Return America
July 11, 2025
North Carolina’s General Assembly has officially adjourned for the summer without passing a full state budget. Lawmakers remain divided on significant issues, including pay raises for teachers and state workers, tax relief, and key policy initiatives. Although the House and Senate approved separate budget proposals, they could not reach an agreement before the July 1 deadline. Instead, a stopgap “essentials-only” spending bill was passed to keep core services running and to provide disaster aid, such as a $700 million relief package for areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Legislators are likely to reconvene later this year to continue negotiations.
Despite the budget impasse, Return America monitored dozens of bills this session. Below is a summary of the most important measures we supported or opposed, covering school safety, parental rights, gender policy, religious freedom, gambling, substance regulation, and more.
Firearms, Private/Christian School Security
HB 193 – Firearm Law Revisions – This bill allows certain employees or volunteers at private schools to carry a firearm or stun gun on school property if they have written permission from the school, proper training, and a concealed carry permit. It also permits people with concealed carry permits to bring handguns to religious services held in school buildings, even during school hours, if authorized. The bill increases penalties for assaulting or threatening local elected officials, such as mayors or county commissioners, and expands protections for election officials from threats or intimidation. Finally, it requires a judge, not only a magistrate, to decide bail conditions for people charged with these threats or assaults. This allows the judge to consider their criminal history and temporarily keep them in custody. This bill passed the North Carolina General Assembly, but Governor Josh Stein vetoed HB 193 on Wednesday, July 8, 2025. Read the Veto Document.
SB 280 – Private School Security Act – This bill allows certain trained and authorized employees or volunteers at nonpublic (private) schools to carry a firearm or stun gun on school property if they meet specific safety and training requirements and have a concealed carry permit. It also permits individuals with a valid concealed carry permit to carry a handgun at a school that serves as a place of worship, during religious services or related events—even during school hours—as long as the property is not posted with signs prohibiting it.
Compared to HB 193, which focused more broadly on allowing particular concealed carry on private school campuses during non-school hours, this bill (SB 280) is more detailed and restrictive. It adds requirements for annual training under certified instructors, written policies distributed to parents, and clearly defined school administrative roles. It also expands the religious exemption to allow carry during religious events at any time, not just outside school hours. SB 280 passed the Senate, but upon its arrival in the House, it was sent to the Rules committee, where it resided until the end of the session.
Parental Rights and Family Protections
HB 805 – Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors – This bill requires North Carolina laws and policies to officially recognize only two sexes – male and female – based on biology. It bans the use of state funds for gender transition procedures for minors and prisoners, and allows people to sue over harms related to such procedures, even years later. The bill also gives students the right to be excused from classroom content that conflicts with their religious beliefs and offers parents more access and control over school library books. It prohibits students from sharing sleeping quarters with someone of the opposite biological sex on school trips unless parents give written permission. The bill places strict rules on online pornography platforms to verify the age and consent of performers and to quickly remove non-consensual content. It also changes how amended birth certificates are stored and issued when someone changes their sex designation. Governor Josh Stein vetoed HB 805 on July 3, 2025. Read the Veto Document.
SB 442 – Parents’ Protection Act – This bill says that parents or caregivers can’t be accused of child abuse or neglect just for raising a child according to the child’s biological sex. It also protects people who want to adopt from being denied the chance simply because they don’t support gender transition for a child. The bill does not allow serious harm, abandonment, or other abuse. Those actions are still illegal. It simply makes sure that disagreeing with gender transition isn’t treated as abuse or a reason to block an adoption. This bill passed the North Carolina General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Josh Stein on July 3, 2025.
HB 519 – Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights – This bill changes when North Carolina minors (people under 18) can get medical treatment without their parents’ permission. In most situations, a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner can only treat a minor without parental consent if it’s an emergency or the parent can’t be reached and the delay would harm the child. It also limits what kinds of care minors can consent to on their own, like treatment for pregnancy or certain short-term illnesses, but not for serious things like abortions or long-term mental health care. It adds a new rule requiring written parental consent for vaccines that the FDA does not fully approve. The bill also allows parents to see most of their child’s medical records, unless certain exceptions apply, such as if there’s abuse involved or a court order prevents it. This bill gives parents more control and access while narrowing the situations where minors can act independently in their medical care. The measure passed the House, but after moving to the Senate, it has been stuck in the Senate Rules Committee with no action.
HB 636 – Promoting Wholesome Content for Students – This bill would create new rules to ensure that school library books and media are appropriate for students. It requires each public school system to form a committee of parents and staff to review and approve all library materials, including books at school book fairs. Anything with sexual content or considered vulgar would be rejected, and schools would have to post approved and rejected materials online. Parents or county residents could object to specific books; if enough people complain, the book must be reviewed again. If schools don’t follow the rules, parents and others could sue and possibly win money, up to $5,000 per violation. The measure passed the House, but after moving to the Senate, it has been stalled in the Senate Rules Committee.
Gender Policy and Medical Restrictions
HB 606 – Civil Procedure Amendment – This bill says that state money can’t be used to pay for gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments, or puberty blockers for people in state prisons or jails. It also blocks state funds from supporting health plans that cover those treatments for prisoners. However, the bill makes an exception: if someone is in danger of serious physical harm because of a past gender transition procedure (even if it was done privately), the state can pay to treat that medical issue. This ensures emergency care is still allowed. HB 606 passed the House and now resides in the Senate Rules Committee.
Public Morality and Religious Expression
HB 16 – General Assembly: In God We Trust – Display – This bill would have required the display of the national motto “In God We Trust” directly above and behind the Speaker’s dais in the North Carolina House of Representatives and the President’s dais in the Senate. The display would have mirrored the historic U.S. House of Representatives presentation. Funding would have first come from private donations, with public funds used only if no private money was received within 90 days. The measure passed the House by a wide margin, 100-17, but the Senate sent the legislation to Senate Rules and did not take it up before adjourning.
HB 100 – Expand Religious Property Tax Exemption – This bill expands the property tax exemption for religious organizations. It also allows undeveloped land next to already tax-exempt property to be exempt from property taxes for up to five years. To qualify, the undeveloped land must not be more than twice the size of the exempt property. The organization must certify that it will begin using or developing the land for religious purposes within five years. If the organization fails to meet that timeline, the land becomes taxable retroactively. The bill passed the House Committee on Housing and Development and was referred to the House Finance Committee, where no further action was taken.
Gambling Legislation
HB 424 – Gaming Laws/Allow Certain Social Games – This bill would have legalized certain low-stakes social games played in private homes or community clubhouses in North Carolina, such as card, tile, or board games (e.g., bridge, mahjong, or canasta), provided no one profited beyond personal winnings and no electronic or mechanical gaming devices were used. It would have allowed such games no more than once per week at any given location. The measure would also have modified nonprofit “game night” rules by limiting them to four per year per organization, capping each event at five hours, and imposing specific scheduling and venue usage restrictions. Additionally, it would have limited the number of game nights a qualified facility could host to 24 per year. Although this measure did receive a favorable report from the House Judiciary Committee, it was referred to Rules and was never taken up.
HB 14 – Gambling Loss Tax Deduct/NC Sound Money Act – This measure would have allowed North Carolina taxpayers to deduct gambling losses on their state income taxes, provided those losses were not included in their adjusted gross income. It would have aligned state tax law with federal provisions under section 165(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. The deduction would have been available beginning with the 2024 tax year and applied only to taxpayers who itemize deductions. The bill passed through House Commerce, Finance, and Rules. It was even calendared on the House floor for a vote, but was withdrawn from the calendar and sent back to Finance, where it stayed until the end of the session.
Substance Regulation and Youth Protection
SB 328 – Age 21 Hemp-Derived Consumables – This bill would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to buy, possess, or use hemp-derived consumable products in North Carolina. These products include things like gummies, vapes, or other items made with substances like delta-8 or delta-10 THC, which come from the hemp plant and can have mind-altering effects. Businesses must check IDs before selling these products, and violators could face misdemeanor charges.
However, by setting these rules for minors, the bill also unintentionally creates a basic legal framework for the sale and use of these products by adults over 21. This could lead to the widespread availability and perceived legitimacy of substances currently under scrutiny for safety concerns, especially since no comprehensive state or federal regulation is in place to ensure their purity, potency, or health effects.
HB 328 – Regulate Hemp-Derived Consumables – This new bill creates strict rules for selling, making, and using hemp-derived consumable products in North Carolina. It makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy or have these products, and it requires stores, websites, and companies that sell them to check IDs and get a license. The bill limits how strong the products can be, how they must be packaged, and even how they’re advertised. Companies breaking the rules can be fined, shut down, or even face criminal charges. It also allows law enforcement to inspect stores and remove illegal products.
How is this bill different from SB 328?
SB 328 banned people under 21 from buying or possessing hemp-derived consumables and punished those who sold to them. But this new bill goes further. It creates a whole regulatory system for everyone over 21 as well. That means the state will now license and oversee the entire hemp market, just like alcohol or tobacco. This would legitimize these dangerous and often poorly tested products by treating them like regulated goods instead of banning them entirely.
HB 430/SB 318 – Protect Youth from Harms of Vaping and Nicotine – These two bills are companion bills, one in the House and the other in the Senate, with the same language. This bill creates a strict new system in North Carolina for selling tobacco and vape products. It says that stores, delivery services, and online sellers must have a special permit to sell tobacco, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission will be in charge of giving those permits and checking that sellers follow the rules. Sellers can be fined or lose their permits if they sell to anyone under 21, don’t check IDs, or let customers access tobacco without help from a store worker. The law also outlines how the state can seize or destroy illegal tobacco products, especially if they weren’t approved for sale or sold without a permit. Vape and nicotine products must be listed in an official state directory, and companies that break this rule could be fined thousands of dollars. Finally, the bill removes the old law about tobacco access for minors and replaces it with a stricter system. Both bills never got any further than their respective Rules Committees.
