ARTICLE
Issue Guide Education and Talent Supply Competitive Business Climate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Infrastructure and Growth Leadership Pillar 1: Education and Talent Supply: North Carolina must develop and maintain first-rate, leading education and workforce development systems that are effective, agile, accountable, flexible, and consistently produce a competitive, diverse, world-class workforce. This includes the state’s K-12 public schools, network of state community colleges, state university system and independent colleges and universities. SUPPORT: House Bill 6/Senate Bill 9: Ed. Finance Reform Task Force/PED Report are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Thursday, Feb. 23, the House version passed on third reading in the House with a vote of 106-5. After passing on first reading in the Senate, it has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee for further consideration. This bill would establish a joint legislative task force, in consultation with the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction, to study and provide recommendations for the management of statewide school funding formulas. The NC Chamber supports this bill. Senate Bill 146: Juvenile Reinvestment Act was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 28, and has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina to include youthful offenders aged 16 and 17, bringing North Carolina into alignment with the vast majority of other states and ensuring juvenile offenders are treated appropriately through the juvenile justice system, rather than being treated as adults. The NC Chamber Legal Institute previously indicated our support for the implementation of such “raise the age” measures in order to reduce juvenile recidivism, improve public safety and mitigate rising costs in North Carolina’s criminal justice system. In addition to the tangible economic benefits accruing from this legislation, it would also have a positive impact on education and talent supply systems across the state. The NC Chamber supports this bill. House Bill 280: Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March, 8 and referred to the House Community on Judiciary I on Thursday, March 9. Like Senate Bill 146, this bill would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina to include youthful offenders aged 16 and 17, bringing North Carolina into alignment with the vast majority of other states and ensuring juvenile offenders are treated appropriately through the juvenile justice system, rather than being treated as adults. The NC Chamber supports this bill Senate Bill 8: Ease Occ. Lic. Burdens on Military Families was introduced in the Senate on January 25. After favorable reports in Judiciary, Finance and Rules Committees, it passed second and third reading on March 15 and will be sent to the House for consideration. This bill eases occupational licensing burdens on military families by allowing military members and their spouses to practice their professions under licensure from another state while transitioning to the requirements of the licensing boards of North Carolina. The NC Chamber supports this bill. House Bill 359: CC/High School Enrollment in CTE Courses passed first reading in the House on March 16 and was referred to Committee on Education K-12. This bill extends dual enrollment opportunities for high school students in community college courses that lead to industry recognized credentials. The NC Chamber supports this bill. MONITOR: School Calendar Modification Bills various local and statewide school calendar flexibility bills have been filed this session. They introduce measures to provide additional flexibility to North Carolina public schools in adopting school calendars and an opportunity for schools to expand dual enrollment offerings and apprenticeship opportunities in partnership with local community colleges. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills. House Bill 87: ESSA Plan Submission was introduced in the House on Monday, Feb. 13. On Wednesday, March 1, the bill passed on third reading in the House, and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations after passing on first reading in that chamber. This bill would require that the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction withhold submission of North Carolina’s state plan for complying with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act until the latest possible date allowed by the U.S. Department of Education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 133: Elect the State Board of Education was filed in the House on Thursday, Feb. 16. On Monday, Feb. 20, it was referred to the House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law. This bill would enact a constitutional amendment to implement an election for individuals seeking positions on the State Board of Education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 135: Technical Changes to Courses of Study Statute was introduced in the House on Thursday, Feb. 16. On March 3, the bill received a favorable report in Education K-12 House Committee. It then passed on the second and third reading in the House on March 15 and later passed on the 1st reading in Senate, where it was referred to Rules & Operations of the Senate on March 16. This bill would make a number of organizational and technical changes to course of study statutes. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 233: Ban the Box was introduced in the House on Monday, March 6 and referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House. This bill prevents disqualification of individuals from public employment solely or in part because of a prior conviction, unless the conviction is determined to be substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of the position under consideration. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 234: SBA Pay/Needs-Based Pub. Sch. Capital Fund was filed in the Senate on Thursday, March 9. The bill passed on the first reading in Senate on March 14 and was referred to the Education/Higher Education Committee. This bill appropriates a portion of NC Education Lottery revenues to reform the compensation structure for school-based administrators and for K-12 school construction. The appropriations would be based upon county need and ability to pay for school construction projects, while also making changes to advertising cost limitations in the NC Education Lottery. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 322: School Performance Grades was filed in the House on Thursday, March 9. The legislation received a favorable report in the Education K-12 Committee on March 13. It then passed a second and third reading on March 15, where it went on to pass the first reading in the Senate and was referred to the Rules & Operations Committee. This bill modifies the current school performance grades formula by weighting growth and academic proficiency at 50%. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 149: School Performance Grades was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, March 1 and was referred to Rules & Operations of the Senate. This bill modifies the current school performance grades formula by weighting growth and academic proficiency at 50%. It also recommends that schools exceeding growth should be raised a letter grade. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 333: Local Option Sales Tax Flexibility was introduced in the House on March 14 and referred to the Committee on Finance. This bill gives counties additional flexibility with regard to the local option sales and use tax without increasing the existing maximum tax rate, potentially allotting more money to public education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Pillar 2: Competitive Business Climate: While North Carolina is appearing near the top of an increasing number of noteworthy business climate rankings, the state is not creating enough good jobs fast enough to balance the job losses of the last decade and the influx of new people. North Carolina must continually strive to position its business climate more competitively in order to attract new investment and create and retain more good jobs for North Carolinians. SUPPORT: House Bill 5/Senate Bill 7: Unemployment Insurance Technical Changes are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the House version passed unanimously on the third reading in that chamber, and has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee after passing on the first reading in the Senate. These bills would make a number of technical and administrative changes to the state’s unemployment-insurance laws as recommended by the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance. The NC Chamber is supporting these bills. House Bill 186: Repeal HB2/State Nondiscrimination Policies was filed in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and has been referred to the House Committee on Rules and Operations. The bill contains a bipartisan proposal to repeal House Bill 2, passed during the 2016 session, and clarifies basic statewide nondiscrimination policy protections by enacting all federally recognized protection categories and encouraging transparency in nondiscrimination rulemaking at the local level by involving the public. In addition, the proposal would give cities new authority to pass their own ordinances by referendum after a public notice period of 30 days, and further empowers voters by establishing a vehicle for a referendum petition to be offered by voters within a 90-day period. The NC Chamber is supportive of House Bill 186 as a bipartisan effort to move toward a resolution on this issue, and we are encouraging continued dialogue among elected leaders to reach a solution. House Bill 356: Tax Reduction Act of 2017 was introduced in the House on March 16 and referred to the Finance Committee. This bill increases the standard deduction, exempts mill machinery from tax, and simplifies the franchise tax calculation. The NC Chamber supports this bill. OPPOSE: House Bill 238/Senate Bill 174: Economic Security Act of 2017 are companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 1. The Senate version has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee, while the House version has yet to be referred to a committee. This bill would changes to a number of North Carolina laws which would introduce specific mandates on North Carolina employers, decreasing their ability to have full certainty over the day-to-day operations of their businesses. Chief among these measures would be an increase to the state minimum wage which would phase to $15 per hour over five years. The NC Chamber opposes this bill. House Bill 289/Senate Bill 210: Living Wage by 2022 are companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 8. On March 9, the legislation passed the first reading in House and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House. This legislation increases North Carolina’s minimum wage in phases until 2022 when the wage shall be adjusted automatically each year by increases in the cost of living. The NC Chamber opposes this bill. House Bill 35: Protect North Carolina Workers Act was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and has been referred to the House Committee on Commerce and Job Development. This bill would amend various measures related to business compliance with federal E-Verify laws in North Carolina, including repealing the E-Verify exemption for temporary employees and excluding farm workers from the definition of employee. The overall effect of these measures would be to increase the number of North Carolina employers required to participate in the E-Verify program. This impact has the potential to place undue and disproportionate burdens on businesses across North Carolina, particularly small businesses that often do not have the resources to manage unpredictable regulatory shifts without being hit with significant financial burdens. The NC Chamber is opposes this bill. MONITOR: House Bill 22: BOR/Independent Staff/Data Tracking was filed in the House on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, it was withdrawn from the House Appropriations Committee and re-referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations. This bill clarifies the duties and reporting requirements of the State Board of Review, including measures that would ensure its ability to act independently of the Governor, the General Assembly and state agencies in accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 54: Protect the Hardworking Taxpayers Act was introduced in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and has been referred to the House Finance Committee. This bill would remove the limitation on the income tax deduction for mortgage expense and property tax. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 63: Citizens Protection Act of 2017 was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 8. It received a favorable report in the House Judiciary II Committee and was re-referred to the Finance Committee. This bill contains a number of cyber-security provisions that could impact businesses in North Carolina, including measures aimed at reducing identify theft by increasing penalties on the manufacture or sale of counterfeit documents. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 16/House Bill 162: Amend Administrative Procedure Laws are companion bills introduced in the House and Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 26 respectively. On Thursday, Feb. 23, it passed on third reading in the Senate with unanimous support; after passing on first reading in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 28, it has been referred to the House Judiciary III Committee. These bills contain a number of measures that would amend the authorization of state agencies regarding the implementation of technical corrections, enabling them to make technical corrections without review by the Rules Review Commission. In addition these bills clarify that a party may bring forth cases in a dispute with a state agency without petitioning the agency for rulemaking or obtaining a declaratory ruling. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 75: Const. Amd. – Max. Income Tax Rate of 5.5% was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The bill passed on the second and third reading in the Senate on March 14 and was referred to the Committee on Finance. This bill would enact a constitutional amendment that would cap the state income tax at a rate of 5.5 percent. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 81: Sales Tax Economic Nexus for Remote Sales was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 14. On Wednesday, March 1, it was withdrawn from the Senate Rules and Operations Committee and sent to the Senate Finance Committee. This bill would establish “economic nexus” as the basis for sales tax collections on remote sellers, effectively ensuring that North Carolina retailers would only be taxed for sales occurring in-state. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 131: Regulatory Reform Act of 2016 was introduced in the Senate on Thursday, Feb. 23, A proposed committee substitute was adopted and passed out of the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee on March 2. It was re-referred to Senate Rules where it received a favorable report and is placed on the calendar for March 14. It passed on the second and third reading in the Senate on March 15. This bill would make a number of changes to certain environmental, natural resources and other laws in North Carolina. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 243/Senate Bill 175: Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Actare companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Tuesday, March 6. Both versions have been referred to Committees on health. This bill strengthens opioid misuse prevention through a number of provisions. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills. House Bill 206/Senate Bill 152: NC Cancer Treatment Fairness are companion bills introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 1. This legislation requires health benefits plans to cover orally administered anticancer drugs. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills. House Bill 379: Task Force on Regulatory Reform was introduced in the House on Thursday, March 16 and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform. This bill establishes a joint legislative task force on regulatory reform. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 366: Retail Workers’ Bill of Rights was introduced in the House on Thursday, March 16 and referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House. This bill enacts the retail workers’ bill of rights to ensure the fair scheduling and treatment of retail employees. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 384: Increase Penalties/Organized Retail Theft was filed in the House on Wednesday, March 15. This bill strengthens the organized retail theft laws. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Pillar 3: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: North Carolina must consistently foster innovation and entrepreneurship that leads to capital formation, investment, employment and good jobs. Creating the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship necessary to be a world-class jobs leader will require a high degree of economic freedom with minimum government interference, regulation and taxes. MONITOR: House Bill 61: Small Business Income Tax Relief was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 8. It has been referred to the House Finance Committee. This bill would cap taxes on business income at $50,000 for entities classified as small businesses in North Carolina, and implement a tax cap of $100,000 in the case of a married couple filing a joint return where both spouses receive or incur net business income. