North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 2 D cosponsors

SB 561 — The Working Hearts, Empowered Homes Act.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 18% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    0 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

23 added · 24 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Senate Bill 561 include the addition of a requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services to report on the impact of family support services on economic stability by February 2028. This report will gather information from various delivery programs aimed at helping working families, particularly in areas with limited access to food. These adjustments are important because they aim to provide better oversight and ensure that support services are effectively meeting the needs of families, ultimately helping them achieve greater economic stability.

→
Previous
Latest
FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Mar 25, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 561 Short Title:
561 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS45296-MGa-72A Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT INTEGRATING AND EXPANDING HEALTHCARE, CHILD CARE, NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE, AND PREVENTIVE CARE PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR WORKING FAMILIES IN NORTH CAROLINA;
Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT INTEGRATING AND EXPANDING HEALTHCARE, CHILD CARE, NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE, AND PREVENTIVE CARE PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR WORKING FAMILIES IN NORTH CAROLINA;
This coordination shall address *DRS45296-MGa-72A* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 duplication, cost efficiency, and effectiveness and shall ensure compliance with federal requirements while maximizing State and federal resources.
This coordination shall address *S561-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 duplication, cost efficiency, and effectiveness and shall ensure compliance with federal requirements while maximizing State and federal resources.
The amount of any competitive grant will be limited to the amount necessary to match the employer's expenses for these on-site or Page 2 DRS45296-MGa-72A General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 near-site child care services.
The amount of any competitive grant will be limited to the amount necessary to match the employer's expenses for these on-site or Page 2 Senate Bill 561-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 near-site child care services.
SECTION4.1.(c) Report.
SECTION4.1.(c)Report.
(4) Any other information the DCDEE believes to be necessary for evaluating the success of the Pilot Program.
(4) Anyother information the DCDEE believes to be necessaryfor evaluating the success of the Pilot Program.
DRS45296-MGa-72A Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) To support the establishment or expansion of mobile food markets or food delivery programs for working families in areas of the State with food deserts, defined as areas of the State with limited access to affordable, nutritious food due to a lack of grocery stores or other sources of fresh produce within a reasonable distance.
Senate Bill 561-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) To support the establishment or expansion of mobile food markets or food deliveryprograms for working families in areas of the State with food deserts, defined as areas of the State with limited access to affordable, nutritious food due to a lack of grocery stores or other sources of fresh produce within a reasonable distance.
– The Department of Public Instruction shall develop andreleaseanapplicationfortheProgrameachyear.TheDepartmentshallnotifythelocalschool administrative units selected to participate in the Program by July 15.
– The Department of Public Instruction shall develop andreleaseanapplicationfortheProgrameach year.TheDepartmentshallnotifythelocalschool administrative units selected to participate in the Program by July 15.
(1) Participate in the National School LunchProgram, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food Service Program.
(1) Participate in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food Service Program.
SECTION 4.3.(f) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the Page 4 DRS45296-MGa-72A General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 2025-2026 fiscal year for the Department to establish and administer the Year-Round Nutrition Service Pilot Program, as enacted by this section.
SECTION 4.3.(f) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the Page 4 Senate Bill 561-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 2025-2026 fiscal year for the Department to establish and administer the Year-Round Nutrition Service Pilot Program, as enacted by this section.
It is theintentoftheGeneral AssemblythattheDepartment ofHealth and Human Services and the Department of Public Instruction pursue all available federal matching funds to supplement State investments in integrated family support services.
It is theintentoftheGeneral Assemblythat theDepartment ofHealth and Human Services and the Department of Public Instruction pursue all available federal matching funds to supplement State investments in integrated family support services.
(1) The Director of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being or the Director's designee.
(1) The Director of the Division of Child and FamilyWell-Being or the Director's designee.
DRS45296-MGa-72A Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 7.1.(d) Meetings.
Senate Bill 561-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 7.1.(d) Meetings.
Members of the Advisory Board who are full-time salaried public officers or employees other than State officers or employees shall receive no compensation for serving on the Advisory Board but may be reimbursed for their expenses in accordance with G.S.
Members of the AdvisoryBoard who are full-time salaried public officers or employees other than State officers or employees shall receive no compensation for servingon the AdvisoryBoard but maybe reimbursed for their expenses in accordance with G.S.
The evaluation shall be made publicly available on the Department's website and shall include at least all of the following:
The evaluation shall be made publiclyavailable on the Department's website and shall include at least all of the following:
(1) Theimpact of integratedfamily supportservices on family economicstability.
(1) Theimpact ofintegratedfamilysupportservices onfamilyeconomicstability.
Page 6 DRS45296-MGa-72A
Page 6 Senate Bill 561-First Edition
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

0 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 177 not signed on

Sponsors (0)

None.

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (177)

177 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 177 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 561?
SB 561 is sponsored by Joyce Waddell (Democratic) and Caleb Theodros (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 561?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 561?
Track SB 561 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 561

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 561

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →