A new bill filed by State Rep. Bryan Cohn in the North Carolina House seeks to reinvest in rural communities through funding for infrastructure, safety, economic growth, and educational support, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 685 on April 1 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Rural NC Reinvestment Act.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill appropriates funds for various projects aimed at reinvesting in rural North Carolina, effective July 1, 2025. It allocates $200 million to the Department of Environmental Quality for water and sewer infrastructure grants to local governments, $10 million to the Department of Public Safety for equipment grants to local and volunteer fire and police departments, and $20 million to the Department of Commerce to assist with land acquisition for economic development. It also designates $5 million for the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation to support healthcare in underserved areas, $10 million to the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund via the Department of Agriculture, $200 million to rural school districts for construction and capital improvements, $50 million to broadband expansion via the Department of Information Technology, and $100 million to early learning programs under the Department of Health and Human Services.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Robert T. Reives, II proposed the most bills (26) 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.
Cohn, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 32nd House district, replacing previous state representative Frank Sossamon.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Cohn, B. Ray Jeffers, Dante Pittman, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 685 | 04/01/2025 | Rural NC Reinvestment Act. |
| Bryan Cohn, B. Ray Jeffers, Dante Pittman, and Sarah Crawford | HB 619 | 03/31/2025 | Health Care Security Act. |
| Bryan Cohn, James Roberson, Kanika Brown, and Phil Rubin | HB 548 | 03/26/2025 | NC Economic Progress and Well-Being. |
| Bryan Cohn, Charles Smith, Laura Budd, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 499 | 03/24/2025 | NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act. |
| Bryan Cohn, Lindsey Prather, Robert T. Reives, II, and Vernetta Alston | HB 503 | 03/24/2025 | Don’t Tread on Me Act. |
| Bryan Cohn, Beth Helfrich, Dante Pittman, and Lindsey Prather | HB 473 | 03/20/2025 | Right to IVF. |
| Bryan Cohn, Aisha O. Dew, Carolyn G. Logan, and Kanika Brown | HB 374 | 03/11/2025 | NCARCOG Funding/Operations Improvements. |
| Bryan Cohn, Aisha O. Dew, Allison A. Dahle, and Marcia Morey | HB 353 | 03/10/2025 | Fair Minimum Wage Act. |
| Bryan Cohn, Frances Jackson, PhD, Marcia Morey, and Renée A. Price | HB 267 | 03/03/2025 | Expunging Certain Eviction Records. |
| Bryan Cohn, Carolyn G. Logan, Kanika Brown, and Sarah Crawford | HB 269 | 03/03/2025 | Workforce Freedom and Protection Act. |
| Bryan Cohn | HB 255 | 02/27/2025 | SchCalFlex/Granville,Vance/Open Cal. |
| Bryan Cohn, Kanika Brown, Sarah Crawford, and Tracy Clark | HB 115 | 02/12/2025 | Child Care Facility Tax Exemption. |
| Bryan Cohn | HB 101 | 02/11/2025 | Prop. Tax Appeal Process Transparency. |
| Bryan Cohn | HB 102 | 02/11/2025 | Real Property Appraisal – Owner Notification. |
| Bryan Cohn | HB 68 | 02/05/2025 | Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Granville & Vance. |