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 68/Senate Bill 65: BRIGHT Futures Act are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and Thursday, Feb. 9, respectively. The House version has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Public Utilities. On Monday, Feb. 13, the Senate version was referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would establish a number of “Bright Markets” measures intended to broaden access to digital infrastructure for economic development and innovation in key markets, including broadband health care, and training and education services. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Pillar 4: Infrastructure and Growth Leadership: North Carolina must identify ways to continue investing in the development and maintenance of sound physical infrastructure, including schools, transportation, water and sewer, energy and broadband/advanced communications to meet the demands of growth and the market. SUPPORT: House Bill 92: Blue Ribbon Committee/Transportation Funding was introduced in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 14. On Wednesday, March 1 it passed with near-unanimous support in the House, and has since been referred to the Rules and Operations Committee in the Senate after passing on first reading in that chamber. This bill would establish a Blue Ribbon Committee to consider issues related to long-term transportation infrastructure funding in order to continue exploring new options and opportunities to secure strategic transportation investments for North Carolina. The NC Chamber supports this bill. House Bill 220: State Infrastructure Bank Revisions was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 1, and has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. This legislation would establish an Oversight Board for the State Infrastructure Bank. This bank provides the state with a source of money from which funds can be lent out to agencies or localities, enabling the timely completion of essential transportation and infrastructure projects, including road, bridges and railways. The board would allow the State Infrastructure Bank to maximize efficiency in its operations, ensuring its continued ability to support strategic investments and protect the future of North Carolina’s transportation and infrastructure network. The NC Chamber supports this bill. OPPOSE: House Bill 266: Terminate Agreement for Tolling of I-77 was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 8 and referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations. This bill directs the NC Department of Transportation to terminate the contract on the I-77 HOT lane project. This would not only set a bad precedent in North Carolina but it would also create a large amount of project uncertainty. The NC Chamber opposes this bill. House Bill 267: Utilities/Amend REPS Requirements was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 8. This bill cuts the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) requirement from 10% to 8% of retail sales in year 2018 and thereafter. The NC Chamber opposes this bill. MONITOR: House Bill 81: STI/Regional & Division Weighting was introduced in the House on Thursday, Feb. 9. It passed the House on third reading on Wednesday, March 1, and has since been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would make a number of adjustments to the weighting of state funding attributed to various agencies and departments under the Transportation Investment Strategy Formula (STI). The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 219: Transportation Megaproject Funding was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 1, and has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. This bill would establish a new megaproject fund in order to provide a secure source of revenue for large-scale, higher-cost transportation projects. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 236: Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates was filed in the Senate on Thursday, March 9 and passed on the first reading on March 14, where it was then referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. This bill requires the North Carolina Utilities Commission to established tiered electricity rates for residential, commercial, public and industrial customers to encourage energy conservation and energy efficiency, create the energy efficiency bank, and create an incentive for customers to purchase energy star qualified household products. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 310: Wireless Communications Infrastructure Siting was filed in the House on Thursday, March 9. It passed on the first reading in the House and was then referred to the Committee on Energy & Public Utilities on March 13. This bill reforms wireless communications infrastructure licensing and permitting to aid in development of new technologies. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. House Bill 321: Study Solid Waste Disposal Tax was filed in the House on Wednesday, March 9. The bill later passed on the first reading and was then referred to the Environment Committee on March 13. This bill would require the Environmental Management Committee to study the NC Solid Waste Tax. The study would evaluate how much revenue is generated from the tax and the distribution of the tax dollars. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill. Senate Bill 208: Counties/Internet Infrastructure was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, March 8 and as referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate on the same day. This bill would authorize counties to provide high speed internet access service as a public enterprise. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Issue Guide Education and Talent Supply Competitive Business Climate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Infrastructure and Growth Leadership
Pillar 1: Education and Talent Supply: North Carolina must develop and maintain first-rate, leading education and workforce development systems that are effective, agile, accountable, flexible, and consistently produce a competitive, diverse, world-class workforce. This includes the state’s K-12 public schools, network of state community colleges, state university system and independent colleges and universities.
