whole Woman's Health Act. |
| H564 | Revise IVC Laws to Improve Behavioral Health. |
| H565 | Modify Composition/911 Board. |
| H566 | Private Protective Services Changes. |
| H567 | Study Hexavalent Chromium in Groundwater. |
| H568 | UNC/Use of Institutional Trust Funds. |
| H569 | Pretax Supplemental Benefits. |
| H570 | K-12 Academic Freedom. |
| H571 | Automatic Expunction/Wrongful Conviction. |
| H572 | Legal Notices/Require Internet Publication. |
| H573 | Vacant Building Receivership. |
| H574 | Wind Energy/Consistency With Military. |
| H575 | Require Info. About Abortion Pill Reversal. |
| H576 | Allow Aerosolization of Leachate. |
| H577 | Authorize LSC/Criminal Record Checks. |
| H578 | Revisions to Outdoor Advertising Laws. |
| H579 | Revisions to Outdoor Advertising Laws. |
| H580 | Revisions to Outdoor Advertising Laws. |
| H581 | Revisions to Outdoor Advertising Laws. |
| H582 | Abuse & Neglect Resources/Anon. Tip Line App. |
| H583 | Pay-As-You-Go Capital & Infrastructure Fund. |
| H584 | Real Prop./Error Correction & Title Curative. |
| H585 | Extend Statute of Limitations/Child Sex Abuse. |
| H586 | NC Am. Indian Hunting/Fishing Rights. |
| H587 | Sanitary Districts/Projects Economic Impact. |
| H588 | Omnibus Gun Changes. |
| H589 | Utilities Commission Fees and Charges. |
| H590 | Interior Design Profession Act. |
| H591 | Study/LEO Interaction With Disabled Drivers. |
| H592 | "Kick Cancer for Kids" Special Plate. |
| H593 | Increase Personal Care Services Rates. |
| H594 | Healthy Mother, Healthy Child. |
| H595 | Adopt Official State Spider. |
| H596 | Study/MPO Voting Power Distribution. |
| H597 | Willful Injury of Person/Trap in Public Park. |
| H598 | Swimming Pool Electrical Safety. |
| H599 | Body-Worn Camera Recordings. |
| H600 | School Construction Flexibility. |
| H601 | Amend Medical Records Manager Qualifications. |
| H602 | Cities/Require Performance Guarantees. |
| H603 | Small Farms to Healthier Schools Initiative. |
| H604 | Repeal Death Penalty. |
| H605 | Sch. Dist. Hold Harmless/Hurricane Matthew. |
| H606 | Study 64 Bypass Effect & Transfer Funds. |
| H607 | Knight-LeCount Advocacy for Marrow Ed. & Reg. |
| H608 | Family/Child Protection & Accountability Act. |
| H609 | Amend Various Innocence Commission Statutes. |
| H610 | Funds for NC Pre-K/Tier 3 Counties. |
| H611 | Clarify Objective/Child Protective Services. |
| H612 | Comprehensive Firearm Ed. Elective/Schools. |
| H613 | Transfer DACS Property to Granville Co. |
| H614 | Scientific Wildlife Management Act. |
| H615 | Amend Substance Abuse Professional Pract. Act. |
| H616 | North Carolina Public Benefit Corporation Act. |
| H617 | Clarify Sale of Antique & Specialty Vehicles. |
| H618 | Improve Healthcare IT Systems Efficiency. |
| H619 | Clarify Motor Vehicle Dealer Laws. |
| H620 | UNC Capital Projects. |
| H621 | Expungement Process Modifications. |
| H622 | Cities/Periodic Building Inspections. |
| H623 | Transfer Certain Excess Lands/Haywood BoEd. |
| H624 | Uniform System Development Fees for Water. |
| H625 | HOA/Condo Crime & Fidelity Insurance Policies. |
| H626 | Local Authority/Large-Scale Chicken Farms. |
| H627 | DOT/Honor Fallen Warriors. |
