Bill Watch List / 2026 Session

Updated: 8/10/2026 2:39 PM

SUPPORT:

• H192 – Defund Planned Parenthood & Cost Transparency (Companion to S378) – 2025
  – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for a concurrence vote in the House – Removes Planned Parenthood from North Carolina’s Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) list of approved Medicaid providers and recipients of Medicaid funds. (Companion to S378)

• S59 – Raise Hemp & Kratom Purchase Age to 21 – 2026
  6/10/2026 – Passed Senate – Sent to the House – Prohibits the sale, delivery, or possession of hemp-derived consumable products and kratom products by anyone under 21 years of age. Violations are punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor and include escalating fines for repeat offenses.

• H144 – Elect State Board of Education Members & Superintendent as Chair – 2026
  5/19/2026 – Introduced in the House – Proposes a constitutional amendment to replace the Governor-appointed North Carolina State Board of Education with an elected board chosen by voters from statewide education districts. It also makes the Superintendent of Public Instruction the chair of the State Board of Education and allows the General Assembly to determine how board vacancies are filled.

• S227 – Eliminating “DEI” in Public K-12 Education – 2026
  6/24/2026 – Governor’s Veto Overridden by the House and Senate – Prohibits public K-12 schools from maintaining DEI offices, promoting certain divisive concepts such as racial guilt or the belief that meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, compelling students or employees to affirm those concepts, and providing or requiring DEI-based professional development.
• S1006 – K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act including Released Time Religious Instruction – 2026
  6/3/2026 – Re-referred to Senate Education/Higher Education Committee – If fav, re-ref to Appropriations/Base Budget – In addition to appropriating funding and making broad changes to NC K-12 education by creating new competency-based and career-focused learning programs, expanding AI-assisted learning tools and increasing advanced course access, this bill also codifies “Released Time Religious Instruction” that requires public schools to allow students to leave school for religious instruction for one day per week.

• S50 – Freedom to Carry NC – 2025
  4/6/2026 – Passed House & Senate – VETOED by the Governor – Waiting for possible Veto Override votes in 2026 – Constitutional Carry. Protects the right to carry a concealed handgun without a permit and allows individuals to obtain a concealed handgun permit for reciprocity in other states.

• S558 – Eliminating “DEI” in Public Higher Ed – 2026
  6/24/2026 – Governor’s Veto Overridden by the House and Senate – Prohibits public colleges and universities from maintaining DEI offices, promoting divisive concepts such as racial guilt or the belief that meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, compelling belief in those concepts, and engaging in discriminatory practices.

• H519 – Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights
  5/7/2025 – Passed House – Sent to the Senate – Updates regulations on when minors can consent to medical treatment without parental consent by: 1. Removing the current allowance for the diagnosis and treatment of venereal disease, abuse of controlled substances or alcohol, and emotional disturbances. 2. Retaining only the diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy as long as there is no inducement of an abortion. 3. The bill also ensures parents have the right to access their minor children’s medical records. Currently, parents cannot access their child’s medical records relating to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, abuse of controlled substances or alcohol, or emotional disturbances without that child’s consent.

• H87 – Educational Choice for Children Act – 2025
  6/3/2026 – Governor’s Veto Overridden by the House and Senate – Enables North Carolina to participate in a new federal school-choice tax credit program established under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress, set to take effect in 2027. It will allow taxpayers to claim a dollar-for-dollar (non‑refundable) tax credit up to $1,700 per year for donations made to qualifying Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).

• H83 – Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation – 2026
  7/2/2026 – Passed House & Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s Signature or Veto – Expands protections for minors by broadening offenses involving obscene and harmful sexual material, authorizing courts to require sex offender registration for convictions involving disseminating obscenity or harmful material to minors or exhibiting harmful performances to minors, and requiring a study of a statewide human trafficking reporting and response system.

• H1121 – Added Fee for Sexually Oriented Businesses – 2026
  6/30/2026 – Referred to House Finance Committee – Places a $10 fee on each customer entering strip clubs or other sexually oriented businesses that serve alcohol in North Carolina. The money collected would go toward funding sexual assault and rape crisis programs, and businesses would be required to track customer counts and submit regular reports to the state.

