North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 4 D cosponsors

SB 720 — North Carolina Consumer Protection Act.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  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 22% · 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.

  • 4 sponsors

    1 primary, 3 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (4 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.

In plain language

This bill aims to enhance consumer protection in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Consumer Protection Act seeks to strengthen measures that protect consumers from unfair practices and promote fair trade. It establishes guidelines to ensure transparency and accountability among businesses.

What this means for you
  • Consumers: This means consumers in North Carolina may experience improved protections against unfair business practices.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

22 added · 23 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the updated version of Senate Bill 720, lawmakers clarified the language regarding how public utilities can communicate and the penalties they face for improper expense reporting. The bill now emphasizes specific standards for communication devices, showing a focus on modern technology in utility services. Additionally, it reinforces the commitment to hold utilities accountable by setting a minimum civil penalty of $50,000 for violations, which helps protect consumers from unfair costs. These changes aim to enhance transparency and ensure responsible management of public utilities.

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Latest
FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Mar 25, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 720 Short Title:
720 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS15233-NJ-37A Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT THAT REVISES CERTAIN DEFINITIONS IN PUBLIC UTILITY LAW AND ADDS ADDITIONALREQUIREMENTS TOPROTECT RATEPAYERS FROMPAYING UNJUST OR UNREASONABLE FEES TO PUBLIC UTILITIES.
Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT THAT REVISES CERTAIN DEFINITIONS IN PUBLIC UTILITY LAW AND ADDS ADDITIONALREQUIREMENTS TOPROTECT RATEPAYERS FROMPAYING UNJUST OR UNREASONABLE FEES TO PUBLIC UTILITIES.
*DRS15233-NJ-37A* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (3) "Electric power supplier" means a Electric power supplier.
*S720-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (3) "Electric power supplier" means a Electric power supplier.
– A public utility, an electric membership corporation, or a municipality that sells electric power to retail electric power customers in the State.
– A public utility, an electric membership corporation, or a municipalitythat sells electric power to retail electric power customers in the State.
– A measurable reduction in the electricity demand of a retail electric customer that is voluntary, under the real-time control of both the electric power supplier and the retail electric customer, and measured in real time, using two-way communications devices that communicateon thebasis ofstandards.
– A measurable reduction in the electricity demand of a retail electric customer that is voluntary, under the real-time control of both the electric power supplier and the retail electric customer, and measured in real time, using two-waycommunications devices that communicateonthebasis ofstandards.
Page 2 DRS15233-NJ-37A General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 1.
Page 2 Senate Bill 720-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 1.
"Renewable DRS15233-NJ-37A Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 energy resource" does not include peat, a fossil fuel, or nuclear energy resource.
"Renewable Senate Bill 720-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 energy resource" does not include peat, a fossil fuel, or nuclear energy resource.
Contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties, political or legislative committees or any committee or organization working to influence legislative activities, referendum petitions, or elections.
Contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties, political or legislative committees or anycommittee or organization working to influence legislative activities, referendum petitions, or elections.
Compensation for any employee whose time is allocated to activities related to lobbying, legislative action, political influence activities, or advertising,marketing,or communications seeking to influencepublic opinion.
Compensation for any employee whose time is allocated to activities related to lobbying, legislative action, political influence activities, or advertising,marketing,or communications seekingto influencepublic opinion.
Leasing, owning, or chartering an aircraft for use by the public utility's board of directors or officers, or those of a parent company or affiliate.
Leasing, owning, or chartering an aircraft for use bythe public utility's board of directors or officers, or those of a parent companyor affiliate.
Page 4 DRS15233-NJ-37A General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 m.
Page 4 Senate Bill 720-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 m.
DRS15233-NJ-37A Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Publish on its publicly accessible website all materials filed with the Commission in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
Senate Bill 720-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Publish on its publicly accessible website all materials filed with the Commission in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
(1) In addition to any refunds that the Commission orders a public utility to pay ratepayers, the Commission shall assess a civil penalty in accordance with this section against a public utility that violates G.S.
(1) In addition to any refunds that the Commission orders a public utility to pay ratepayers, the Commission shall assess a civil penaltyin accordance with this section against a public utility that violates G.S.
This civil penalty will not be less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for each violation.
This civil penaltywill not be less than fiftythousand dollars ($50,000) and not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for each violation.
Each expense improperly recorded to cost recovery throughratepayers is a separate and distinct violation.
Each expenseimproperlyrecorded to cost recoverythroughratepayers is a separate and distinct violation.
62-133.6." Page 6 DRS15233-NJ-37A General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 4.
62-133.6." Page 6 Senate Bill 720-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 4.
DRS15233-NJ-37A Page 7
Senate Bill 720-First Edition Page 7
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

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

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 175 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (175)

175 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 175 →

"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

energy
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 720?
SB 720 is sponsored by Joyce Waddell (Democratic), Natalie S. Murdock (Democratic), Graig Meyer (Democratic), and Kandie D. Smith (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 720?
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 720?
Track SB 720 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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