After a busy week, legislators left Raleigh on Thursday for the foreseeable future. Although they did not pass a new 2024 budget bill, they did appropriate funds for certain purposes and are authorized to return later this year for additional action.

Budget Bills

Both houses this year passed their own budget bills (the House bill is H 263 and the Senate bill is H 317), but there are significant differences between the two versions. Given this situation, members this week passed bills that make certain adjustments to the budget law enacted in 2023 and authorized possible action on budget bills later in 2024.

The budget bills enacted this week are S 332, which authorizes certain education spending from the 2023 budget law, and S 357, which among other things, appropriates additional money for child care. Legislators did not pass a bill appropriating additional money for Opportunity Scholarships, which go to students attending nonpublic schools.

Constitutional Amendments

Legislators approved a bill (H 1074) to put a constitutional amendment on the November statewide ballot. It provides that only citizens can vote in North Carolina.

Other constitutional amendment bills were considered, but not passed, by the two chambers. They are H 74, which would change how vacancies for certain Council of State offices are filled, S 356, which would require voters to present a photo ID before voting, S 630, which would require voters to present a photo ID before voting and set a maximum state income tax rate of five percent (it is now seven percent), and H 44, which would repeal the literacy test requirement for voting.

Transportation Bills

Legislators acted on a number of transportation bills:

• DOT agency bill (H 198)—both houses overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of this bill and it will now become law. He had objected to its provisions regarding tree and vegetation removal around billboards.
• DMV agency bill (H 199)—both houses approved this bill by large margins. It includes provisions pertaining to DMV operations and vehicle dealer practices. 
• DMV Commissioner selection and DMV information technology—these provisions were originally in H 309, which was passed by the Senate but not the House. The DMV IT provision was inserted into the regulatory reform bill (S 607) in section 19.2, which was approved by legislators.

Other Bills That Passed

• ABC omnibus bill (S 527)—changes a number of ABC laws including on sales and consumption.
• The 2024 Farm Act (S 355)—amends a number of agricultural laws and reinstates a limited version of the Conservation Tax Credit.

Bills That Remain Pending

A number of notable bills were considered and remain eligible for consideration later this year. They include:

• An energy and environment bill (H 385), which passed the Senate and is pending in the House Rules Committee.
• Medical marijuana—The Senate has passed two versions of medical marijuana legislation. In 2023, it passed a bill (S 3), which is still pending in the House. This year, the Senate added the medical marijuana provisions to H 563, a bill that would regulate hemp, and is pending in the House Rules Committee.

Adjournment Resolution

Under this resolution (S 916) passed by both houses, members can return to Raleigh for certain purposes later in the year. They may return for purposes such as veto overrides on July 10, July 29, September 9, and October 9 and for a session on November 19 that could include bills impacting the budget or other bills passed by one house in 2023.

Information about bills and work of the General Assembly can be found at its website: www.ncleg.gov.