Remote Instruction for Excess Emergencies.

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