• H301 – Social Media & AI Safety for Minors Under 16 – 2026
  6/24/2026 – Passed the House in 2025 – Passed the Senate as amended on 6-10-26 – House did not concur – 6-24-26 Conference Committee Apppointed – Restricts “addictive” social media access for minors by banning accounts for children under 14, requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, mandating age verification, and expanding AI and digital safety education in public schools.

• S257 – 2025 Appropriations Act – 2026
  7/7/2026 – SIGNED into Law – 2025 State Budget that includes the following good policies: $12 million in funding over the next two years for the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, maintains funding for Opportunity Scholarships, includes the provisions in HB 301 (2025) protecting minors from the dangers of social media, $5 million in funding for responsible fatherhood programs.

• H16 – General Assembly: In God We Trust – Display – 2025
  3/26/2025 – Passed House – Sent to the Senate – Requires the display of the national motto “In God We Trust” above the dais in the State House and State Senate chambers.
• H171 – Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI – 2025
  6/24/2026 – Governor’s Veto Overridden by the House – Waiting for a Vote to Overide the Governor’s Veto in the Senate – Eliminates funding, promotion, support, implementation or maintenance of any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in state and local government and all publicly funded schools.

OPPOSE:

• S788 – Guarding Freedoms & Public Safety Act – 2026
  4/23/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Expands North Carolina firearm regulations by prohibiting firearm possession for individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, requiring universal background checks for firearm transfers, reenacting the pistol purchase permit system, and requiring parents of public school students to certify safe firearm storage in the home. The bill also provides recurring funding for firearm safety initiatives and public awareness campaigns.

• S989 – Epstein Truth and Accountability Act – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Introduced in the Senate – Creates a Human Trafficking Records Commission within the North Carolina Department of Justice to review and release state-held records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation while protecting victim identities. It also allows courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) against certain individuals identified in the released records, requiring firearm surrender, and appropriates $10 million for commission operations and related investigations.

• S1015 – Child Care Expansion, Workforce Support & Provider Protection Act – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Introduced in the Senate – Makes broad changes to NC child care laws by increasing child care subsidy rates, funding stabilization grants and child care expansion programs, creating tax breaks and child care benefits for caregivers and public safety workers, establishing a new Child Care Finance Agency, expanding access to food assistance programs for informal child care providers, protecting home-based child care operations from HOA and zoning restrictions, and reforming child care licensing penalties and regulations.

• S1072 – Constitutional Cannabis Decriminalization & Medical Use Amendment – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Introduced in the Senate – This bill proposes two constitutional amendments to legalize the possession of limited amounts of cannabis in North Carolina. One amendment would decriminalize limited personal-use cannabis possession, while the second would allow medical cannabis use for patients with qualifying conditions. Both amendments would be placed on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot for voter approval, with the General Assembly responsible for establishing regulations and conditions.

• S836 – Domestic Violence Divorce Reform – 2026
  4/28/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Shortens North Carolina’s separation requirement for divorce from one year to six months, allows domestic violence victims to seek an immediate divorce without the waiting period in certain cases, abolishes alienation of affection and criminal conversation lawsuits, and provides funding to expand the state’s Medicaid family planning education program.

• H1210 – Firearm & Conflict De-escalation Training Act – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Introduced in the House – Requires NC public schools to provide annual firearm safety and conflict de-escalation instruction beginning in kindergarten, while allowing parents to opt their children out. It also expands statewide mental health record searches for concealed handgun permit applicants, gives magistrates and judges broader authority to issue involuntary commitment orders, and funds pilot co-responder programs pairing mental health professionals with law enforcement for crisis response calls.

• H921 – ABC & Gaming Omnibus Bill
  5/19/2026 – Introduced in the House – Substantially expands alcohol sales, marketing, and consumption opportunities in North Carolina by authorizing new cocktail sales, happy-hour style pricing, expanded social district privileges, additional tasting events, and broader alcohol service at nonprofit events and certain public venues and also expands the number of casino-style game nights non-profits may conduct each year from four to twenty-four.

• H1172 – The Ciji Graham Act – 2026
  5/4/2026 – Introduced in the House – Establishes statewide programs to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities in high-risk pregnancies in North Carolina. It creates regional nurse care navigation services, a pregnancy consultation hotline, a centralized clinical information hub, and standardized referral pathways for high-risk pregnancy care, including referrals for maternal-fetal specialists and pregnancy termination services where permitted by state law. The bill also appropriates $10 million in annual state funding to support these initiatives.
• H1175 – Affordability in Healthcare Act – 2026
  5/4/2026 – Introduced in the House – Creates a state-supported low-cost health insurance option, expands healthcare price transparency requirements, reforms prior authorization rules, limits certain hospital facility fees, removes some certificate-of-need regulations, strengthens protections for rural healthcare services, and increases oversight of hospital mergers and healthcare market consolidation.
• H1195 – MOMnibus 3.5 – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Introduced in the House – Creates multiple maternal health initiatives focused on reducing maternal mortality and improving pregnancy and postpartum care, particularly for black women and underserved communities. It establishes grant programs for community-based maternal health services, requires implicit bias training for perinatal healthcare providers, funds lactation support training at North Carolina HBCUs, expands perinatal education programs, and creates a statewide “Momni-Bus Initiative” to improve maternal and infant healthcare access in underserved areas. Apprpriates $12.5 million in non-recurring funding and $7.5 million annual funding for these programs.
• S906 – MOMnibus 3.5 – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Expands maternal health programs through grants, training, and education initiatives focused on reducing maternal mortality and racial disparities, including implicit bias training for perinatal health care providers, support for Black-led community organizations, lactation workforce development at HBCUs, and funding for maternal and infant health services in under-served areas.
• S908 – Janell Green Smith Maternal Health Accountability Act / Accessing Midwives Act – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Creates a maternal health accountability framework focused on reducing maternal mortality and expanding access to midwifery care by licensing Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Midwives, requiring hospital reporting and implicit bias training, establishing patient advocacy systems, and requiring reimbursement parity for midwifery maternity services.
• S910 – Expanding Insurance Coverage for Fertility Care – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Expands fertility and IVF coverage requirements for private insurance, Medicaid, and the State Health Plan, establishes protections for access to assisted reproductive technology and contraceptives, with a focus on mandating coverage to all “couples” regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation or relationship status.

• H1061 – Plyler Educational Protections Act – 2026
  4/28/2026 – Introduced in the House – Guarantees equal access to public education regardless of immigration status and restricts schools and school resource officers from sharing student immigration-related information with federal authorities except when required by law. The bill also requires schools to create immigration enforcement response plans, limit cooperation with immigration authorities on campus, establish parent notification procedures, and allow lawsuits against schools for violations.

• S827 – Hate Crimes Prevention Act – 2026
  4/23/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Expands North Carolina hate crime laws by increasing penalties for crimes motivated by race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics, while creating new hate crime offenses and civil remedies for victims. The bill also establishes a statewide hate crimes database, requires law enforcement reporting and training, and mandates specialized hate crime prosecution training for prosecutors.

WATCH:

• S875 – No Firearm Possession After Domestic Violence Misdemeanors – 2026
  4/29/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Prohibits individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses from possessing or purchasing firearms, ammunition, or concealed carry permits, expands domestic violence protections to include intimate partners, and funds a statewide domestic violence education program.