SUPPORT:
House Bill 6/Senate Bill 9: Ed. Finance Reform Task Force/PED Report are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Thursday, Feb. 23, the House version passed on third reading in the House with a vote of 106-5. After passing on first reading in the Senate, it has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee for further consideration. This bill would establish a joint legislative task force, in consultation with the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction, to study and provide recommendations for the management of statewide school funding formulas. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
Senate Bill 146: Juvenile Reinvestment Act was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 28, and has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina to include youthful offenders aged 16 and 17, bringing North Carolina into alignment with the vast majority of other states and ensuring juvenile offenders are treated appropriately through the juvenile justice system, rather than being treated as adults. The NC Chamber Legal Institute previously indicated our support for the implementation of such “raise the age” measures in order to reduce juvenile recidivism, improve public safety and mitigate rising costs in North Carolina’s criminal justice system. In addition to the tangible economic benefits accruing from this legislation, it would also have a positive impact on education and talent supply systems across the state. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
House Bill 280: Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March, 8 and referred to the House Community on Judiciary I on Thursday, March 9. Like Senate Bill 146, this bill would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina to include youthful offenders aged 16 and 17, bringing North Carolina into alignment with the vast majority of other states and ensuring juvenile offenders are treated appropriately through the juvenile justice system, rather than being treated as adults. The NC Chamber supports this bill
Senate Bill 8: Ease Occ. Lic. Burdens on Military Families was introduced in the Senate on January 25. After favorable reports in Judiciary, Finance and Rules Committees, it passed second and third reading on March 15 and will be sent to the House for consideration. This bill eases occupational licensing burdens on military families by allowing military members and their spouses to practice their professions under licensure from another state while transitioning to the requirements of the licensing boards of North Carolina. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
House Bill 359: CC/High School Enrollment in CTE Courses passed first reading in the House on March 16 and was referred to Committee on Education K-12. This bill extends dual enrollment opportunities for high school students in community college courses that lead to industry recognized credentials. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
MONITOR:
School Calendar Modification Bills various local and statewide school calendar flexibility bills have been filed this session. They introduce measures to provide additional flexibility to North Carolina public schools in adopting school calendars and an opportunity for schools to expand dual enrollment offerings and apprenticeship opportunities in partnership with local community colleges. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills.
House Bill 87: ESSA Plan Submission was introduced in the House on Monday, Feb. 13. On Wednesday, March 1, the bill passed on third reading in the House, and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations after passing on first reading in that chamber. This bill would require that the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction withhold submission of North Carolina’s state plan for complying with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act until the latest possible date allowed by the U.S. Department of Education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 133: Elect the State Board of Education was filed in the House on Thursday, Feb. 16. On Monday, Feb. 20, it was referred to the House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law. This bill would enact a constitutional amendment to implement an election for individuals seeking positions on the State Board of Education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 135: Technical Changes to Courses of Study Statute was introduced in the House on Thursday, Feb. 16. On March 3, the bill received a favorable report in Education K-12 House Committee. It then passed on the second and third reading in the House on March 15 and later passed on the 1st reading in Senate, where it was referred to Rules & Operations of the Senate on March 16. This bill would make a number of organizational and technical changes to course of study statutes. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 233: Ban the Box was introduced in the House on Monday, March 6 and referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House. This bill prevents disqualification of individuals from public employment solely or in part because of a prior conviction, unless the conviction is determined to be substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of the position under consideration. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 234: SBA Pay/Needs-Based Pub. Sch. Capital Fund was filed in the Senate on Thursday, March 9. The bill passed on the first reading in Senate on March 14 and was referred to the Education/Higher Education Committee. This bill appropriates a portion of NC Education Lottery revenues to reform the compensation structure for school-based administrators and for K-12 school construction. The appropriations would be based upon county need and ability to pay for school construction projects, while also making changes to advertising cost limitations in the NC Education Lottery. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 322: School Performance Grades was filed in the House on Thursday, March 9. The legislation received a favorable report in the Education K-12 Committee on March 13. It then passed a second and third reading on March 15, where it went on to pass the first reading in the Senate and was referred to the Rules & Operations Committee. This bill modifies the current school performance grades formula by weighting growth and academic proficiency at 50%. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 149: School Performance Grades was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, March 1 and was referred to Rules & Operations of the Senate. This bill modifies the current school performance grades formula by weighting growth and academic proficiency at 50%. It also recommends that schools exceeding growth should be raised a letter grade. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 333: Local Option Sales Tax Flexibility was introduced in the House on March 14 and referred to the Committee on Finance. This bill gives counties additional flexibility with regard to the local option sales and use tax without increasing the existing maximum tax rate, potentially allotting more money to public education. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Pillar 2: Competitive Business Climate: While North Carolina is appearing near the top of an increasing number of noteworthy business climate rankings, the state is not creating enough good jobs fast enough to balance the job losses of the last decade and the influx of new people. North Carolina must continually strive to position its business climate more competitively in order to attract new investment and create and retain more good jobs for North Carolinians.
House Bill 5/Senate Bill 7: Unemployment Insurance Technical Changes are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the House version passed unanimously on the third reading in that chamber, and has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee after passing on the first reading in the Senate. These bills would make a number of technical and administrative changes to the state’s unemployment-insurance laws as recommended by the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance. The NC Chamber is supporting these bills.
House Bill 186: Repeal HB2/State Nondiscrimination Policies was filed in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and has been referred to the House Committee on Rules and Operations. The bill contains a bipartisan proposal to repeal House Bill 2, passed during the 2016 session, and clarifies basic statewide nondiscrimination policy protections by enacting all federally recognized protection categories and encouraging transparency in nondiscrimination rulemaking at the local level by involving the public. In addition, the proposal would give cities new authority to pass their own ordinances by referendum after a public notice period of 30 days, and further empowers voters by establishing a vehicle for a referendum petition to be offered by voters within a 90-day period. The NC Chamber is supportive of House Bill 186 as a bipartisan effort to move toward a resolution on this issue, and we are encouraging continued dialogue among elected leaders to reach a solution.
House Bill 356: Tax Reduction Act of 2017 was introduced in the House on March 16 and referred to the Finance Committee. This bill increases the standard deduction, exempts mill machinery from tax, and simplifies the franchise tax calculation. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
OPPOSE:
House Bill 238/Senate Bill 174: Economic Security Act of 2017 are companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 1. The Senate version has been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee, while the House version has yet to be referred to a committee. This bill would changes to a number of North Carolina laws which would introduce specific mandates on North Carolina employers, decreasing their ability to have full certainty over the day-to-day operations of their businesses. Chief among these measures would be an increase to the state minimum wage which would phase to $15 per hour over five years. The NC Chamber opposes this bill.
House Bill 289/Senate Bill 210: Living Wage by 2022 are companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 8. On March 9, the legislation passed the first reading in House and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House. This legislation increases North Carolina’s minimum wage in phases until 2022 when the wage shall be adjusted automatically each year by increases in the cost of living. The NC Chamber opposes this bill.
House Bill 35: Protect North Carolina Workers Act was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and has been referred to the House Committee on Commerce and Job Development. This bill would amend various measures related to business compliance with federal E-Verify laws in North Carolina, including repealing the E-Verify exemption for temporary employees and excluding farm workers from the definition of employee. The overall effect of these measures would be to increase the number of North Carolina employers required to participate in the E-Verify program. This impact has the potential to place undue and disproportionate burdens on businesses across North Carolina, particularly small businesses that often do not have the resources to manage unpredictable regulatory shifts without being hit with significant financial burdens. The NC Chamber is opposes this bill.