| H628 | Limit Health Care Power of Attorney. |
| H629 | Amend Funeral Procession Law. |
| H630 | Rylan's Law/CPS Observation. |
| H631 | Reduce Admin. Duplication/BH Providers. |
| H632 | Amend Mitigation Services Law. |
| H633 | Small Business Retirement Program. |
| H634 | Private Alternative Teacher Preparation. |
| H635 | Electronic Pawn & Metals Database. |
| H636 | Sale of Salvage Vehicle/No Inspection. |
| H637 | Clarify Regional Water and Sewer Funds. |
| H638 | Public School Const. Grants & Lottery Changes. |
| H639 | DIT/COG Technical Assistance/Funds. |
| H640 | Repeal Certificate of Need Laws. |
| H641 | School Bus Safety Enhancement Act. |
| H642 | Brewery/Sales at Brewery & Retail Locations. |
| H643 | Civics and Economics Educ. Study Committee. |
| H644 | Charter School Transportation Grant Program. |
| H645 | Legal Services Rendered for Nonprofits. |
| H646 | ApprenticeshipNC. |
| H647 | Task Force on Homelessness. |
| H648 | Responsible Deer Hunting. |
| H649 | Sweepstakes Control Act. |
| H650 | State Board Construction Contract Claim. |
| H651 | State Pension/Ret. Health Ben. Fund Solvency. |
| H652 | Freeze New Toll Contracts. |
| H653 | Report/Car Accident Caused by Seizure or Coma. |
| H654 | Reduce Mortgage Lender Surety Bonds. |
| H655 | Election Equipment/Grants to Counties. |
| H656 | College of Albemarle/Construction Funds. |
| H657 | Improve Adult Care Home Regulation. |
| H658 | Early Literacy Initiative/Funds. |
| H659 | Filling Vacancies/U.S. Senate. |
| H660 | Drivers License/Reciprocity W/Foreign Nation. |
| H661 | Innocent Spouse Tax Relief. |
| H662 | Carolina Cares. |
| H663 | Right to Repair Act. |
| Senate Bills | |
| S580 | UI for High Unemployment Areas/State Funding. |
| S581 | Establish Mandatory Dementia Care Training. |
| S582 | GSC Technical Corrections 2017. |
| S583 | Occup. Therap./Phys. Therap. Salaries. |
| S584 | Pilot Project: Tablets for Inmates. |
| S585 | Study Intergovernmental Relations. |
| S586 | Require U.S. Civics Test in High Schools. |
| S587 | Tax Returns Uniformly Made Public Act. |
| S588 | Whole Woman's Health Act. |
| S589 | Fantasy Sports Regulation. |
| S590 | NC Consumer Fireworks Safety Act. |
| S591 | Site and Building Development Fund. |
| S592 | Small Business Access to Capital Act. |
| S593 | Arbitration and Mediation for Business Court. |
| S594 | Family/Child Protection & Accountability Act. |
| S595 | Strengthening Victims' Rights. |
| S596 | Protect Law Enforcement Officers. |
| S597 | ApprenticeshipNC. |
| S598 | Future Teachers of North Carolina. |
| S599 | Excellent Educators for Every Classroom. |
| S600 | Britny's Law: IPV Homicide. |
| S601 | Gang Nuisance Abatement Act. |
| S602 | Lien Agent/Notice of Cancellation. |
| S603 | Exceptional Educ. for Exceptional Children. |
| S604 | Homemade Alcoholic Beverage Tasting Permit. |
| S605 | Attorney Options/IOLTA Funds. |
| S606 | One-Year EDPNC Contract Modifications. |
| S607 | Job Order Contracting Method. |
| S608 | I/DD Services Waiting List Transparency. |
| S609 | Uniform Group Practice Provider Credentialing. |
| S610 | Equalize Treatment of Wastewater Products. |
| S611 | Mitigation Services Amendments. |
