N.C. House to Vote on Covid-19 Relief Funding and Policy Reforms Thursday

Raleigh, N.C. – The full state House of Representatives will vote on a Covid-19 relief package Thursday after committees today approved a range of policy and appropriations measures that were merged into an omnibus proposal.

House Bill 1043 will combine policy proposals from the House Select Committee on Covid-19’s healthcare, economic, education, and government operations working groups with over $1.7 billion in appropriations of federal funding.
 
The House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House voted to merge those proposals into House Bill 1043, which is expected to receive a vote by the full House on Thursday.
 
New legislative rules expand the voting window from 15 seconds to 40 minutes, allow questions to be submitted off the floor, allow caucus leaders to vote for designated members of their parties, permit same-day calendaring of bills given proper notice, and allow remote meetings of official committees.
 
“Our bipartisan pandemic response act was developed over weeks of remote committee meetings and we know North Carolinians need its funding, reforms, and tax relief now,” Speaker Moore said Wednesday.
 
“Just as the General Assembly worked collaboratively in a bipartisan, bicameral way to provide over $1 billion in hurricane relief since 2016, we will also find a successful shared path for putting North Carolina’s strong emergency preparations into action for folks who are really hurting from this pandemic.”
 
The North Carolina House of Representatives convenes at noon on Thursday.
 
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