• H198 – ABC Omnibus of 2026
  6/30/2026 – Passed House and Senate with different versions – Conference Committee appointed to work out the differences – Overhauls North Carolina’s alcohol laws by authorizing financing for a new ABC warehouse, expanding alcohol permits and sales, creating new service business permits, simplifying regulatory requirements, and restructuring the ABC Commission and local ABC board governance. EDITOR’S NOTE: We are watching this because earlier versions of the bill increased the number of nonprofit game nights from 4 to 24. Another earlier version allowed ABC stores to sell liquor on Sunday. Those two items have since been removed. The bill is now in conference committee where the House and Senate will attempt to iron out their differences.
• S938 – Privatization of Spirituous Liquor – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Introduced in the Senate – Phases out local government-operated liquor stores in North Carolina and transfers their operations and assets to private entities by July 1, 2029. The bill requires local boards to liquidate stores, inventory, and related property through public sales, establishes new permitting processes for private package stores, and restructures how spirituous liquor sales are managed and regulated statewide.

• S937 – Marijuana and Vapor Products Reform – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Decriminalizes possession of 5 grams or less of marijuana while simultaneously increasing penalties for marijuana trafficking and sales, restricting many hemp-derived THC products, raising the age to purchase tobacco and vapor products to 21, increasing vapor and marijuana excise taxes, expanding Alcohol Law Enforcement authority, and strengthening regulations on vapor products and THC-related substances.

• S948 – Screen Free Schools Act & K-5 Classroom Assistant Funding – 2026
  5/4/2026 – Introduced in the Senate – Requires NC public schools to adopt strict wireless communication device policies limiting student use of phones, tablets, laptops, and similar devices during school hours. It mandates print-based and hands-on instruction for younger grades, limits screen time for middle and high school students, restricts school-issued device use, and appropriates over $930 million annually to provide a teacher assistant for every K-5 classroom.

• H1017 – Sound Basic Education for Every Child – 2026
  4/22/2026 – Introduced in the House – Appropriates funding and creates initiatives to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers, expand early childhood and student support services, and improve low-performing schools through grants, bonuses, and accountability measures. The bill also reforms educator licensure and compensation systems, funds mental health and after-school programs, and requires ongoing reporting on teacher recruitment, retention, and program effectiveness.
• S782 – Safe Schools Transparency Act – 2026
  4/23/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Requires North Carolina schools to promptly notify parents about credible threats involving students, campuses, weapons, bullying, or emergencies requiring law enforcement response. The bill also requires schools to adopt threat notification policies, publish annual school safety reports, and subjects schools to investigations or penalties for failing to properly notify parents.
• S785 – Opt-In to Student Health – 2026
  4/23/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Strengthens parental rights in public schools by requiring notification of student health services and significant health-related issues, expanding parental access to records, requiring notice before changes to a student’s name or pronouns in school records, allowing certain health screenings with advance notice, and funding a statewide student health awareness campaign.

• H1191 – Fostering Care in NC Act – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House – Makes broad changes to North Carolina juvenile welfare and foster care laws by expanding confidentiality protections, revising child welfare and permanency planning procedures, updating parental rights termination rules, strengthening sibling placement requirements, creating a mobile communications platform for abuse and neglect cases, and improving coordination between social services, courts, and child advocacy agencies.

• H1171 – Prediction Market Gambling Prohibition – 2026
  5/4/2026 – Introduced in the House – Prohibits gambling through prediction markets in North Carolina by expanding the state’s gambling laws to cover online platforms where people bet on the outcome of future events. Violations would be treated as a Class 2 misdemeanor, and the bill appropriates funding to the State Lottery Commission for enforcement.

• H1127 – Affordable Maternal Access & Cancer Care Act – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Ref to the Com on Appropriations – Creates new state-funded programs to improve maternal health care, expand prostate cancer screenings, and reduce costs for breast cancer imaging in North Carolina. The bill provides grants for community maternal health programs focused on underserved populations, funds free or low-cost prostate cancer screenings for eligible men, and requires health insurance plans to provide more equal coverage for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging services.

• S911 – Protect Children Born from Fertility Care Act – 2026
  4/30/2026 – Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget – Updates North Carolina laws governing artificial insemination and assisted reproductive technology by expanding parental rights protections for children conceived through fertility treatments, prohibiting healthcare providers from using reproductive material without informed consent, creating civil penalties and lawsuits for fertility fraud, and extending the statute of limitations for affected children and families.