House Bill 22: BOR/Independent Staff/Data Tracking was filed in the House on Wednesday, Jan. 25. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, it was withdrawn from the House Appropriations Committee and re-referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations. This bill clarifies the duties and reporting requirements of the State Board of Review, including measures that would ensure its ability to act independently of the Governor, the General Assembly and state agencies in accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 54: Protect the Hardworking Taxpayers Act was introduced in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and has been referred to the House Finance Committee. This bill would remove the limitation on the income tax deduction for mortgage expense and property tax. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 63: Citizens Protection Act of 2017 was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 8. It received a favorable report in the House Judiciary II Committee and was re-referred to the Finance Committee. This bill contains a number of cyber-security provisions that could impact businesses in North Carolina, including measures aimed at reducing identify theft by increasing penalties on the manufacture or sale of counterfeit documents. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 16/House Bill 162: Amend Administrative Procedure Laws are companion bills introduced in the House and Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 26 respectively. On Thursday, Feb. 23, it passed on third reading in the Senate with unanimous support; after passing on first reading in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 28, it has been referred to the House Judiciary III Committee. These bills contain a number of measures that would amend the authorization of state agencies regarding the implementation of technical corrections, enabling them to make technical corrections without review by the Rules Review Commission. In addition these bills clarify that a party may bring forth cases in a dispute with a state agency without petitioning the agency for rulemaking or obtaining a declaratory ruling. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 75: Const. Amd. – Max. Income Tax Rate of 5.5% was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The bill passed on the second and third reading in the Senate on March 14 and was referred to the Committee on Finance. This bill would enact a constitutional amendment that would cap the state income tax at a rate of 5.5 percent. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 81: Sales Tax Economic Nexus for Remote Sales was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 14. On Wednesday, March 1, it was withdrawn from the Senate Rules and Operations Committee and sent to the Senate Finance Committee. This bill would establish “economic nexus” as the basis for sales tax collections on remote sellers, effectively ensuring that North Carolina retailers would only be taxed for sales occurring in-state. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 131: Regulatory Reform Act of 2016 was introduced in the Senate on Thursday, Feb. 23, A proposed committee substitute was adopted and passed out of the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee on March 2. It was re-referred to Senate Rules where it received a favorable report and is placed on the calendar for March 14. It passed on the second and third reading in the Senate on March 15. This bill would make a number of changes to certain environmental, natural resources and other laws in North Carolina. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 243/Senate Bill 175: Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Actare companion bills that were filed in the House and Senate on Tuesday, March 6. Both versions have been referred to Committees on health. This bill strengthens opioid misuse prevention through a number of provisions. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills.
House Bill 206/Senate Bill 152: NC Cancer Treatment Fairness are companion bills introduced in the House and Senate on Wednesday, March 1. This legislation requires health benefits plans to cover orally administered anticancer drugs. The NC Chamber is monitoring these bills.
House Bill 379: Task Force on Regulatory Reform was introduced in the House on Thursday, March 16 and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform. This bill establishes a joint legislative task force on regulatory reform. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 366: Retail Workers’ Bill of Rights was introduced in the House on Thursday, March 16 and referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House. This bill enacts the retail workers’ bill of rights to ensure the fair scheduling and treatment of retail employees. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 384: Increase Penalties/Organized Retail Theft was filed in the House on Wednesday, March 15. This bill strengthens the organized retail theft laws. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Pillar 3: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: North Carolina must consistently foster innovation and entrepreneurship that leads to capital formation, investment, employment and good jobs. Creating the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship necessary to be a world-class jobs leader will require a high degree of economic freedom with minimum government interference, regulation and taxes.
