Raleigh Chamber Bill Tracking

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Raleigh Chamber Bill Tracking
2021 NC Legislative Session
9/24/21

 
Economic Development and Job Creation
SB 432: Modify EDPNC Legal Obligations 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S432v0.pdf
  • Eliminates the public records laws and open meetings laws requirements applicable to a nonprofit corporation with which the Department of Commerce contracts for economic development purposes.

SB 493: JDIG Multi-location Projects Modifications 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S493v1.pdf
  • Modifies multi-location projects enhancements for the JDIG program by allowing a 20% increase in incentives grants when a company that relocates to a Tier Three county also locates a manufacturing operation in a Tier One or Tier Two county.
  • Passed Senate 4/28
 
SB 494; SBIR/STTR Incentive Modifications 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S494v1.pdf
  • Modifies and enhances the One NC Small Business Program.

HB 965: SBIR/STTR Incentive Modifications (SB 494)
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H965v2.pdf
  • Increases the grant award amount withing the North Carolina Small Business Program from $3,000 to $12,000; increases the number of grants a business may receive under the program per year from one to two grants; and expands which costs may be included in the calculation of the grant amount to include educational programs.
  • Passed House 6/9

 
Education and Talent Supply
HB 18: Local School Admin Unit Cash Management
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H18v1.pdf
  • Provides Local School Administrative Units Additional Flexibility with Respect to Cash Management
 
HB 64: NCWORKS Commission Membership Modification
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H64v1.pdf
  • Adds 2 members from business/industry to the NCWORKS commission.
  • Passed House 4/14
  • Passed Senate 6/14

HB 262: Smart Start Funds
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H262v1.pdf
  • Allocates $30 million to the Smart Start program.
 
SB 220: The Reopen Our Schools Act of 2021 – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S220v2.pdf
  • Provides access to in-person learning for students I grades K-12
  • Passed House and Senate 3/10
  • Signed by Governor 3/11
 
SB 37: In-Person Learning Choice for Families
https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2021/S37-SMTC-2(e1)-v-3
  • Requires all local school administrative units to offer in-person instruction to students in grades kindergarten through 12 for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Presented to Governor 2/17
  • Conference Committee Appointed
  • Vetoed by Governor 2/27

HB 82: Summer Learning Choice for NC Families - Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H82v1.pdf
  • Establishes School Extension Learning Recovery and Enrichment Programs in each Local School Administrative Unit to mitigate the impacts of COVID -19 on at-risk students and requires the implementation on Innovative Benchmark Assessments.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 4/9

SB 464: Smart Start
SB 654: K-12 COVID-19 Provisions 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S654v0.pdf
  • Provides relief to public schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Passed Senate 5/4
  • Passed House 6/9
  • Conference Committee Report Adopted 8/25

HB 112: A Safe Return For In-Person Living
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H112v0.pdf
  • Provides access to in-person learning for students in grades K-12.

HB 243: UNC Legislative Priorities/COVID-19 Impacts
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H243v2.pdf
  • Provides efficiency and flexibility to UNC to address budgetary and other impacts of COVID-19.
  • Passed House 3/23
  • Passed Senate 4/19
 
HB 364: Funds for the Expansion of NC Pre-K
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H364v0.pdf
  • Appropriates $12,500,000 to expand access in the NC Pre-K program.

SB 387: Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021 – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S387v1.pdf
  • Modifies the implementation of NC Read to Achieve program in order to attain statewide reading proficiency by the third grade.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 4/9

SB 464: Smart Start Funds 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S464v1.pdf
  • Promotes young children’s healthy development through a $30 million investment in the NC Smart Start Program.
 
HB 602: UNC Legislative Priorities/HR/Reports
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H602v4.pdf
  • Exempts finance, business office, and auditor professionals of UNC from most provisions of the NC Human Resources Act; Consolidates and eliminates certain reports; Gives the UNC Board of Governors temporary authority to implement an early retirement incentive program; Provides statutory authority for the UNC President to approve a reduction in force without approval of any other State agency; And provides temporary authority of the UNC Board of Governors to use non-State funds to provide State Health Plan premium payments for certain employees placed on emergency temporary furloughs.
  • Passed House
  • Passed Senate 6/22


 
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
SB 334: Funds/Center for Entrepreneurship
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S334v0.pdf
  • Appropriates $2,000,000 to the National Institute of Minority Economic Development to establish the Center for Entrepreneurship.

