North Carolina Legislative Report - May 15, 2015
May 15, 2015
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session on January 14. Lawmakers returned to Raleigh on January 28 to begin the session in earnest. The MVA Public Affairs Legislative Report on North Carolina will be distributed on a weekly basis to keep you up to date on the latest legislative issues facing the state.
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On The Floor
For legislative action lookup by day, click below:
Committees
The House Education – Universities Committee
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 12, and approved two bills. H 602, Recruit CC Students To Teach/Pilot, would appropriate funds for a pilot program to recruit undergraduate students to the College of Education at Appalachian State University and appropriate funds for the Friday Institute to study teacher recruitment and preparation programs. H 844, STEM Teacher Forgivable Loan Program, would establish a forgivable loan program for prospective STEM and special education teachers.
House Finance Committee
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 12, and approved three bills. H 292, Beach Bingo Licenses.-AB, would require a license to operate a beach bingo game and criminalize operating a beach bingo game without a license or providing false information on a license application. H 533, Modify PUV Exceptions to Disqualification, would waive or pro-rate deferred taxes when property is transferred for less than its true value to a nonprofit entity for conservation or historical preservation. H 910, Allow Overnight Respite/Adult Day Facilities, would establish a certification process for overnight respite provided in adult day care and adult day health care programs and require DHHS to add overnight respite as a service under the Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) and to explore the inclusion of adult day overnight respite in services reimbursable under Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) and the Innovations waiver.
House Appropriations Committees
The House unveiled the bulk of their two-year budget proposal on Thursday, May 14. Budget subcommittees met throughout the day to debate the plan and take up amendments. Budget writers will continue to work over the weekend and plan to release the full spending plan Sunday or early Monday. A meeting of the full Appropriations Committee is expected on Tuesday with floor votes on Wednesday and Thursday.
Senate Agriculture Committee
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 12, to take up one bill. S 513, North Carolina Farm Act of 2015 makes various changes to agricultural, transportation and environmental laws. The bill was given a favorable report in Senate Agriculture as well as Senate Finance and Transportation. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.
Senate Health Care Committee
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 12, and approved three bills. H 195, Allow Substitution of Biosimilars, would amend the North Carolina Pharmacy Practice Act to allow for the substitution of an interchangeable biological product. H 437, Create Permit Exemptions/Home Renal Products, would amend the Pharmacy Practice Act to create a pharmacy permit exemption and a device and medical equipment permit exemption for the dispensing and delivery of home renal products and to allow for dialysis facilities to be designated as agents to receive home medications for patients with renal failure. H 158, Jim Fulghum Teen Skin Cancer Prevention Act, seeks to prohibit persons less than 18 years of age from using tanning equipment.
Senate Education/Higher Education Committee
The Committee met on Wednesday, May 13, and approved three bills. H 18, Planning Year for CIHSs, would provide for a planning year for establishment of cooperative innovative high schools. H 237, Repeal Personal Ed Plans/Modify Trans Plans, would repeal personal education plans and modify transition plans. H 878, Expand Bd. Of Trustees/Sch. of Science and Math, seeks to expand the membership of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
In The News
NC Insider: House budget would put a wrench in McCrory’s reform effort
Raleigh News & Observer: NC House differs with McCrory on budget plans
Raleigh News & Observer: Details of the NC House budget
Triangle Business Journal: Gov. McCrory makes the case for $3B in N.C. bond proposals
Charlotte Business Journal: Lots of debate but no solutions on Charlotte's budget gap
Charlotte Business Journal: Judge: Duke Energy’s coal-ash fine largest ever for a criminal case in N.C. federal courts
Charlotte Observer: Push to take Charlotte airport control from city gains new life
Charlotte Observer: South Carolina trumps North Carolina in bagging Volvo
Calendar
| Mon, May 18, 2015 | ||
| 1:00 PM | North Carolina General Statutes Commission, Trust Drafting Committee | Rm 5003, UNC School of Law |
| 2:00 PM | Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee -- CORRECTED | |
| 7:00 PM | Session Convenes (House) | |
| 7:00 PM | Session Convenes (Senate) | |
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| 9:00 AM | Appropriations (House) | |
| 11:15 AM | Representative Saine Press Conference | |
| 12:00 PM | State and Local Government (Senate) Agenda: To be determined | 423 LOB |
| 1:00 PM | Rep. Pittman - Press Conference | |