Legislative Highlights
Update on Legislature and Budget Process:
This week the Senate is slowing down as we are waiting on the budget to move forward. The budget (SB105 2021 Appropriations Act) passed the House on August 12 but was not concurred on by the Senate. Currently, the House and Senate chambers have appointed budget negotiators that formed a conference committee to work out the compromise between the chambers.
Senator deViere was appointed to be a negotiator and member of the conference committee for SB105. 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.
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.
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 September 3, North Carolina has administered over 10.6 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine:
Statewide:
-5,347,793 first doses
-4,867,027 second doses
-391,819 single shot doses
10,606,639 Total Doses
Cumberland County:
-194,077 with at least one dose (58%)
-170,874 fully vaccinated (51%)
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
Update on Unemployment Benefits
The week ending Sept. 4, 2021, is the last payable week for all federal pandemic unemployment programs in North Carolina. The programs include Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation
(MEUC).
For weeks beginning after Sept 4, state unemployment benefits will be the only benefits available in North Carolina. To be eligible for state unemployment benefits:
- You must be unemployed due to no fault of your own.
- You must have earned sufficient wages in employment that was subject to unemployment insurance tax.
- You must be physically able and available to work.
- You must be actively seeking work.
Under state law, North Carolina currently provides eligible claimants with up to 13 weeks of benefits in a one-year period, with a maximum benefit of $350 per week.
As federal unemployment benefits end, the following programs are available to help North Carolinians who qualify with rent, utilities, food, health care or other needs:
Need help finding a job?
NCWorks Career Centers offer a wide variety of services to help individuals at every step of the job search journey, all of which are free of charge. Visit NCWorks.gov or call 1-855-NCWORKS or 1-855-629-6757 to find an NCWorks Career Center in your community or to access virtual services.
Do you need help with rent, mortgage, or utilities?
The Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions Program, known as the HOPE Program, provides rent and utility assistance to qualifying renters who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The program helps prevent evictions and utility disconnections. Learn more and apply for the program at www.rebuild.nc.gov/hopeprogram or by calling 1-888-9ASK-HOPE or 1-888-927-5467.
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) and Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) provide assistance through vendor payment to help households pay heating and cooling bills. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services or apply online at https://epass.nc.gov.
Foreclosure Prevention: Whether you’re actively facing or at risk of foreclosure on your home, North Carolina offers free resources to help. To receive free foreclosure counseling, call the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency at 1-888-442-8188.
Legal Assistance: If you are concerned about eviction or your landlord has started eviction proceedings, contact Legal Aid of NC at 1-866-219-5262 for legal assistance.
Find additional information for renters through the HUD Rental Housing Counseling and Eviction Prevention Program, including contact information for local housing counselors.
Do you need food assistance?
Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps) provides eligible families and individuals the food they need for a nutritionally adequate diet. Benefits are issued via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. Users may use the ebtEdge Mobile app to check balances and locate stores that accept benefits. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services or apply online at https://epass.nc.gov.
Do you need help with health care or mental health?
Medicaid provides access to physical and behavioral health services to improve health and well-being for North Carolinians. Services include, but are not limited to, physical, behavioral health, and substance use services; pharmacy benefits; and services and supports for people with chronic and long-term health care needs. The NC Medicaid Beneficiary Portal offers information on eligibility and applying for Medicaid. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services or apply online at https://epass.nc.gov.
Rural Health Centers, located in rural communities of North Carolina, offer basic health care to all residents, regardless of your ability to pay. Call the Rural Health Center in your area to schedule an appointment.
The Medication Assistance Program (MAP) provides assistance to low-income,
uninsured patients who need access to prescription drugs and cannot afford them. MAP is available at participating health center sites around the state, such as free and charitable health clinics, and rural and community health centers.
The Hope4NC Helpline is a free, confidential mental health resource available statewide. Individuals can call or text ‘hope’ to 1-855-587-3463, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to access emotional support, counseling referrals and community resources. A live person will always answer, no matter when help is needed.
Do you need help with child care or child support?
Subsidized Child Care Assistance provides ongoing financial assistance via vouchers for families in need of child care services from enrolled providers. Eligibility may be limited based on financial and situational criteria. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services.
Child Support Services is available to anyone needing help to establish paternity, establish and collect a court order obligation for child support, or collect child support on an existing obligation. The program is not authorized to assist with custody, visitation or property disagreements. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services or apply online at https://ncchildsupport.com.
Other Assistance:
North Carolina’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, called Work First, provides parents (and in some situations where children reside in the care of relatives) with short-term training and other services to help them become employed and move toward self-sufficiency. For more information, contact your local Department of Social Services.
Community Services Block Grants offer support to individuals who are currently at or below 100% of the federal poverty level to meet employment, housing and crisis prevention needs. Contact the Community Action Agency in your area for information on how to apply.
The federal Child Tax Credit provides eligible families with children payments of $3,000 per child 6-17 years old and $3,600 per child under 6 years old. Most families don’t have to do anything to receive this payment. But people who don’t normally file tax returns, which often include people experiencing homelessness, must register to claim their payments. The IRS created the Non-Filer Sign-Up Tool as a free and easy way to help people in this situation. The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program may be available to provide additional assistance.
NC 211: You can dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162 to connect with an NC 211 Call Specialist. Call Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the call is free and confidential. Multi-lingual service is available. Call Specialists have access to a database of community-based resources and can provide details about available resources in your area. The database is also available online at nc211.org.
Honoring The Fallen
During session on August 31st, Senator deViere took a moment of personal privilege to honor our fallen soldiers in Afghanistan by reading their names into the permanent record of the North Carolina Senate. Thank you to the families of these heroes and may we never forget their sacrifice.
In The Community
Above: Senator deViere attends a vigil in honor of the fallen soldiers in Afghanistan.
Above: Senator deViere and wife Jenny pictured with their son Grey on his first day of school!
Above: Senator deViere visits with volunteers at a local food drive.
Available Resources
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
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.
- Click here for all introduced or sponsored bills.
- Click here to view voting record.
- Click here to view committees.
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