North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H977 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 1
4		-	HOUSE BILL 977
	3	+	H D
	4	+	HOUSE BILL DRH30383-NDf-87
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Defend NC. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Representative Hawkins.
9		-	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10		-	Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11		-	April 14, 2025
12		-	H977 -v-1
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRH30383 -NDf-87
13	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	14		AN ACT TO DEFEND THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA . 2
15	15		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
16	16		4
17	17		PROHIBIT NORTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND OFFICERS 5
18	18		FROM ASSISTING IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT 6
19	19		SECTION 1.(a) Chapter 17F of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 7
20	20		section to read: 8
21	21		"§ 17F-15. Prohibit law enforcement agencies and officers from participating in 9
22	22		immigration enforcement. 10
23	23		(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no criminal justice agency, as 11
24	24		defined by G.S. 17C-2, or sheriff's office shall assist United States Immigration and Customs 12
25	25		Enforcement in the (i) apprehension or arrest of persons for alleged or suspected immigration 13
26	26		violations or (ii) service of warrants for removal from the United States in any of the following 14
27	27		locations. 15
28	28		(b) Any current or future memorandum, agreement, or contract made between a criminal 16
29	29		justice agency or sheriff's office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall 17
30	30		be void to the extent that the performance of the memorandum, agreement, or contract would 18
31	31		violate subsection (a) of this section. 19
32	32		(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no criminal justice officer, as 20
33	33		defined by G.S. 17C-2, or justice officer, as defined by G.S. 17E-2, shall do any of the following: 21
34	34		(1) Assist United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the (i) 22
35	35		apprehension or arrest of persons for alleged or suspected immigration 23
36	36		violations or (ii) service of warrants for removal from the United States. 24
37	37		(2) Be deputized by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for any 25
38	38		of the actions referenced in subdivision (1) of this subsection." 26
39	39		SECTION 1.(b) The Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards 27
40	40		Commission and the Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission shall promulgate 28
41	41		rules consistent with G.S. 17F-15, as created by this section. 29
42	42		SECTION 1.(c) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 30
43	43		assistance provided on or after that date. 31
44	44		32
45	45		TEMPORARILY SUSPEND SALES TAX ON CERTAIN ITEMS 33
46	46		SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 105-164.3 reads as rewritten: 34
47		-	"§ 105-164.3. Definitions. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 House Bill 977-First Edition
49		-	The following definitions apply in this Article: 1
50		-	… 2
51		-	(259A) Tariff-affected goods of 2025. – Any item subject to North Carolina sales 3
52		-	tax which has increased in average sales price in the year 2025 by more than 4
53		-	fifty percent (50%) as a result of federal tariff modifications made and 5
54		-	implemented in 2025, as determined, announced, and made publicly available 6
55		-	by the North Carolina Department of Commerce." 7
56		-	SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 105-164.13 reads as rewritten: 8
57		-	"§ 105-164.13. Retail sales and use tax. 9
58		-	The sale at retail and the use, storage, or consumption in this State of the following items are 10
59		-	specifically exempted from the tax imposed by this Article: 11
60		-	… 12
61		-	(76) During the 2025-2026 State fiscal year, the sales of items qualifying as 13
62		-	tariff-affected goods of 2025 under G.S. 105-164.3(259A)." 14
63		-	15
64		-	UPHOLD PROMISES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES TO NORTH CAROLINIANS 16
65		-	SECTION 3. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the State of North Carolina, 17
66		-	including its agencies, departments, divisions, counties, and municipalities, shall take every 18
67		-	action necessary to keep the promises of federal agencies to working North Carolinians. 19
68		-	20
69		-	KEEP NORTH CAROLINA CITIZENS ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID 21
70		-	SECTION 4. It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that benefits through 22
71		-	the North Carolina Medicaid Program remain available to eligible North Carolina citizens 23
72		-	regardless of any federal action. 24
73		-	25
74		-	CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH FUNDING 26
75		-	SECTION 5.(a) The Department of Health and Human Services shall consider 27
76		-	alternatives to decreased or terminated federal funding related at a minimum to all of the 28
77		-	following: 29
78		-	(1) State biomedical initiatives. 30
79		-	(2) State health initiatives. 31
80		-	(3) State biomedical and health-related research. 32
81		-	SECTION 5.(b) No later than March 1, 2026, the Department of Health and Human 33
82		-	Services shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services 34
83		-	regarding any of its findings and recommendations made pursuant to the requirements of 35
84		-	subsection (a) of this section. 36
85		-	37
86		-	STATEWIDE STUDY AND REPORT ON FUNDS ELIM INATED BY THE 38
87		-	DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFIC IENCY 39
88		-	SECTION 6.(a) No later than March 15, 2026, the State Board of Education, the 40
89		-	Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina, and the State Board of Community 41
90		-	colleges shall study and separately report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee 42
91		-	on federal funds provided for education that have been eliminated by the federal Department of 43
92		-	Government Efficiency and any actions that have already been taken or that need to be taken to 44
