Bills that were approved -- and some that weren't

Highlights of some of the bills approved by the legislature:

HB 24: Smoking in State Govt. Buildings/Prohibition: Prohibits smoking in most buildings owned or leased by state government, including those on college campuses.

HB 36: Haz. Materials Task Force Recommendations: Requires mandatory 24-hour security of hazardous waste warehouses and an off-site inventory of hazardous materials in case of disaster.

HB 91: Registration and Voting at One-Stop Sites: People who cast ballots during the early voting period will be able to register and vote on the same day.

HB 150: Every Child Ready to Learn: Changes birthday cutoff so fewer 4-year-olds will be eligible to start kindergarten.

HB 183: Ban Cell Phone Use by School Bus Drivers: School bus drivers will be fined $100 for violating rules against cell phone use that many school systems already have in place.

HB 265: Establish Health Insurance Risk Pool: Will create a program for residents whose long-term illnesses make buying health insurance too expensive or unavailable because no company is willing to sell it to them.

HB 406: Adopt State Collard Festival: Ayden Collard Festival adopted as the official collard festival of North Carolina.

HB 445: Access to Information for Adult Adoptees: Allows adoption agencies to act as go-betweens for adult adoptees, or their grown descendants, and the adoptees’ biological parent.

HB 483: Chapel Hill Campaign Finance Options: Allows the town to have a pilot program of public financing.

HB 502: Repeal Chiropractic Special Provision: Negates language that former House Speaker Jim Black inserted into the 2005 budget that had prevented insurance companies from charging chiropractic patients co-payments that are higher than what they charge for visits to primary care doctors.

HB 573: Authorize Judge/Concealed Weapon in Court: Gives District and Superior Court judges the right to carry a concealed handgun in court.

HB 634: Advance Directives/Health Care POA: Creates a new state medical form for end of life choices, revises health-care power or attorney language.

HB 784: Execution/Change Age: Outlaws the execution of defendants under 18, bringing the state in line with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

HB 958: DCR/Graveyard of the Atlantic: This bill started as an attempt to name the American bullfrog North Carolina’s official amphibian. But the Senate gutted the bill, and inserted language to have the Department of Cultural Resources assume responsibility for the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

HB 973: Mental Health Equitable Coverage: Requires group health insurance plans to cover treatment for mental illness services at the same level that they cover physical illnesses.

HB 1012: Repeal State Property Commission: Abolished state commission that was supposed to identify surplus state property that could be sold.

HB 1111: Clarify State Government Ethics Act: Opens to the public hearings into ethics complaints lodged against lawmakers and state government workers.

HB 1277: Driver’s License Revocation for ABC Violation: Would revoke the license of anyone who helps minors obtain alcohol.

HB 1294: No Smoking/LTC Facilities: Bars smoking at adult-care homes and many other centers for older and disabled North Carolinians.

HB 1401: Internal Audit and Efficiency Review: Requires state agencies with more than $10 million annual budgets, more than 100 full-time employees or more than $10 million in annual receipts to hire internal auditors.

HB 1517: Voter-owned Elections Pilot: Beginning with next year’s elections, candidates for state auditor, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner will be able to qualify for campaign money from a public fund.