SB 649: North Carolina Venture Fund 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S649v1.pdf
  • Provides funding for initial capital for developing technologies and ventures.

HB 680: Reenact Qualified Business Venture Credit 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H680v0.pdf
  • Re-establishes the income tax credit for Qualified Business Investments at $10million per calendar year.
  • Passed House Commerce 6/22

 
Quality of Life and Workplace Issues
HB 4: Extend ABC Permit Renewal Fee Deferral – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H4v1.pdf
  • Extends the delay on the payment deadline for certain ABC permit renewals.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 2/25
 
HB 43: Protect North Carolina Workers Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H43v1.pdf
  • Increases the number of employers who are required to participate in the federal E-Verify program, repeals the exemption for temporary workers, and excludes farm workers from the definition of employee.
 
HB 73: Temporarily Waive ABC Permit Renewal Fees
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H73v1.pdf
  • Waives certain ABC permit renewal and registration fees due on May 1, 2021 or for the period covering May 2, 2001 through April 30, 2021.
  • Passed House ABC Committee 2/24
  • Passed House 3/4
  • Passed Senate 4/14
 
HB 107: DES COVID Modifications and Technical Changes (SB 114)
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H107v0.pdf
  • Makes modifications to the 2020 COVID-19 relief measures allowed for employers and claimants under the unemployment insurance system, reduces the SUTA tax rate for 2021 and makes technical changes requested by the Division of Employment Security.
  • Passed House Finance 2/25

SB 38: Small Business Owners/S Corp Fairness Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S38v0.pdf
  • Allows a Non-Attorney Sole Owner of an S Corporation to Legally Represent and Appear in Court on Behalf of the S Corporation in Certain Civil Actions
  • Passed Senate 2/16

SB 104: Align PPP Tax Treatment to Federal Treatment
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S104v1.pdf
  • Eliminates the addback for business expenses deducted to the extent the payment results in forgiveness of a covered loan under the Federal Cares Act.
 
SB 112: Temporarily Align PPP Treatment To Federal Treatment
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S112v0.pdf
  • Eliminates the addback for business expenses deducted to the extent the payment results in forgiveness of a covered loan under the Federal Cares Act for the 2020 taxable year only.

HB 119: Property Tax Relief for COVID Affected Businesses
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H119v0.pdf
  • Provides relief from property tax liability for COVID-19 affected businesses.
 
HB 279: COVID-19 Related Tax Changes/UI Tech Corrections -  Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H279v0.pdf
  • Updates the Internal Revenue Code, exempts COVID-19 relief payments from the income determination for property tax exclusion, and makes various changes technical changes to NC Unemployment Insurance laws.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 4/27
 
SB 114: DES COVID Modifications and Technical Changes   Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H107v0.pdf
  • Makes modifications to the 2020 COVID-19 relief measures allowed for employers and claimants under the unemployment insurance system, reduces the SUTA tax rate for 2021 and makes technical changes requested by the Division of Employment Security.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 3/30

SB 138: Allow Remote Shareholder Meetings
  • Passed Senate 3/11
 
SB 208: Labor Law Changes
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S208v1.pdf
  • Makes various changes to the labor laws of NC.
  • Passed Senate 5/6
  • Passed House 6/23
  • Presented to Governor 7/1

SB 322: 2021 Revenue Law Changes
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S322v2.pdf
  • Updates the reference to the Internal Revenue Code; makes various technical, administrative and clarifying changes to the Revenue Laws as recommended by the Department of Revenue.
  • Passed Senate Finance 4/28

HB 320: Modernize Remote Business Access
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H320v0.pdf
  • Modifies authorization to conduct meetings of remote communication for certain entities, authorizes nonprofit corporations to conduct all business electronically unless prohibited in their Articles of Incorporation or bylaws, and makes technical changes.
  • Passed House 3/25
  • Passed House Passed Senate Commerce 8/24
  • Passed Senate 9/8
  • Signed by Governor 9/20

