North Carolina HB 1066: Community College System Funding Priorities.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1066

Short Title: Child Care Stabilization & Affordability Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Helfrich, Lofton, Prather, and von Haefen (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 29, 2026
*H1066-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PERMIT OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS TO BE AWARDED FOR 2
PREKINDERGARTEN; TO MAKE PERMANENT THE TRI-SHARE CHILD CARE 3
PILOT PROGRAM; TO REENACT THE CHILD CARE TAX CREDIT; TO EXPAND 4
THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WORKFORCE; TO STREAMLINE 5
ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS; TO UTILIZE 6
PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR CHILD CARE; TO CLARIFY REGULATORY GUIDANCE 7
FOR RELIGIOUS CHILD CARE PROGRAMS; TO STABILIZE CHILD CARE 8
FUNDING AND BENEFITS IN NORTH CAROLINA; AND TO ENHANCE CHILD 9
CARE WORKFORCE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS. 10
Whereas, affordable and accessible child care is essential to workforce participation, 11
small business stability, and economic growth across the State; and 12
Whereas, North Carolina faces significant shortages in licensed child care capacity 13
due to workforce constraints, regulatory bottlenecks, and rising operating costs; and 14
Whereas, early childhood educators are often paid wages insufficient to sustain the 15
workforce needed to meet statewide demand; and 16
Whereas, expanding training pathways, including apprenticeships and community 17
college programs, can strengthen the child care workforce pipeline; and 18
Whereas, the lack of coordinated administrative systems requires child care providers 19
to interact with multiple agencies and funding streams; and 20
Whereas, the General Assembly has a compelling interest in expanding safe, 21
high-quality child care while ensuring regulatory clarity, workforce development, and economic 22
participation; Now, therefore, 23
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 24
25
PART I. REVISE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND REDUCE FUNDS FOR THE 26
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 27
SECTION 1.1.(a) G.S. 115C-562.1(3a) reads as rewritten: 28
"(3a) Eligible student. – A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet 29
received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following 30
requirements: 31
a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 32
25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of 4 on or before April 16 is 33
eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or 34
equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1066-First Edition
the student meets the requirements established by the Authority 1
pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the 2
Authority. 3
b. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution as a full-time 4
student taking at least 12 hours of academic credit. 5
c. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public 6
agency at public expense. 7
d. Resides in a household with an income level not in excess of two 8
hundred percent (200%) of the amount required for the student to 9
qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program." 10
SECTION 1.1.(b) G.S. 115C-562.2 reads as rewritten: 11
"§ 115C-562.2. Scholarship grants. 12
(a) The Authority shall make available no later than February 1 annually applications to 13
eligible students for the award of scholarship grants to attend any nonpublic school on a full- or 14
part-time basis. Information about scholarship grants and the application process shall be made 15
available on the Authority's website. Beginning March 15, the Authority shall begin awarding 16
scholarship grants to students who have applied by March 1 in the following order: 17
(1) Eligible students who received a scholarship grant for the school year prior to 18
the school year for which the students are applying. 19
(2) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 20
under subdivision (1) of subsection (b2) of this section. 21
(3) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 22
under subdivision (2) of subsection (b2) of this section. 23
(4) Eligible students qualifying for a scholarship grant in the amount provided 24
under subdivision (3) of subsection (b2) of this section. 25
(5) All other students. 26
... 27
(b2) Scholarship grants shall be awarded to eligible students as follows: 28
(1) For students residing in households with an income level not in excess of the 29
amount required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price 30
lunch program, per year per eligible student, an amount of up to one hundred 31
percent (100%) of the average State per pupil allocation for average daily 32
membership in the prior fiscal year. 33
(2) For students residing in households with an income level b