This Week at the Capital
Welcome to This Week at the Capital, your detailed breakdown of the legislation that matters most to your business. The NC Chamber tracks the bills our advocacy team is monitoring, in accordance with our 2026 legislative agenda, describing where those bills are in the legislative process and whether we support or oppose them on your behalf.
Throughout the legislative session, bills of high importance to the business community are added under one of the three pillars of North Carolina Vision 2030, the NC Chamber Foundation’s strategic road map for our state’s future. These pillars include Education and Talent Supply, Competitive Business Climate, and Infrastructure and Growth. Votes and sponsorships on the legislation listed here will ultimately be considered for inclusion in How They Voted, our post-session legislative report card.
July 2, 2026 Edition
State Budget Update: Budget Proposal Advances Key NC Chamber Priorities
Legislative leaders released a state budget proposal this week that includes several policy provisions championed by the NC Chamber. While the NC Chamber does not take positions on specific appropriations, the budget has increasingly become a vehicle for public policy that the NC Chamber monitors closely on behalf of North Carolina’s business community. The proposal includes measures to expand access to childcare, preserve North Carolina’s predictable labor environment, and advance science-based environmental policy. Click here for a closer look at the NC Chamber priorities reflected in the budget proposal and what they mean for North Carolina’s business community.
The General Assembly is expected to vote on the budget by the end of the week before sending it to Gov. Josh Stein.
NC Chamber Brings Business Perspective to New Health Care Affordability Commission
NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido has been appointed as an advisory member of Gov. Josh Stein’s newly established Health Care Affordability Commission. Gov. Josh Stein signed Executive Order No. 39 this week, establishing the Health Care Affordability Commission to develop concrete solutions to rising healthcare costs for North Carolinians. The commission, co-chaired by NC State Treasurer Brad Briner and NC Secretary of Health and Human Services Devdutta Sangvai, will bring together healthcare providers, hospitals, insurers, researchers, and patient advocates to tackle affordability across the state. The NC Chamber’s seat at the table reflects its leadership on healthcare as both a workforce and economic priority and aligns directly with the work the NC Chamber is leading through Carolina HealthWorks to expand access to quality health coverage for small businesses and their employees.
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Education and Talent Supply
H1086: Child Care Initiative Funds/Reform/Study
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to expand childcare academies currently being piloted in Johnston and Wayne counties. These academies provide free, accelerated training for lead teacher credentials, along with stipends to support workforce entry and retention.
Why we’re supporting: The bill would expand access to child care and address growing workforce challenges.
H1163/S986: Workforce Act of 2026
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to modernize North Carolina’s education-to-workforce pipeline with a range of initiatives and appropriations.
Why we’re opposing: We oppose this bill due to SECTION 3.1.(c) Data Coordination.
H1124: Interstate Compact for School Psychologists
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill would add North Carolina to the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact. Interstate Licensure Compacts are agreements among participating states to streamline the process to obtain licenses to practice across state lines.
Why we’re supporting: The bill would promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the need for separate licenses across states.
S1042: Child Welfare/Foster Care/Child Care Funding
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to improve childcare access and affordability through measures such as raising the childcare subsidy rates, expanding the Tri-Share childcare program, and broadening in-home childcare pilot programs.
Why we’re monitoring: We are monitoring this bill because of its potential impacts on childcare access in North Carolina.
Competitive Business Climate
H315: Prohibit Litigation Invest/Amend WC Benefits
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill would ban Third Party Litigation Investment (TPLI) in North Carolina. TPLI is a practice that allows outside investors to fund lawsuits in exchange for a share of the settlement. The practice is bad for business and bad for consumers, and the NC Chamber continues to advocate for a ban on the practice in North Carolina.
Why we’re supporting: Banning the practice would position North Carolina as a national leader in providing a fair, competitive legal climate that protects individuals and businesses.
H1165: Hygiene Products Protections/Sales Tax
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill would exempt qualifying menstruation products from state sales and use tax by establishing a new certification program within the Department of Commerce to certify menstruation products as free of intentionally added PFAS.
Why we’re supporting: We are supporting this bill because it promotes voluntary and intentional regulation of select consumer products. The NC Chamber acknowledges that not all consumer products can be made without PFAS because of its durability and versatility, so a voluntary certification program allows businesses who are able to meet said requirements to participate.
S947: Military Influence Areas
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill would allow local governments in North Carolina to establish ‘military influence areas’ within five miles of major military installations and set zoning regulations to prevent incompatible development and protect military readiness.
Why we’re supporting: We are supporting this bill because it would help protect military readiness.
S1039: Construction Inspection Efficiency Act
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to speed up permit-related inspections and streamline building code compliance by allowing owners, permit holders, contractors, and their agents in North Carolina to utilize certified and registered private construction inspectors or inspection firms for both residential and commercial projects when local inspection departments fail to perform requested inspections within ten business days or an agreed time.
Why we’re supporting: The NC Chamber supports regulatory and permitting efficiency reforms that improve project timelines and foster economic growth.
S1082: NC Right to Work Amendment
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to amend the Constitution of North Carolina to ensure the right to work for all North Carolinians. The amendment would ensure no worker can be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. Importantly, the proposal does not make unions illegal or prohibit workers from joining a union if they choose. Instead, it protects a worker’s freedom to choose whether to join a union.
Why we’re supporting: North Carolina’s right-to-work status has played an important role in establishing the state as a national leader in economic competitiveness and job growth. As outlined in North Carolina Vision 2030, maintaining policies that strengthen North Carolina’s business climate remains critical to attracting investment, supporting job creation, and expanding opportunity for all North Carolinians. The NC Chamber will continue advocating for policies that preserve North Carolina’s right-to-work framework and strengthen long-term economic competitiveness. Read More >
Infrastructure and Growth Leadership
S1043: 2026 Water Safety Act
expand_moreExpand for more contentThis bill aims to establish water quality regulations, create new funding mechanisms for PFAS mitigation, and establish new permitting and compliance requirements for certain industrial users.
Why we’re monitoring: We are monitoring this bill’s potential impact on water quality regulations, permitting requirements, and compliance obligations for certain industries.
S1010: FUTURE NC Infrastructure Act
expand_moreExpand for more contentThe bill establishes the North Carolina Infrastructure Investment Commission to develop and submit a comprehensive, long-term statewide infrastructure investment plan.
Why we’re supporting: The NC Chamber supports Senate Bill 1010 because it recognizes an important reality: North Carolina needs a long-term, integrated infrastructure strategy tied to economic competitiveness, growth, resiliency, and project readiness.