As of the NC Senate filling deadline on April 6, state Senators filed 346 bills on a wide range of topics, including COVID relief, tax laws, business development, business grants, redistricting reform, employment law, and the state budget.
Below is a list of bills relating to NCBC’s 2021 Policy Agenda that are being tracked on behalf of our small business and entrepreneur members.
Small Business Resiliency / Economic Resilience
(S-494) Modify and Enhance the One North Carolina Small Business Program. This bill effects businesses that receive funding through a SBIR/STTR Phase I. It increases the maximum grant match and allows funding for education and outreach, among other changes.
(S-512) Provide tax incentives for small businesses to hire North Carolina workers.
(S-589) Allow small businesses to eliminate state income taxes on a portion of revenue if used for capital expenditures.
(S-524) Create a $250 million Small Business Relief fund to provide grants of up to $250,000 to small businesses that had experience disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(S-715) Create a $300 million Hospitality Industry fund to provide grants of up to $500,000 to businesses in the hospitality industry.
(H-334) and (S-112) Allow businesses to deduct expenses covered by loans. This change would cost the state $367 million in revenue for the next fiscal year, according to legislative analysis of the bill.
Election Integrity
Three proposed laws would set criteria for drawing North Carolina’s congressional and state legislative districts.
(H-495) and (S-581) A proposal to use criteria established by a variety of court decisions over the past decade to avoid partisan or racial gerrymandering.
(S-511) A proposal to use a “county cluster” system developed by a group of Duke University mathematicians to create redistricting maps that are not based on partisan political interests.
Two proposed laws would strengthen state election and ethics laws.
(H-542) and (S-716} A proposal to establish an independent redistricting process for redrawing North Carolina’s Congressional and state legislative districts. A proposal to create automatic voter registration and online voter registration in North Carolina. A proposal to improve transparency of the legislative process by providing a 48-hour notice of legislative committee meetings and ensure all legislative meetings have streaming audio and video available.
Health Care Gap
NCBC will continue to monitor for specific proposals regarding the Health Care Gap. In the meantime, Gov. Roy Cooper addresses the issue in his budget. (See article below.)
Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget puts Medicaid expansion back “on the table”
Diversity Inclusion
(S-558) Encourage and Promote the use of Veteran Contractors in State Purchasing of goods and services, state construction contracts, and state information technology procurement. This bill would also require the Department of Administration to collect and compile data on the use of Veteran Businesses in the state contracts.
(S-568) Increase the number of minority and historically underutilized businesses used in state contracts. This bill would appropriate funds to the department of administration and clarifying the definition of the term "responsible, responsive bidder."
Environment / Agriculture
(H-342) Building Code/EV Charging Station. This bill would amend North Carolina’s Building Code to require that new construction of one- and two-family residences include an electric circuit that can accommodate an EV charging device.
(H-245) Efficient Government Buildings & Savings Act. This bill, in an effort to save taxpayer dollars, would require energy and water savings in public buildings by 2027.
(S-358) C-PACE Program. This bill would authorize certain financing mechanisms for commercial building improvements to increase energy efficiency and resiliency.