House Bill 61: Small Business Income Tax Relief was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Feb. 8. It has been referred to the House Finance Committee. This bill would cap taxes on business income at $50,000 for entities classified as small businesses in North Carolina, and implement a tax cap of $100,000 in the case of a married couple filing a joint return where both spouses receive or incur net business income. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 68/Senate Bill 65: BRIGHT Futures Act are companion bills that were introduced in the House and Senate, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and Thursday, Feb. 9, respectively. The House version has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Public Utilities. On Monday, Feb. 13, the Senate version was referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would establish a number of “Bright Markets” measures intended to broaden access to digital infrastructure for economic development and innovation in key markets, including broadband health care, and training and education services. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Pillar 4: Infrastructure and Growth Leadership: North Carolina must identify ways to continue investing in the development and maintenance of sound physical infrastructure, including schools, transportation, water and sewer, energy and broadband/advanced communications to meet the demands of growth and the market.
House Bill 92: Blue Ribbon Committee/Transportation Funding was introduced in the House on Tuesday, Feb. 14. On Wednesday, March 1 it passed with near-unanimous support in the House, and has since been referred to the Rules and Operations Committee in the Senate after passing on first reading in that chamber. This bill would establish a Blue Ribbon Committee to consider issues related to long-term transportation infrastructure funding in order to continue exploring new options and opportunities to secure strategic transportation investments for North Carolina. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
House Bill 220: State Infrastructure Bank Revisions was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 1, and has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. This legislation would establish an Oversight Board for the State Infrastructure Bank. This bank provides the state with a source of money from which funds can be lent out to agencies or localities, enabling the timely completion of essential transportation and infrastructure projects, including road, bridges and railways. The board would allow the State Infrastructure Bank to maximize efficiency in its operations, ensuring its continued ability to support strategic investments and protect the future of North Carolina’s transportation and infrastructure network. The NC Chamber supports this bill.
House Bill 266: Terminate Agreement for Tolling of I-77 was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 8 and referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations. This bill directs the NC Department of Transportation to terminate the contract on the I-77 HOT lane project. This would not only set a bad precedent in North Carolina but it would also create a large amount of project uncertainty. The NC Chamber opposes this bill.
House Bill 267: Utilities/Amend REPS Requirements was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 8. This bill cuts the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) requirement from 10% to 8% of retail sales in year 2018 and thereafter. The NC Chamber opposes this bill.
House Bill 81: STI/Regional & Division Weighting was introduced in the House on Thursday, Feb. 9. It passed the House on third reading on Wednesday, March 1, and has since been referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. This bill would make a number of adjustments to the weighting of state funding attributed to various agencies and departments under the Transportation Investment Strategy Formula (STI). The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 219: Transportation Megaproject Funding was introduced in the House on Wednesday, March 1, and has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. This bill would establish a new megaproject fund in order to provide a secure source of revenue for large-scale, higher-cost transportation projects. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 236: Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates was filed in the Senate on Thursday, March 9 and passed on the first reading on March 14, where it was then referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. This bill requires the North Carolina Utilities Commission to established tiered electricity rates for residential, commercial, public and industrial customers to encourage energy conservation and energy efficiency, create the energy efficiency bank, and create an incentive for customers to purchase energy star qualified household products. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 310: Wireless Communications Infrastructure Siting was filed in the House on Thursday, March 9. It passed on the first reading in the House and was then referred to the Committee on Energy & Public Utilities on March 13. This bill reforms wireless communications infrastructure licensing and permitting to aid in development of new technologies. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
House Bill 321: Study Solid Waste Disposal Tax was filed in the House on Wednesday, March 9. The bill later passed on the first reading and was then referred to the Environment Committee on March 13. This bill would require the Environmental Management Committee to study the NC Solid Waste Tax. The study would evaluate how much revenue is generated from the tax and the distribution of the tax dollars. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.
Senate Bill 208: Counties/Internet Infrastructure was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, March 8 and as referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate on the same day. This bill would authorize counties to provide high speed internet access service as a public enterprise. The NC Chamber is monitoring this bill.