H 1026

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
  SESSION 2025
 H  1
  HOUSE BILL 1026
 Short Title:   Remote Instruction for Excess Emergencies.  (Public)
 Sponsors:      Representatives Lambeth, Potts, and Biggs (Primary Sponsors).
  For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
 Referred to:   Education - K-12, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
  Operations of the House
  April 22, 2026
1A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO ALLOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO USE AN ADDITIONAL THREE DAYS OF
3     REMOTE INSTRUCTION FOR EXCESS EMERGENCIES.
4 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
5SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-84.3 reads as rewritten:
6 "§ 115C-84.3. Remote instruction.
7     …
8     (b)      A public school unit in a county that has received a good cause waiver, as provided
9 in G.S. 115C-84.2(d), for the school year may use up to 15 remote instruction days or 90 remote
10 instruction hours when schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, energy
11 shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations and may use that time towards the
12 required instructional days or hours for the school calendar.
13     (b1) All other public school units may use not operating under a good cause waiver may:
14(1)    Use up to five remote instruction days or 30 remote instruction hours when
15schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages,
16power failures, or other emergency situations and may use that time towards
17the required instructional days or hours for the school calendar.
18(2)    If a public school unit has used all remote instruction time allowed under
19subdivision (1) of this subsection, and the public school unit then experiences
20another emergency or is still experiencing an ongoing emergency, then the
21school may use up to an additional three remote instruction days or 15 remote
22instruction hours. A public school unit using additional remote instruction
23time shall comply with the reporting requirements of subdivision (d)(8) of this
24section.
25     (c)      Except as provided in Part 7 of Article 14A or Part 3A of Article 16 of this Chapter
26 or subsection (b) or (b1) of this section, a public school unit shall not use remote instruction to
27 satisfy the minimum required number of instructional days or hours for the school calendar.
28     (d)      A governing board that chooses to use remote instruction as provided in subsection
29 (b) of this section shall submit to the State Board, by July 1 annually, a remote instruction plan
30 that provides a detailed framework for delivering quality remote instruction to students for the
31 upcoming school year and information on the number of remote instruction days or hours used
32 in the prior school year to satisfy instructional requirements, when applicable. At a minimum,
33 the plans submitted by governing boards shall include the following:
34…
  *H1026-v-1*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina  Session 2025
1(8)    For the prior school year, all of the following:
2a.      The total number of remote instruction days or hours used.
3b.      The number of additional remote instruction days or hours used
4pursuant to subdivision (b1)(2) of this section and a description of the
5emergency requiring the use of the additional remote instruction time.
6c.      For any remote instruction time used, whether the school deviated
7from the remote instruction plan submitted for that school year and, if
8so, how.
9    …."
10SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
11 Public Instruction the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) in recurring funds beginning in the
12 2026-2027 fiscal year for increased administrative costs and providing technical assistance
13 associated with enforcing this act.
14SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies beginning with
15 the 2026-2027 school year.
 Page 2  House Bill 1026-First Edition