A new bill filed by State Sen. Sydney Batch aims to protect state employees’ take-home pay when health plan premiums increase, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 987 on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Lower Healthcare Costs.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill creates a Fund for State Employee Premium Stabilization in the Department of State Treasurer to prevent reductions in state employees’ net income when monthly premiums rise for the North Carolina State Health Plan for teachers and state employees. The state treasurer, in consultation with the Office of State Human Resources, must use the fund to supplement employee compensation so take-home pay is maintained or approximated despite premium increases and must adopt rules to administer the program. The bill transfers $150 million in nonrecurring funds from the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve to the new fund and takes effect July 1, 2026.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Woodson Bradley proposed the most bills (92) 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.
Batch graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001 with a BA and again from University of North Carolina with a JD.
Batch, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2021 to represent the state’s 17th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dan Blue.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Batch, Lisa Grafstein, and Woodson Bradley | SB 987 | 04/30/2026 | Lower Healthcare Costs. |
| Sydney Batch, DeAndrea Salvador, and Michael Garrett | SB 1033 | 04/30/2026 | NC Children’s Safe Screens Act/Funds. |
| Sydney Batch, DeAndrea Salvador, and Michael Garrett | SB 1056 | 04/30/2026 | NC Small Business Capital & Jobs Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Caleb Theodros, and Michael Garrett | SB 988 | 04/30/2026 | Protecting Workers in the Age of AI Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Michael Garrett, and Woodson Bradley | SB 989 | 04/30/2026 | Epstein Truth and Accountability Act. |
| Sydney Batch and Lisa Grafstein | SB 995 | 04/30/2026 | Fix Republican Failures on Public Safety Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Gladys A. Robinson, and Natalie S. Murdock | SB 906 | 04/29/2026 | MOMnibus 3.5. |
| Sydney Batch, Graig Meyer, and Sophia Chitlik | SB 480 | 03/25/2025 | NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Michael Garrett, and Woodson Bradley | SB 482 | 03/25/2025 | Don’t Tread on Me Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Lisa Grafstein, and Terence Everitt | SB 483 | 03/25/2025 | The Children First Act. |
| Sydney Batch and Caleb Theodros | SB 523 | 03/25/2025 | Universal Basic Therapy Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Julie Mayfield, and Val Applewhite | SB 553 | 03/25/2025 | Save More Tatas Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Kandie D. Smith, and Michael Garrett | SB 563 | 03/25/2025 | The Michael Jordans of Tomorrow Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Gale Adcock, and Graig Meyer | SB 566 | 03/25/2025 | Parity Enhancement for Addiction Recovery. |
| Sydney Batch, Gale Adcock, and Graig Meyer | SB 567 | 03/25/2025 | Medicaid SUD Services Rate Adjustment Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Gladys A. Robinson, and Natalie S. Murdock | SB 571 | 03/25/2025 | MOMnibus 3.0. |
| Sydney Batch, Jay J. Chaudhuri, and Mujtaba A. Mohammed | SB 606 | 03/25/2025 | Language Access & State Holidays Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Terence Everitt, and Woodson Bradley | SB 630 | 03/25/2025 | School Mental Health Support Act. |
| Sydney Batch, DeAndrea Salvador, and Michael Garrett | SB 651 | 03/25/2025 | The Hustle Act. |
| Sydney Batch, DeAndrea Salvador, and Michael Garrett | SB 652 | 03/25/2025 | Voter Fraud Prevention Act. |
| Sydney Batch, Mujtaba A. Mohammed, and Natalie S. Murdock | SB 692 | 03/25/2025 | Reduce Parent Copays/Subsidized Child Care. |
| Sydney Batch, Mujtaba A. Mohammed, and Woodson Bradley | SB 717 | 03/25/2025 | Enhanced Penalty/Dom. Violence Strangulation. |
| Sydney Batch, Michael Garrett, and Terence Everitt | SB 722 | 03/25/2025 | Children’s Online Safety Act/Funds. |
| Sydney Batch, Graig Meyer, and Sophia Chitlik | SB 457 | 03/24/2025 | Automatic Voter Registration. |
| Sydney Batch, Lisa Grafstein, and Sophia Chitlik | SB 458 | 03/24/2025 | Enact KinCare & Safe Days. |
| Sydney Batch, Jay J. Chaudhuri, and Lisa Grafstein | SB 107 | 02/17/2025 | Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act. |
| Sydney Batch | SB 88 | 02/12/2025 | 17th Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
