North Carolina House introduces two dozen bills, refers measures to Rules; journal approved and chamber adjourns

The North Carolina House read a package of bills and referred them to the committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House, approved the journal for Jan. 29 and adjourned to reconvene Monday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m., according to the chamber transcript.

The batch of introduced measures, as read by the clerk, includes House Bill 2 (Entry fees for high school interscholastic events); House Bill 3 (Simpson election changes, even years); House Bill 4 (Sam’s Law); House Bill 5 (NC Constitutional Carry Act); House Bill 6 (town election changes, even years); House Bill 7 (NC Reclaiming College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage Reach Act); House Bill 8 (NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 02/2025); House Bill 9 (firearm discharge, preemption of local ordinance); House Bill 10 (state travel allowance reimbursement study); House Bill 11 (no tax on tips, overtime, bonus pay); House Bill 12 (observe standard time all year); House Bill 13 (charges for payments by credit or debit card); House Bill 14 (gambling losses tax deduction); House Bill 15 (support private property rights); House Bill 16 (General Assembly display of “In God We Trust”); House Bill 17 (extend term of mayor, town of Madison); House Bill 20 (Fair Maps Act); House Bill 21 (driver’s license designation — autism); House Bill 22 (fire investigation law revisions); House Bill 23 (allow Stanley Community College culinary off campus); House Bill 24 (restore down zoning authority); and House Bill 25 (restore down zoning authority for Stanley and Catawba). The clerk announced each bill’s title and sponsor(s) and said each was referred to the Rules committee or, as stated, “referred to rules.”

Why it matters: the bills cover a wide array of policy areas — elections, education and college programs, public safety and firearms, taxes and deductions, time observance, and local zoning authority — and referral to Rules is the standard next step before committee assignment, hearings, or floor action.

Procedural actions recorded in the transcript include Representative Honeycutt moving that the Jan. 29 journal be approved as written; the chamber adopted the motion by voice vote and the journal was approved. Later, a motion to adjourn and reconvene Monday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m., “subject to standard stipulation set forward in Rule 15.1,” was moved (recorded in the transcript as moved and seconded by members identified in the audio) and adopted by voice vote.

No floor debate on the merits of the newly introduced bills is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the clerk’s reading consisted of sponsors, bill numbers and short titles followed by referral statements. The transcript does not record roll-call vote tallies for the journal approval or adjournment; both actions were taken by voice vote with the presiding officer announcing that the ayes had it.

Going forward: each introduced bill will proceed through committee referral and any subsequent committee hearings or floor action according to chamber rules and scheduling by the Rules committee and leadership.