IROBOT - Increasing Robotics Opportunities.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 708

Short Title: IROBOT - Increasing Robotics Opportunities. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives T. Brown, Willis, and Lofton (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 3, 2025
*H708-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE R OBOTICS OPPORTUNITIES AND BUILD OUR TALE NTS BY 2
CONTINUING THE ROBOTICS GRANT PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 5
adding a new Part to read: 6
"Part 12. Academic Grant Programs. 7
"§ 115C-238.90. Educational and Competitive High School Robotics Grant Program. 8
(a) Program; Purpose. – To the extent funds are made available, there is established the 9
Educational and Competitive High School Robotics Grant Program (Program). The purpose of 10
the Program shall be to (i) promote evidence-based, after-school programs for robotics education 11
and competition for high school students and (ii) motivate students to pursue education and career 12
opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while building critical life 13
and work-related skills. The Program sh all operate in accordance w ith the provisions of this 14
section in any year in which funds are made available for the purpose. 15
(b) Eligibility. – Any robotics tea m is eligible to apply to the Department of Public 16
Instruction for a grant to develop an educational and competitive high school robotics program 17
with a robotics partner. Robotics teams may be coordinated through a public school unit or a 18
community organization. As used in this subsection, the term "community organization" means 19
a nonprofit or for -profit corporation or other entity registered to operate in the State with a 20
purpose of providing academically and socially enriching activities for school-aged children and 21
the term "robotics partner" shall refer to a third-party entity, such as a nonprofit organization or 22
institution of higher education, approved by the Department of Public Instruction, that is able to 23
provide adequate support for an high school robotics program. In order to provide adequate 24
support, a robotics partner must meet at least all of the following criteria: 25
(1) Have a statewide or national presence in robotics education and competition. 26
(2) Provide adequate instruction and programming for students and adult 27
volunteers in (i) robotics education, (ii) project -based learning, and (iii) 28
competitive robotics. 29
(3) Promote a safe and equitable social environment. 30
(c) Applications; Criteria and Guidelines. – No later than August 1 of each year of the 31
Program, the Department shall develop and publish criteria and guidelines for the application 32
process for the Program in the upcoming school year, including any documentation required to 33
be submitted by the applicants. The Department shall accept ap plications until September 30 . 34
Applications shall include, at a minimum, the following information: 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 708-First Edition
(1) Evidence that the applicant has or will be able to establish a relationship with 1
a robotics partner. 2
(2) A proposed budget for the educational and competitive after-school robotics 3
program. 4
(d) Award and Use of Funds. – The Department shall award grants to the selected 5
applicants by October 31 of each year of the Program. Funds may be used for any of the following 6
purposes: 7
(1) Establish a relationship with a robotics partner. 8
(2) Purchase robotics kits, parts, or supplies. 9
(3) Provide stipends for coaches. 10
(4) Make payments associated with participation in a robotics league or robotics 11
competition. 12
(5) Pay fees incurred as part of the administration of a robotics team. 13
(e) Reporting. – No later than October 15 of each year of the Program, the Department 14
shall report the following information from the prior school year to the Joint Legislative 15
Education Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division: 16
(1) The robotics teams that received grants, the public school units or community 17
organization coordinating the team, and the amount of those grants. 18
(2) The robotics partner for each robotics team. 19
(3) The number of robotics teams that applied for grants but did not receive one. 20
(4) The extent to which students participating in after -school robotics programs 21
funded by the Program experienced measurable improvement in academic 22
performance." 23
SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 24
Public Instruction the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) in recurring 25
funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to establish and administer the Educational and Competitive 26
High School Robotics Grant Program under G.S. 115C-238.90, as enacted by this act. 27
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-379(b) reads as rewritten: 28
"(b) In addition to any excused absences authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this 29
section, the rules shall require school principals to authorize the following excused absences: 30
… 31
(3) Academic competitions. – A principal shall make reasonable accommodations 32
to grant students excused absences to participate in school -sanctioned 33
academic competitions, including Science Olympiad, 4 -H, high school 34
robotics, and speech and debate. 35
The rules may require that the student's parent or legal guardian give the principal written 36
notice of the request for an excused absence a reasonable time prior to the religious observance 37
or military leave. absence requested pursuant to this section. The student shall be given the 38
opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious 39
observance or military leave.under this section." 40
SECTION 3. Subsection 1(b) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of 41
this act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. 42