HB 334: Temporarily Align PPP Treatment to Federal Treatment (SB 112) 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H334v1.pdf
  • Senate PCS for HB 334 makes numerous changes. It establishes a Job Opportunity and Business Saving Grant Program that would allocate $1 billion of federal American Rescue Act money to every business that received one of several COVID-19 relief grants, including PPP, Job Retention, Restaurant Revitalization, and Shuttered Venue grants. Additionally, the bill reduces the tax rates for corporate, individual, franchise and standard deduction filers.
  • Passed House 4/21
  • Passed Senate 6/10
  • Conference Committee Appointed 7/13

SB 116: Putting North Carolina Back to Work Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S116v4.pdf
  • Withdraws NC from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program agreement that provides and additional $300 per week to unemployment insurance claimants through September 6, 2021; Allows individual and corporate taxpayers, for the 2020 and 2021 tax years only, an income tax deduction for expenses paid using a loan forgiven under the PPP; Excludes $10,200 of unemployment insurance benefits received in 2020 from State taxable income for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income below $150,000.
  • Passed House 6/3
  • Passed Senate 6/24
  • Vetoed by Governor 7/2oedbyGovernor7/2

HB 538: Transparency in Evidence Standards 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H538v1.pdf
  • Amends rule 411 of the NC Rules of Evidence concerning the interpretation of what constitutes insurance under the Collateral Source Rule.
 
HB 366: Regulatory Reform Act of 2021
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H366v0.pdf
  • Provides further regulatory relief to citizens of NC.
  • Passed House on 4/21
  • Passed Senate Environment 7/21 
  • Conference Committee Appointed 8/5
  • Signed by Governor 8/23
 
SB 104: Align PPP Tax Treatment to Federal Treatment – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S104v1.pdf
  • Eliminates the add-back for business expenses deducted to the extent the payment results in forgiveness of a covered loan under the Federal Cares Act.
 
SB 337: Tax Relief and Recovery Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S337v0.pdf
  • Reduces the State Individual Income Tax, increases standard deductions for qualifying taxpayers, and reduces the State Franchise Tax.

SB 469: Sales Tax Penalty Waiver 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S469v1.pdf
  • Waives penalties on unpaid sales tax liability for Covid affected businesses that have become current.
 
SB 477: Victims’ Fair Treatment Act 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S477v1.pdf
  • Moves NC from a long standing pro-business contributory negligence standard in civil liability cases to a comparative fault standard.
 
SB 507: Modify Business Corporation Act 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S507v1.pdf
  • Makes various changes to the NC Business Corporation Act, as recommended by the NC Bar Association.
  • Passed Senate  5/11
  • Passed House 8/4
  • Signed by Governor 8/16
 
SB 680: Remote Notarization Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S680v0.pdf
  • Allows for remote online notarization.

HB 776: Remote Online Notarization Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H776v0.pdf
  • Allows remote on-line notarization
  • Passed House 5/6
  • Passed Senate Judiciary 9/8
  • Passed Senate 9/23
  • Conference Committee Appointed 9/23

HB 911: Regulatory Reform 2.0 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H911v0.pdf
  • Provides further regulatory relief to NC businesses
  • Passed House 8/11
 
HB 941: Revenue Laws Technical, Clarifying and Administrative Changes 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H941v1.pdf
  • Makes various changes to Personal, Corporate, Excise, Sales and Use Tax statutes.

HB 128: An Act to Reemploy NC’s Workforce
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H128v3.pdf
  • Makes numerous changes to NC Unemployment Insurance law including providing signing bonuses for unemployed claimants receiving benefits that accept reemployment, re-establishing work search requirements for claimants, timely response requirements for interview requests, attendance at reemployment activities associates, and establishing an audit function within the Division of Employment Security.
  • Passed Senate 6/1
 
SB 228: Allow Employers to Offer EPO Benefit Plans
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S228v1.pdf
  • Lowers health care costs and expands access by allowing small businesses to offer Exclusive Provider Benefit Plans.
  • Passed Senate 5/5
  • Passed House 8/25


Transportation and Infrastructure
SB 60: Disapprove Various Solid Waste Rule Changes (SB 98, HB 80)
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S60v0.pdf
  • Disapproves rules related to solid waste management facilities adopted by the Environmental Management Commission

HB 165: DOT Legislative Changes
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H165v0.pdf
  • Makes changes to DOT related laws, as recommended by the DOT.

