Governor McCrory Signs Legislation to Protect Consumers and Support Those with Developmental Disabilities | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Raleigh, N.C.     Governor Pat McCrory has signed 16 bills into law, including legislation which protects consumers and supports those with development disabilities.

    "A central philosophy of our team since day one has been to help those who can't help themselves, while encouraging those who can," said Governor McCrory. "These bills bring needed security and support for all North Carolina families, including those with disabilities."

    House Bill 1033 waives the fee for a special identification card issued to a person with a developmental disability. Under current law, an applicant for a special identification card can have the fee waived for exemptions including being blind, at least 70 years old, physically or mentally disabled, or homeless.

    House Bill 287 enhances and improves consumer protections and transparency related to motor vehicle maintenance and repairs, long-term care insurance and consent to rate issues. It also studies how to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.

    In addition, the bill makes amendments to various insurance laws including increasing the criminal penalty for large-scale fraud committed by an insurance fiduciary; strengthening commercial auto rate evasion reform; reforming North Carolina's captive insurance law provisions; enabling the establishment of a state-based private flood insurance market; enabling insurers to receive restitution from convicted defendants; and exempting certain Accountable Care Organizations from department regulation.

    Other bills signed by Governor McCrory include:

• House Bill 842 - An act to protect access to Medicaid waivers by dependents of members of the Armed Forces.
• Senate Bill 19 - An act to adjust the uniform fee for recording deeds of trust with the register of deeds in order to comply with closing disclosure requirements established by the federal Truth in Lending and Real Estate Settlement Procedures acts.
• Senate Bill 792 - An act setting the limits of contractor liability under state information technology procurement contracts.
• House Bill 1035 - An act authorizing the Local Government Commission to require basic financial training for finance officers of certain local government and public authorities.
• House Bill 567 - An act to modify the minimum acreage requirements in certain tracts of land used as cemeteries.
• House Bill 960 - An act to modify the ability of a member of the teachers' and state employees' retirement system to purchase credit for employment in a charter school operated by a private nonprofit corporation and to require cost estimates for statutory changes to service purchase provisions.
• House Bill 289 - An act to enact the North Carolina Money Transmitters Act as requested by the Office of the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks.
• House Bill 242 - An act to make various changes to the Charter School laws.
• House Bill 253 - An act to amend provisions of the Justice Reinvestment Act.
• House Bill 523 - An act to direct the Division of Motor Vehicles to use a certain designation on drivers licenses when listing the race of an applicant who is American Indian.
• House Bill 533 - An act to modify when the lien for deferred taxes on land eligible for Present-Use Value classification is extinguished in order to promote sales for land conservation uses and to allow a taxpayer to contest a denial of a claim for refund which the Department of Revenue determines to be outside the statute of limitation.
• House Bill 594 - An act to modify the requirements for motor vehicle dealer records retention, availability for inspection by the Division of Motor Vehicles and format.
• House Bill 678 - An act to make various amendments to the laws regarding the Innocence Commission.
• House Bill 817 - An act enacting the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act of 2016.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov