Important Bills Still in Play for Next Session

Important Bills Still in Play for Next Session

While we reflect on the legislation that passed during this year’s long session, it is important to keep an eye on bills that are potentially on the table for the upcoming short session beginning in May 2008. Technically, any bill that did not pass one of the two chambers, i.e., make the crossover deadline, is supposed to be “dead.” Virtually any bill, however, can be revived and moved under a rule that says that any legislation that raises or spends money may pass at any time. This rule has often been used to bring a bill back to life by nominally rewriting the legislation so that it costs money. The following list takes a look at some of the bills that could be resurrected during the short session. Additional information on most of these bills can also be found in Civitas’ issue-by-issue session recaps.

Constitutional Amendments
HB 493: Defense of Marriage Amendment (pending in House)
HB 878: Eminent Domain Amendment (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 901: Health Care for All (would establish a constitutional right to healthcare); (pending in House)

Statewide Bonds
HB 1203: Public School Bond Act of 2007 (pending in House)
SB 1144: Public School Building Bond Act of 2007 (pending in Senate)
HB 192: Affordable Housing Bonds Act of 2007 (pending in House)
HB 990: Land and Water Conservation Bond Act of 2007 (pending in House)

Taxes and Spending
HB 1740: School Board Fiscal Accountability Act (provides taxing authority for school boards; (pending in House)
HB 9: School Capital Fund Lottery Formula/Lottery Proceeds (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 462: Modernize Corporate Income Tax Filing (pending in House)
SB 1201: Financing Capital Projects (increase car sales tax anywhere from 1% to 4%); (pending in Senate)
HB 2028: NC Venture Capital Act (pending in House)

Election Law
HB 1949: Legislative Campaigns Pilot (public financing for legislative campaigns, cf. HB 1517); (pending in House)
SB 353: Presidential Electors by District (passed Senate, passed 2nd reading in House)
SB 760: National Popular Vote Compact (passed Senate, pending in House committee)
SB 1363: Nonpartisan Election of District Attorneys (passed Senate, pending in House committee)

Education
HB 1366: School Violence Prevention Act (the bullying bill); (passed both chambers, now in conference committee)
HB 879: Modify School Health Education Program (would eliminate abstinence only education); (pending in House)
HB 359: Restore Flexibility to the School Calendar (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 1474: Raise Compulsory School Attendance Age (pending in House)
HB 1790: Task Force to Raise Compulsory Age to 18 and Obtain 100% Graduation Rate (passed House, pending in Senate)

Healthcare
HB 771/SB 710: Immunization Changes (mandatory HPV vaccines funded through a tax on health insurance policies); (pending in House and Senate)
HB 347/SB 124: Local Government Regulation of Smoking (pending in House and Senate)
HB 1837: Stem Cell Research Health & Wellness Act (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 1476: Health insurance for All Children (pending in House)

Justice and Public Safety
HB 527: Ban Mobile Phone Use While Driving (pending in House)
HB 274: Street Gang Prevention Act (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 933: Jessica Lunsford Act (passed House, pending in Senate)
HB 1287: Report Denial of Some Pistol Permits (passed House, pending in Senate)
SB 743: Remove Ten-Year Limitation on DWI Conviction (passed Senate, pending in House)
SB 333: Extend Age Cutoff/Child Support (pending in Senate)

Labor
HB 1583: Restore Contract Rights to State/Local Entities (collective bargaining for state employees); (pending in House committee)
HB 1789: Nondiscrimination in State Employment (adds sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes); (pending in House)
HB 1711: Establish Paid Sick Days (requires minimal paid sick leave for all employees); (pending in House)
SB 1271: Firefighter/EMS Payroll Deductions (passed Senate, pending in House) Environment
HB 1134: Cleanup of Abandoned Manufactured Homes (includes tax increase of $300 on mobile home sales); (pending in House)
HB 1756: Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act (pending in House)