Lawmakers worked hard throughout the session to pass laws that would benefit all of North Carolina.
Several of these laws went into effect October 1st, and I am hopeful these changes will make North Carolina an even better place to live for all of us.
As always, thank you for allowing me to share this information with you. Please let me know if I can answer any questions or be of assistance.
Ethics
We continued our efforts in ethics reform with a law that makes some needed clarifying changes. The bill (H1110) also requires legislative employees to attend refresher ethics education classes every two years. Another new law that takes effect this month makes it a felony to instruct or coerce non-citizens to vote. The bill (H1743) also establishes misdemeanor penalties for breaching ballot secrecy or trying to convince people to select a party affiliation other than one of their own choosing. The new law includes civil penalties for officials who are late reporting campaign contributions and expenditures. If officials deliberately conceal contributions or expenditures they can be fined up to three times the amount of funds concealed.
Justice and Safety
We passed several laws changing the ways we treat juveniles in the justice system. One bill (H1243) allows judges to physically restrain juveniles in the courtroom only if they find the restraint necessary to maintain order and safety or to prevent the juvenile from escaping. Another law requires the state to release identifying information for juvenile escapees. The bill (H1148) stems from the repeated escapes of juveniles at the Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center. The state can now release the first names and photos of escaped juvenile prisoners.
We also passed laws to help improve the handling of court cases. One new law (S1130) gives defendants access to law enforcement’s complete files, including files from any public or private group that obtains information connected to the investigation. The law is expected to streamline the investigation process. Another bill (S1117) gives judges in civil cases the authority to determine if jurors may take evidence into the jury room.
A new law (H1617) states that if a private citizen is killed by a law enforcement officer in the line of duty, the next of kin can request an investigation of the incident. Another law (S1211) requires officers to fingerprint anyone charged with a DWI or driving with a revoked license.
Family and Children
We created a law to protect the parental custody and visitation rights of deployed and active members of the military. The bill (H1634) permits expedited custody hearings for service members called into duty and hearings via telephone for service members deployed on short notice. It also prevents a parent from citing deployment of another parent as a reason to modify or change custody arrangements. Under the new law, any custody order issued because of deployment expires within 10 days of the soldier’s return. Another bill involving custody cases (H1328) requires sex offenders filing for custody to disclose their convictions during the pleadings.
Consumer Protection
A new law (S1055) requires businesses to mail rebates to consumers within 60 days after the consumer sends in the rebate form. Another law (S514) prevents businesses that sell perishable goods from using deceptive advertising regarding the location of their businesses. This includes using a misleading name or forwarding phone calls to different locations outside of the area of the phone number listed.
A law that will help protect renters goes into effect this month. The bill (H947) states that tenants must receive 30 days notice of an application for foreclosure. Tenants can then give the landlord 10 days written notice to terminate the rental agreement.
Energy and Environment
It is now easier for homeowners to install solar panels. A new law (S670) prohibits cities, counties or county laws and neighborhood agreements from banning solar energy collectors.
North Carolina took a major step forward this year in environmental policy by establishing a requirement that North Carolina power utilities get at least 12.5 percent of their power from renewable sources. The bill (S3) is expected to help cut pollution and our dependence on foreign oil while also creating more of a market for renewable energy. North Carolina is the first state in the Southeast to adopt such a standard and it came after months of negotiations between lawmakers, utility company representatives and environmentalists.
This session we passed a new law that requires stricter oversight of hazardous waste storage sites. The bill (H36) protects residents by requiring operators of hazardous waste sites to take financial responsibility and conduct preventative screenings for environmental contamination when hazardous materials are released. The bill was filed in response to an explosion and fire at a hazardous waste storage facility in Apex late last year that resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board believes mislabeled oxygen generators in the plant probably fueled the fire.
Health
It is now against the law to smoke in long-term care facilities. House Bill 1294 makes it illegal to smoke in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Another bill (H726) requires laser hair removal practitioners to get a license from the state Board of Electrolysis Examiners. Two years ago, a student at North Carolina State University died from an allergic reaction to a numbing gel she used before her laser hair removal appointment.
The heart on the driver’s license that indicates the holder is an organ donor is now legally binding. The bill (H1372) changing the law will help simplify organ and tissue donations, honor the wishes of donors and save lives. Previously the next-of-kin made decisions regarding organ donation.
Please remember that you can visit the General Assembly’s website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and access other information.
I plan to attend the following meetings/events:
Correction to last week’s report:
Gang Awareness Meeting, Jackson-September 30 was held at Jackson United Methodist Church
Please invite me to attend your county, city, community or civic, etc. meetings or events.
As I’ve said many times before, I hope you will continue to let me know how you feel about the issues that are being debated by the North Carolina Legislature and the challenges you and your family are facing each day.
By working together, we can make Northampton, Vance and Warren Counties and all regions of North Carolina a better place to live, work and raise a family.