Jan. 1 ushered in a new year and new laws in North Carolina, including one that recognizes only two genders.
HB 805, Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors, defines a man and a woman based on a person’s biological sex at birth, which includes the definitions for a boy, girl, male, female, man, woman, mother, and father. It also states that gender identity is a term that means an individual’s self-declared identity that may not align with biological sex, and being a subjective internal sense, shall not be treated as legally or biologically equivalent to sex.
“It strips access to medically necessary healthcare to transgender youth and others — not because it saves money, not because the science supports it, but because some in this chamber want to impose their personal beliefs on other people’s bodies,” state Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, said in June when it passed the House. “No other area of medicine do we single out a provider for this kind of punishment.”
In a press release, the North Carolina Republican Party applauded the legislation for helping Democrats to “finally learn what a woman is.”
“House Bill 805 makes clear what most people already know to be true: there are two genders. Despite the best efforts of the far Left, the people of North Carolina strongly believe in these common-sense measures,” said NCGOP communications director Matt Mercer.
Stein, a Democrat, vetoed the bill in July, but the General Assembly overrode the veto a few weeks later.
The governor was, however, in agreement with HB 959, Protecting Students in a Digital Age, which he signed into law on July 1. It requires school boards to adopt policies prohibiting students’ access to social-media platforms in the classroom “except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes,” and the policy prohibits students from using, displaying, or having a wireless communication device turned on during instructional time, unless otherwise instructed by a teacher.
It bans TikTok on devices owned by school districts or through internet access provided by the school district. The measure also integrates lessons into existing health and mental health curricula to educate students on the dangers of excessive social media use.
“This is really an effort to further address what I think is generally recognized as the issue of social media and the negative impacts that they can have, both educationally and mentally and emotionally on our children,” said state Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, the bill’s primary sponsor, during a House K-12 Education Committee meeting.
School districts were required to have policies in place by Jan. 1.
HB 506, the 2025 State Investment Modernization Act, replaces the state’s sole fiduciary model for its pension fund with a five-member North Carolina Investment Authority Board.
State Treasurer Brad Briner, who heads the board, campaigned on the change while running for office in 2024, saying he believes small groups make better investment decisions than individuals. He also believes the sole fiduciary model has the potential for corruption, as only one person can make decisions without a set of checks and balances.
Stein signed it into law in July.
Portions of SB 478, the SCRIPT Act, strengthen pharmacy audit protections and give more transparency in prescription drug pricing. Specifically, by Jan. 31 of each year, a manufacturer shall notify all interested parties of any price increase of 15% or greater that occurred in the prior calendar year for a prescription drug with a price of $100 or more for a 30-day supply.
Stein signed the bill into law in July.
HB 67, Healthcare Workforce Reforms, also signed by the governor in July, strengthens access to health care and provides a streamlined process that allows physicians to become licensed in multiple states.
It also allows for internationally trained and licensed physicians to practice medicine in the state, which has been a source of controversy on social media. But others say that with the state’s population boom, North Carolina is projected to be short over 7,700 doctors by 2030, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and that something needs to be done.
Additionally, the bill requires hospitals to adopt and implement policies that mandate the use of a smoke evacuation/filtering system during any surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke, such as those involving lasers and saws. If a hospital doesn’t comply, the Department of Health and Human Services may take action against the hospital.
SB 321, The Accounting Workforce Development Act, introduces a new pathway to CPA licensure.
For over 20 years, becoming a CPA meant earning 150 college credits, passing the demanding CPA exam, and completing a year of professional experience. The requirement to earn 150 credits essentially meant a graduate degree or another 30 credits (one extra year of college), since undergraduate programs only offer 120 credit hours. That extra time and cost pushed many students away from pursuing accounting as a career, according to the NC Association of CPAs (NCACPA).
The alternative path requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, two years of supervised CPA experience, and passing the same exam. Ultimately, this new pathway removes the need for graduate or additional school. Additionally, it allows aspiring CPAs to replace what would be a year of paying for school with the ability to earn money and gain work experience.
Applicants who qualify through either route can be licensed through the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners.
SB 248, Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted, requires birth certificates for people who are adopted to look similar to those who aren’t, and it should contain no reference to the adoption of the adoptee and shall not refer to the adoptive parents in any way other than as the adoptee’s parents.
Other laws can be found here.