| S612 | Pet Boarding Facilities. |
| S613 | Attorney's Fees & Costs/State Prevails. |
| S614 | Withholdings for Property Sales: Nonresidents. |
| S615 | North Carolina Farm Act of 2017. |
| S616 | Limit Look-Back for Immaterial Irregularities. |
| S617 | Eliminate Emergency Recall Judges. |
| S618 | EDGE Committee Draft. |
| S619 | JLCEP Study Grid Modernization. |
| S620 | Eliminate Duplication/PED Study. |
| S621 | Business Contracts/Choice of Law and Forum. |
| S622 | Business Corporation Act Revisions. |
| S623 | School Bus Flexibility. |
| S624 | Outdoor Heritage Enhanced. |
| S625 | Summons for Private Warrants. |
| S626 | Permit Superintend. Spouses to Work. |
| S627 | Minority Colleges Advisory Board. |
| S628 | Various Changes to the Revenue Laws. |
| S629 | Health Care Services Billing Transparency. |
| S630 | Revise IVC Laws to Improve Behavioral Health. |
| S631 | Protect Right to Work/Conforming Changes. |
| S632 | Protect NC Right to Work Constitutional Amend. |
| S633 | Reduce Annual State Bar Fees. |
| S634 | Private Protective Services Changes. |
| S635 | Judicial Assistants for Judges. |
| S636 | Increase Judicial Pay 20%. |
| S637 | Small Farms to Healthier Schools Initiative. |
| S638 | Funds to Enhance Tribal Recognition. |
| S639 | Healthy Mother, Healthy Child. |
| S640 | Study 64 Bypass Effect & Transfer Funds. |
| S641 | Uniform System Development Fees for Water. |
| S642 | Burden of Proof - Planning and Zoning. |
| S643 | Establish Veterans Treatment Court. |
| S644 | Increase Diversity Among Physician Assistants. |
| S645 | Keep Both Parents in Life of Child. |
| S646 | Universal Voter Registration. |
| S647 | JLEOC Study/ESSA/School Report Card. |
| S648 | Legalize Medical Marijuana. |
| S649 | Public Records Access - NC Residents Only. |
| S650 | State Pension/Ret. Health Ben. Fund Solvency.-AB |
| S651 | Drivers License/Reciprocity W/Foreign Nation. |
| S652 | Increase Access to Higher Education. |
| S653 | SOG - Study Gubernatorial Transition. |
| S654 | Make NC Better for Business/Revenue Laws. |
| S655 | Change Date When Primary Elections Held. |
| S656 | Electoral Freedom Act of 2017. |
| S657 | Study Hexavalent Chromium in Groundwater. |
| S658 | Charter School Funds. |
| S659 | Secretary of Commerce Confirmation. |
| S660 | Economic Development Incentives Modifications. |
| S661 | Sch. Dist. Hold Harmless/Hurricane Matthew. |
| S662 | Charter School Transportation Grant Program. |
| S663 | The I. Beverly Lake, Jr., Fair Trial Act. |
| S664 | Restore Ed.-Based Salary Supplements. |
| S665 | The I. Beverly Lake, Jr., Fair Trial Act. |
| S666 | Capital Procedure/Severe Disability. |
| S667 | Amend Various Innocence Commission Statutes. |
| S668 | Enhanced Penalty for Second Degree Trespass. |
| S669 | SE NC Ag Events Center/Funds. |
| S670 | Sales Tax Exemption - Agricultural Fairs. |
| S671 | Sales Tax: Manufactured Homes. |
| S672 | Lack of Postmark/Absentee Ballots. |
| S673 | Knight-LeCount Advocacy for Marrow Ed. & Reg. |
| S674 | Sch. Dist. Hold Harmless/Hurricane Matthew. |
| S675 | Lack of Postmark/Absentee Ballots. |
For more information, contact the Brooks Pierce Government Affairs team, linked below.
