Raleigh Chamber Bill Tracking

Raleigh Chamber Bill Tracking
2021 NC Legislative Session
4/23/21

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 $10 million per calendar year.

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: 2021 Revenue Law Changes
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 revenue laws.

SB 114: DES COVID Modifications and Technical Changes (HB 107) - 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 Judiciary 4/28

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

HB 334: Temporarily Align PPP Treatment to Federal Treatment (SB 112)
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H334v1.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.
Passed House Commerce 3/22
Passed House on 4/21

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

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 228: Allow Employers to Offer EPO Benefit Plans (HB 373)
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.

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.

SB 680: Remote Notarization Act
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S680v0.pdf

Allows for remote online notarization.

HB 778: Remote Online Notarization Act New Item!!
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H776v0.pdf

Allows remote on-line notarization
Passed House 5/6

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.

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.

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

SB 506: Certificate of Need Modifications
https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S506v1.pdf

Modifies CON laws.