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More.
House Bill 12, Stop Methamphetamine Labs, which establishes electronic tracking of pseudoephedrine purchases. Other states have seen a dramatic reduction in methamphetamine labs by using similar systems.
· House Bill 271, Probation Officer/No Concealed Carry Required, exempts off-duty probation and parole certified officers from existing concealed carry laws.
· House Bill 344, Tax Credits for Children with Disabilities, allows for an individual income tax credit for children with disabilities who require special education.
· House Bill 515, Community College Tuition for Members of Military, (the companion bill to my Senate Bill 446) will permit community colleges to include the cost of textbooks in the tuition charged for members of the armed forces.
· House Bill 642, Justice Reinvestment Act, will give probation officers more authority, require drug treatment for probationers and parolees who need it, move most misdemeanor offenders from state prisons to county jails and impose longer sentences for repeat breaking-and-entering convictions.
· House Bill 650, Amend Various Gun Laws/Castle Doctrine will enable individuals to enjoy protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack in their residence.
· House Bill 845, Annexation Reform Act of 2011, will allow property owners to block annexation if 60 percent of them petition against it.
· Senate Bill 716, Study Statewide Property Insurance Structure, creates a Joint Legislative Study Commission on Property Insurance Rate Making. This Commission will study the adequacy of citizen input in property insurance rate making and the manner in which property insurance rates are proposed, reviewed, approved and appealed. The Commission will give citizens and policyholders a voice in the rate appeals process. This bill was included in a study bill, House Bill 773, which passed both chambers this week. Hopefully, this study will reveal how unfair our insurance rates are on the coast and how the existing rate making process got us to this point.
· Senate Bill 781, Regulatory Reform Act of 2011, streamlines state agency rules and regulations. In my opinion, this was one of the most important bills we passed this session because I feel this bill is a definite job-creator.
· Senate Bill 129, State Mineral Is Gold, will establish gold as the official state mineral.
· House Bill 36, Employers and Local Government Must Use E-Verify, expands requirements for employers to use the federal E-Verify database to check workers’ immigration status. Any employer who employs twenty five or more employees in North Carolina is subject to this requirement.
· House Bill 709, Protect and Put NC Back to Work, updates the Workers' Compensation Act. The current law has no cap, while surrounding states have limits. As a result, existing workers' compensation laws are making it hard to bring in new companies. Hopefully this reform will fix this problem.
· Senate Bill 33, Medical Liability Reforms, revises laws relating to medical liability suits. The bill provides that judgment against any defendant for noneconomic damages is capped at $500,000 for all claims brought by parties arising out of the same professional services. The bill also provides that there is no limit on the amount of noneconomic damage for which judgment may be entered if: (1) the plaintiff suffered disfigurement, loss of use of part of the body, permanent injury or death; and (2) the defendant’s acts or failures, which caused the plaintiff’s injuries, were committed in reckless disregard of the rights of others, grossly negligent, fraudulent, intentional, or with malice.
· Senate Bill 110, Permit Terminal Groins, allows up to four small, sand-trapping jetties at inlets along the coast if they meet a list of conditions related to their permitting, construction and financing. The bill will prohibit state funding without a special vote of the legislature and any local financing would have to be approved by voters.
· Senate Bill 125, Regional Schools, allows multiple school districts to collaborate and establish regional schools to serve enrolled students in two or more school districts. The bill would also enable counties to partner with institutions of higher education, private businesses and organizations to ensure that our children will be equipped for the global economy. In the past, county lines have been a barrier to educational opportunities. Regional schools will allow students access to these previously missed opportunities
· Senate Bill 709, Energy Jobs Act, will result in a secure, stable and predictable energy supply to facilitate economic growth and job creation. Future revenues from energy exploration and production will also be used to protect the state’s natural resources.
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