HB 110: Increase Building Permit Exemption Threshold
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H110v2.pdf
  • Increases the building permit exemption threshold for single family residences and farm building from $15,000 to $20,000.
  • Passed House Local Government 3/4

HB 293: Supplementary GREAT Grant Clarifications
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H293v0.pdf
  • Makes clarifying changes to the GREAT grant process (rural broadband expansion).

SB 517: Innovated Statewide Broadband Infrastructure 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S517v1.pdf
  • Relieves regulatory burdens to expedite broadband expansion; allows for use of existing easements for broadband expansion; allows local government leasing of existing broadband infrastructure; expands funding for GREAT program broadband grants; provides stopgap internet access for classroom access, health care access and job creation.
 
SB 689: County Broadband Authority 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S689v0.pdf
  • Expands broadband service in unserved areas of the state by ensuring access to utility poles; authorizes counties to provide grants to high-speed internet access service providers and levies taxes for those purposes; prohibits certain fees for the colocation of small wireless facilities.

HB 640: Inter-basin Transfer Clarifying Amendments
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H640v0.pdf
  • Makes various changes to the inter-basin transfer statutes.

HB 947: The GREAT Broadband Expansion Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H947v1.pdf
  • Establishes the Completing Access to Broadband Program that creates a fixed wireless and satellite broadband grant program with the GREAT Program and makes changes to the GREAT Program.
  • Passed House Appropriations 5/20
  • Passed House 5/27

HB 951: Modernizing Energy Generation
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H951v1.pdf
  • Modernizes North Carolina’s generation and grid resources and ratemaking and invests in critical energy infrastructure for the benefit of customers.


 
Wellness and Healthcare
SB 36: 2020 COVID Relief Bill Modifications (HB 42) – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/DocumentSites/Committees/SenateAppropriationsBaseBudget/2021/S36-SMMC-3(filed)%20v2.pdf
  • Makes Modifications to the 2020 COVID-19 Relief Bill
  • Passed House and Senate 2/4
  • Signed by Governor 2/10

HB 149: Improving Access to Care Through Telehealth
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H149v0.pdf
  • Requires health benefit plan coverage for the delivery of health care services through telehealth.

HB 178: Access to Prescription Drug Cost Information
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H178v0.pdf
  • Requires access to accurate prescription drug benefit cost information.

HB 196: 2021 COVID-19 Response & Relief (SB 172) – Enacted into Law
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H196v0.pdf
  • Makes modifications to COVID-19 relief legislation and provides additional appropriations for the expenditure of federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 3/11

SB 257: Medication Cost Transparency Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S257v0.pdf
  • Promotes pricing transparency for patients and establishes standards and criteria for the regulation and licensure of Pharmacy Benefit Managers providing services for Health Benefit Plans in NC.
  • Passed Senate 6/2
  • Passed House 8/18
  • Signed by Governor 9/20

SB 309: Repeal Certificate of Need Laws
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S309v0.pdf
  • Repeals the North Carolina Certificate of Need law.

HB 196: 2021 COVID-19 Response & Relief (SB 172) – Enacted into Law https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H196v0.pdf
  • Makes modifications to COVID-19 relief legislation and provides additional appropriations for the expenditure of federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
  • Passed House and Senate
  • Signed by Governor 3/11
 
SB 462: CON/Threshold Amendments & Certificate Expirations
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S462v1.pdf
  • Amends the CON laws to expand access and lower costs.
  • Passed Senate 5/5
  • Passed House 8/24
 
SB 506: Certificate of Need Modifications
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S506v1.pdf
  • Modifies CON laws.

SB 228: Allow Employers to Offer EPO Benefit Plans (HB 373) 
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S228v1.pdf
  • Allows insurers to offer exclusive provider benefit health plans and establish continuity of care provisions for those plans.
  • Passed Senate 5/5
  • Passed House Insurance 8/18
  • Passed House 8/25
  • Signed by Governor 9/10