93		-	replace those funds or, if the funds cannot be replaced, to achieve the same purposes for which 45
94		-	those funds were provided. 46
95		-	SECTION 6.(b) At a minimum, the reports required by this section shall include 47
96		-	each of the following: 48
97		-	(1) An estimate of the total cost of reduced, suspended, or cancelled grants from 49
98		-	the National Institutes of Health to the in-state operations of entities registers, 50
99		-	headquartered, or doing business in the State. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
100		-	House Bill 977-First Edition Page 3
	47	+	"§ 105-164.3. Definitions. 35
	48	+	The following definitions apply in this Article: 36
	49	+	H.B. 977
	50	+	Apr 10, 2025
	51	+	HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRH30383-NDf-87
	53	+	… 1
	54	+	(259A) Tariff-affected goods of 2025. – Any item subject to North Carolina sales 2
	55	+	tax which has increased in average sales price in the year 2025 by more than 3
	56	+	fifty percent (50%) as a result of federal tariff modifications made and 4
	57	+	implemented in 2025, as determined, announced, and made publicly available 5
	58	+	by the North Carolina Department of Commerce." 6
	59	+	SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 105-164.13 reads as rewritten: 7
	60	+	"§ 105-164.13. Retail sales and use tax. 8
	61	+	The sale at retail and the use, storage, or consumption in this State of the following items are 9
	62	+	specifically exempted from the tax imposed by this Article: 10
	63	+	… 11
	64	+	(76) During the 2025-2026 State fiscal year, the sales of items qualifying as 12
	65	+	tariff-affected goods of 2025 under G.S. 105-164.3(259A)." 13
	66	+	14
	67	+	UPHOLD PROMISES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES TO NORTH CAROLINIANS 15
	68	+	SECTION 3. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the State of North Carolina, 16
	69	+	including its agencies, departments, divisions, counties, and municipalities, shall take every 17
	70	+	action necessary to keep the promises of federal agencies to working North Carolinians. 18
	71	+	19
	72	+	KEEP NORTH CAROLINA CITIZENS ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID 20
	73	+	SECTION 4. It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that benefits through 21
	74	+	the North Carolina Medicaid Program remain available to eligible North Carolina citizens 22
	75	+	regardless of any federal action. 23
	76	+	24
	77	+	CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH FUNDING 25
	78	+	SECTION 5.(a) The Department of Health and Human Services shall consider 26
	79	+	alternatives to decreased or terminated federal funding related at a minimum to all of the 27
	80	+	following: 28
	81	+	(1) State biomedical initiatives. 29
	82	+	(2) State health initiatives. 30
	83	+	(3) State biomedical and health-related research. 31
	84	+	SECTION 5.(b) No later than March 1, 2026, the Department of Health and Human 32
	85	+	Services shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services 33
	86	+	regarding any of its findings and recommendations made pursuant to the requirements of 34
	87	+	subsection (a) of this section. 35
	88	+	36
	89	+	STATEWIDE STUDY AND REPORT ON FUNDS ELIMINATED BY THE 37
	90	+	DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY 38
	91	+	SECTION 6.(a) No later than March 15, 2026, the State Board of Education, the 39
	92	+	Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina, and the State Board of Community 40
	93	+	colleges shall study and separately report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee 41
	94	+	on federal funds provided for education that have been eliminated by the federal Department of 42
	95	+	Government Efficiency and any actions that have already been taken or that need to be taken to 43
	96	+	replace those funds or, if the funds cannot be replaced, to achieve the same purposes for which 44
	97	+	those funds were provided. 45
	98	+	SECTION 6.(b) At a minimum, the reports required by this section shall include 46
	99	+	each of the following: 47
	100	+	(1) An estimate of the total cost of reduced, suspended, or cancelled grants from 48
	101	+	the National Institutes of Health to the in-state operations of entities registers, 49
	102	+	headquartered, or doing business in the State. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	103	+	DRH30383-NDf-87 Page 3
101	104		(2) A proposal to direct our State to appropriate fifty percent (50%) of the total 1
102	105		value of the identified loss in National Institute of Health funding to create a 2
103	106		new state agency, the North Carolina Institute of Health, which shall issue 3
104	107		grants to support biomedical and health research and innovation in the State 4
105	108		with the intention of replacing the economic growth supported by the National 5
106	109		Institutes of Health. Pursuant to this proposal, the North Carolina Institute of 6
107	110		Health shall be the name of a funding vehicle housed within the existing 7
108	111		structure of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services 8
109	112		and shall be a fund operated at the discretion of the Secretary of the 9
110	113		Department of Health and Human Services. The Secretary of the Department 10
111	114		of Health and Human Services may structure this entity as the Secretary 11
112	115		pleases, but must distribute funds following an open grant application process 12
113	116		that takes into consideration geographic distribution of awardees with the 13
114	117		intention of dispersing funds to as many counties as possible with qualified 14
115	118		applicants. This fund will be drawn from the value of funding lost in the 15
116	119		current fiscal year only and must be fully distributed by the end of fiscal year 16
117	120		2027. 17
118	121		18
119	122		SEVERABILITY AND EFFECTIVE DATE 19
120	123		SECTION 7.(a) If any section or provision of this act is declared unconstitutional or 20
121	124		invalid by the courts, it does not affect the validity of this act as a whole or any section or 21
122	125		provision other than the section or provision so declared to be unconstitutional or invalid. 22
123	126		SECTION 7.(b) Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 23
124	127		law. 24