August 20 Legislative Update

August 20, 2021

Legislative Highlights

Update on Legislature and Budget Process:
This week the Senate had a full week of committee meetings and voting sessions. The budget (SB105 2021 Appropriations Act) passed the House on August 12 but was not concurred on by the Senate. This means the House and Senate chambers will appoint budget negotiators and meet in a conference committee.
Senator deViere was appointed to be a negotiator and member of the conference committee for SB105. Over the next few weeks Senator deViere will work with colleagues in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle to craft a budget that works for North Carolina. You can view the details of the committee here.
Sponsored Bills Moving Through Committee:
SB 711 Compassionate Care Act
This bill would legalize cannabis as a medically prescriptible treatment for certain conditions, including cancer and PTSD. The Compassionate Care Act is an important step forward for those who are suffering from severe pain and our veterans suffering from PTSD.
This bill was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on July 21 and is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 727 Support Lumbee Recognition Act
This bill adds the North Carolina Senate’s voice to the calls for federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. This bill was introduced on 6/21/2021, it is currently in the Senate Rules Committee.

Vaccine Update

A free COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all who want it.
Rest assured: you have a spot to take your shot.
  • You will likely need an appointment to get vaccinated.
  • Your local vaccine provider can help you get your shot. Because supplies are very limited right now, most doctors cannot provide vaccinations in their offices.
  • You can also call the toll-free COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center at 1-888-675-4567.
What you should know:
  • The vaccine is free everywhere in North Carolina.
  • No photo ID or insurance is needed.
  • Depending on where you get your vaccine, you may need to make an appointment.
  • U.S. citizenship is not required or checked.

Find Vaccine Location: https://myspot.nc.gov/

Need transportation to and from your vaccine or test provider? People who need transportation assistance to a COVID-19 vaccine or testing appointment should reach out to their local transit agency. You can find your local transit agency online and can call the phone number listed for assistance.
As of August 19, North Carolina has administered over 10.1 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine:
Statewide:
-5,113,844 first doses
-4,672,880 second doses
-378,423 single shot doses
10,165,147 Total Doses
Cumberland County:
-179,514 with at least one dose (54%)
-162,645 fully vaccinated (48%)
More info on Vaccines: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations
The NC Department of Health & Human Services is sponsoring free COVID-19 testing sites throughout North Carolina.
Find Free Testing Location: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-my-testing-place/no-cost-community-testing-events

Thank You and Best Wishes to Our Summer Intern, Cate!

This week was the last one for our summer intern Cole, who spent the last three months interning in Senator deViere’s office in Raleigh. Cole is a native of Charlotte and a Junior at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he is studying Political Science and History. Cole is also a student-athlete on the Football team! Thanks for all your help, Cole!
Are you a current college student interested in interning at the General Assembly? Submit an application here!

In The Community

Above: Senator deViere and son Greyson attend Airborne Day at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville.

Above: Senator deViere had the honor of attending the Change of Command Ceremony for the United States Army Special Operations Command held on Fort Bragg.

Above: Senator deViere attended a COVID -19 vaccination clinic hosted by Healthier Together and the City of Fayetteville in Downtown Fayetteville.

Available Resources

CDC Issues New Temporary Protection from Eviction:

CDC is issuing a new order temporarily halting evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission in order to respond to recent, unexpected developments in the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant.

It is intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which likely would be exacerbated by mass evictions. See map below for impacted areas:

More Info and Full Declaration: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html

Fayetteville/Cumberland Rental Assistance Program (RAP):
Eligible residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County can apply for rent and utility aid through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (RAP). The RAP will help cover past, current or upcoming rent or utility payments for households experiencing economic constraints from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be eligible, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling and meet the following criteria:
  • Resident of the City of Fayetteville or Cumberland County, North Carolina;
  • One or more individuals within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
  • Household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Please note that households with an income at or below 50% will be prioritized during the first 30 days of the program to ensure funding is made available to our most vulnerable populations. Households not in this priority group are still encouraged to apply at this time and should be aware of potential delays in application review and processing.
Landlords may begin an application and invite tenants to request assistance for rental arrears.
More info and application: https://iem-preregistration.com/cumberland-nc
New Broadband Affordability Program
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households.
If your household is eligible, you can receive:
  • Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
  • Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household.
More info and application: https://getemergencybroadband.org/

Legislative Update

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently in the long session. All Senate bills for the session are now filed.
The Office of Senator Kirk deViere will remain open to assist constituents with concerns, as well as to field opinions regarding the Senator’s legislative actions.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office:
Directly: DeviereLA@ncleg.gov
Office: (919) 733-5776