This Week at the Legislature
After last week’s House budget veto override, Senate leader Phil Berger stated that the Senate would not attempt a budget veto override this week, as the Senate’s focus was on finishing the court-ordered redrawing of selected legislative districts. Both chambers approved each other’s new legislative district maps by the deadline of Wednesday, September 18. The Senate is not likely to consider a budget veto override vote until the newly vacant seat of State Senator Dan Bishop, R-Mecklenburg, who resigned this week after winning the 9th Congressional district race, is filled.
Also this week, Governor Cooper signed additional mini-budget bills into session law.
- HB 29: Standing Up for Rape Victims Act of 2019 (S.L. 2019-221)
- HB 75: School Safety Funds, Programs, and Reports (S.L. 2019-222) (see summary below)
- SB 118: Prison Safety/TANF State Plan/Clarifications (S.L. 2019-223)
- SB 429: Disaster Recovery – 2019 Budget Provisions (S.L. 2019-224)
Below is a list of mini-budget bills signed into session law prior to this week.
- HB 126: Pay Increases/State Highway Patrol (S.L. 2019-210)
- HB 226: Pay Increases/State Employees (S.L. 2019-209)
- HB 609: Salary Increases/Adult Correctional Employees (S.L. 2019-208)
- HB 777: Pay Increases/SBI & ALE (S.L. 2019-211)
- HB 961: Ensuring Authorization of Federal Funds (S.L. 2019-192)
House and Senate leaders have both publicly confirmed that they will not be holding voting sessions before Monday, September 30.
Highlights of K-12 Education Bill
HB 75: School Safety Funds, Programs, and Reports
- Signed into S.L. 2019-222 on Wednesday, September 18
- Appropriates funds for school safety
| HB 75 (S.L. 2019-222) FY 2019-2020 FY 2020-2021 | ||||
| Additional funding for the Instructional Support Allotment to increase school mental health support personnel | $20,000,000 | R | $23,000,000 | R |
| Continued funding for School Safety Equipment Grants | $6,100,000 | NR | ||
| Continued funding of School Safety Training Grants | $4,500,000 | NR | ||
| Continued funding for Students in Crisis Grants | $4,500,000 | NR | ||
| Additional funding for School Resource Officer Grants | $3,000,000 | R | $6,000,000 | R |
- Requires an annual report on school resources officers
- Requires development of a recommended school mental health crisis response program
- Requires annual reports on school mental health support personnel
- Expresses the intention of the General Assembly that additional funds provided for instructional support personnel be used to fund additional school mental health support personnel
- Requires DPI to study and report on school psychologist and school counselor positions
- Provides for eight additional agents of the State Bureau of Investigation to support the Behavioral Threat Assessment program
Since both the House and the Senate will not be holding voting sessions next week, NCSBA will not be sending out a weekly Legislative Update on Friday, September 27.
Leanne E. Winner
Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6686
Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6692
Richard Bostic
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6677
Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6688