HB 468 – Regulate Kratom Products – House Bill 468 sets strict rules for how kratom products can be made, tested, labeled, sold, and advertised in North Carolina. It requires manufacturers and sellers to be licensed, test their products in approved labs, and avoid harmful additives, synthetic ingredients, or misleading packaging, especially anything that targets kids. It bans kratom use in schools, prohibits sales to anyone under 21, and allows the state’s Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE) to enforce the law through inspections, penalties, and license suspensions. The bill also outlines clear labeling, safety warnings, and age restrictions similar to tobacco laws. Violations can result in fines, license loss, or criminal charges. The bill passed the Agriculture and Environment, Regulatory Reform, and was sent to the House Rules Committee, which has not acted on it.
HB 984 – Regulate Research of Medical Cannabis – This bill would have allowed doctors and medical researchers in North Carolina to study cannabis (marijuana) as a treatment for specific health conditions. Patients with serious illnesses could use cannabis legally, but only if they were part of a registered medical research study and had a doctor’s approval. Parents or legal guardians (called caregivers) could help give the medicine and wouldn’t get in trouble. The state would keep a private list of who was involved, and leftover cannabis would have to be safely turned in at a police drop-off box. People in the program wouldn’t be arrested for having or using cannabis as long as they followed the rules. The goal was to learn more about how cannabis might help people medically while keeping it tightly regulated and safe. The initiative never got out of the House Rules Committee.
Education and Student Opportunities
SB 48 – Access to Sports and Extracurricular Activities for All – This bill allows students who attend a public, private, or home school that doesn’t offer a certain sport or extracurricular activity to participate in that activity at a nearby public high school that does. The student would have to follow the same rules as students enrolled at that school. The school can charge a reasonable participation fee, which must be approved and posted publicly by the local school board. This gives more students access to sports and activities they wouldn’t otherwise be able to join. This bill was referred to Senate Rules and never moved.
Alcohol Policy and Regulatory Changes
HB 198 – Amend Law on Notice of ABC Violation – House Bill 198 would have removed the requirement that ALE agents and local ABC officers notify alcohol permit holders directly of violations on their premises within five business days. Instead, it would have made the ABC Commission solely responsible for informing permit holders within five business days of receiving any such violation report from any law enforcement agency, including ALE and local ABC officers. The change would have centralized and standardized the notification process. The bill passed the House. Upon receipt in the Senate, the measure was sent to the Rules Committee, where it currently resides.
Although the session ended somewhat open-ended, the fight for our values is not over. Many of the measures highlighted in this report remain eligible for consideration whenever lawmakers reconvene. This means there’s still time to influence what becomes law in North Carolina.
Rev. Mark Creech, Director of Government Relations for Return America, was a strong voice for Christian values this session, testifying before legislative committees on several of these key bills. His presence at the General Assembly is like having someone at the table on your behalf, standing for truth, family, and religious liberty. As we await the legislature’s return, we urge you to stay engaged, prayerful, and stand firm for righteousness in public policy.
Here’s some important information that happened recently on the national level you should know.
IRS Says Churches Can Speak on Politics Without Penalty.
This week, the IRS officially agreed in court that churches may speak about political candidates during worship services without violating federal law. The agreement came after a lawsuit challenged the Johnson Amendment, which restricts political activity by tax-exempt organizations. The IRS clarified that when pastors or religious leaders address political issues or even endorse candidates during sermons, such speech is considered private, faith-based communication, not political campaigning. It’s treated more like a family discussion than a public political act. This means churches can speak freely to their congregations about elections as part of their religious mission, without risking their tax-exempt status. However, the IRS did not lift the ban on churches officially campaigning, such as donating to candidates or coordinating with political parties, which remains prohibited. This action fulfills President Trump’s longstanding promise to free churches from the chilling effects of the Johnson Amendment, including protections he first advanced through a 2017 executive order.
Two Big Reasons to Celebrate the Big Beautiful Bill
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes a provision that blocks Medicaid funds from going to any provider that performs abortions and also receives more than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements, effectively defunding Planned Parenthood and similar organizations for up to one year.
This move would almost certainly lead to the closure of many Planned Parenthood clinics that depend heavily on these funds. However, a federal judge has issued a temporary 14-day injunction, halting this part of the law and preventing the Trump Administration from cutting off Medicaid payments while the legal challenge proceeds. Unfortunately, this judicial overreach undermines the bill’s intent, as the provision is time-limited to just one year. At the same time, the legal battle could drag on for weeks or even months, delaying or entirely thwarting its intended impact.
Still, we rejoice that we are living in a time when Congress takes such a stand against abortion and its providers. We must continue to pray for the restoration of our courts.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” also establishes a new federal private-school scholarship program: students in households earning up to 300% of the area’s median income can receive scholarships for private school tuition, books, and instructional materials.
These provisions are part of a broader bill that also includes other major policies such as expanded child tax credits, border wall funding, and deep cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
