A new bill filed by State Rep. Donna McDowell White in the North Carolina House aims to support science education and highlight North Carolina’s achievements in biotechnology, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 1093 on April 29 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Museum of Life/Sciences Appropriation.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill appropriates $3.1 million in nonrecurring funds from North Carolina’s General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for the 2026-27 fiscal year to support the Museum of Life and Science. The money must be allocated to the museum for the Mike Woodard Lab and the Living Tools exhibit, which is intended to showcase North Carolina’s biotechnology achievements and encourage interest in STEM careers. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
White proposed another 41 bills during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
White, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 26th House district, replacing previous state representative Leo Daughtry.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna McDowell White | HB 1093 | 04/29/2026 | Museum of Life/Sciences Appropriation. |
| Donna McDowell White and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 1078 | 04/28/2026 | Omnibus Life Sciences Appropriations. |
| Donna McDowell White, Grant L. Campbell, MD, John R. Bell, IV, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 906 | 04/10/2025 | Reagan’s Law. |
| Donna McDowell White, Sarah Crawford, and Zack Hawkins | HB 933 | 04/10/2025 | IDD Omnibus. |
| Donna McDowell White, Diane Wheatley, Garland E. Pierce, and Maria Cervania | HB 974 | 04/10/2025 | DHHS Study/Hospice Patient Complaints. |
| Donna McDowell White and Cody Huneycutt | HB 824 | 04/08/2025 | Expand Treatment Access/Opioid Use Disorder. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, Julia Greenfield, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 826 | 04/08/2025 | No Retaliation Against Mandatory Reporters. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, Maria Cervania, and Phil Rubin | HB 802 | 04/07/2025 | Nicotine & Vaping Prevention in Schools. |
| Donna McDowell White, Tricia Ann Cotham, and Zack Hawkins | HB 810 | 04/07/2025 | State Employee Bereavement Leave/Up To 40-Hrs. |
| Donna McDowell White, Brandon Lofton, Carla D. Cunningham, and Donny Lambeth | HB 766 | 04/03/2025 | Expand Access to Teen Mental Health First Aid. |
| Donna McDowell White, Allen Buansi, Renée A. Price, and Sarah Crawford | HB 743 | 04/02/2025 | Allow Live-In DSPs in Group Homes. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carson Smith, and Donny Lambeth | HB 746 | 04/02/2025 | Limited Immunity/Nurses. |
| Donna McDowell White, Karl E. Gillespie, and Larry W. Potts | HB 590 | 03/31/2025 | Patient Safety/Med. Imaging/Radiation Therapy. |
| Donna McDowell White, Dennis Riddell, Stephen M. Ross, and Ted Davis, Jr. | HB 632 | 03/31/2025 | Amend Hazing Laws. |
| Donna McDowell White, Cody Huneycutt, Terry M. Brown Jr., and Vernetta Alston | HB 634 | 03/31/2025 | Parity Enhancement for Addiction Recovery. |
| Donna McDowell White, Sarah Crawford, Vernetta Alston, and Zack Hawkins | HB 551 | 03/27/2025 | Clubhouse Expansion. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, and Maria Cervania | HB 561 | 03/27/2025 | 2025 Youth End Nicotine Dependence Act. |
| Donna McDowell White, Allen Chesser, Heather H. Rhyne, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 546 | 03/26/2025 | Inmate Medicaid Suspension/Team-Based Care. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Donny Lambeth, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 514 | 03/25/2025 | APRN Definitions. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, Heather H. Rhyne, and Jimmy Dixon | HB 491 | 03/24/2025 | Medicaid Work Requirements. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Cynthia Ball, and Donny Lambeth | HB 464 | 03/19/2025 | Healthy Students – A Nurse in Every School. |
| Donna McDowell White, Karl E. Gillespie, Timothy Reeder, MD, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 433 | 03/18/2025 | Registered Nurses in Schools. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Diane Wheatley, and Donny Lambeth | HB 453 | 03/18/2025 | Increase Medicaid PCS and PDN Rates. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Donny Lambeth, and Larry W. Potts | HB 396 | 03/13/2025 | Nursing Fellows & Curric. Support Funds/WSSU. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, and Diane Wheatley | HB 399 | 03/13/2025 | NC Board of Nursing Licensure Fees. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Hugh Blackwell, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 390 | 03/12/2025 | Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke. |
| Donna McDowell White, Howard Penny, Jr., Renée A. Price, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 363 | 03/11/2025 | Reg. Public Trans. Authority Service Area. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donnie Loftis, Jeff Zenger, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 319 | 03/06/2025 | Funds for Hispanic Grassroots. |
| Donna McDowell White, Becky Carney, Donny Lambeth, and Mary Belk | HB 297 | 03/05/2025 | Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity. |
| Donna McDowell White, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Celeste C. Cairns, and Charles W. Miller | HB 275 | 03/04/2025 | Failure to Yield Penalties. |
| Donna McDowell White, Howard Penny, Jr., and Larry C. Strickland | HB 277 | 03/04/2025 | SchCalFlex/Johnston/Aug 10 & Assmnts. |
| Donna McDowell White, Garland E. Pierce, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 280 | 03/04/2025 | Support for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature. |
| Donna McDowell White, Grant L. Campbell, MD, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 229 | 02/26/2025 | Medicaid Rates/Ambulatory Surgical Centers. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 242 | 02/26/2025 | Add Psychiatric Hospitals to Medicaid HASP. |
| Donna McDowell White and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 196 | 02/25/2025 | Funds Museum of Life and Science Exhibit/Lab. |
| Donna McDowell White and Larry W. Potts | HB 197 | 02/25/2025 | Local Communicable Disease Programs/Funds. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carla D. Cunningham, Karl E. Gillespie, and Larry W. Potts | HB 160 | 02/21/2025 | Joel H. Crisp SUDEP Awareness Law. |
| Donna McDowell White, Chris Humphrey, Erin Paré, and Steve Tyson | HB 156 | 02/18/2025 | Increase Access for Small Employers/Insurance. |
| Donna McDowell White, Diane Wheatley, Mike Clampitt, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 141 | 02/17/2025 | The Joe John Remembrance Act. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, and Kyle Hall | HB 125 | 02/13/2025 | Continuing Budget Operations. |
| Donna McDowell White, Carolyn G. Logan, Marcia Morey, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 109 | 02/12/2025 | Strangulation/Increase Punishment. |
| Donna McDowell White, Donny Lambeth, and Larry W. Potts | HB 113 | 02/12/2025 | Create Committee on Medicaid Sustainability. |
