republic-os/legislation/us/states/nc/2021/hb-159.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education Law Changes."
description: "Education Law Changes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nc"
legislature: "North Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 159"
citation: "North Carolina HB 159 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ADMINISTRATIVE CODE", "ADMINISTRATIVE RULES", "APPOINTMENTS", "APPROPRIATIONS", "ARMED FORCES", "AUTHORITIES", "BOARDS", "BUDGETING", "CHAPTERED", "CHARTER SCHOOLS", "CHILD CARE COMN.", "CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS", "COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES", "COMMERCE", "COMMISSIONS", "COMMUNITY COLLEGES", "COMMUNITY COLLEGES OFFICE", "CURRICULUM", "DAY CARE", "DHHS", "DISABLED PERSONS", "EDUCATION", "EDUCATION", "EDUCATION & WORKFORCE INNOVATION COMN.", "EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION", "EDUCATION ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY", "EDUCATION BOARDS", "ELEMENTARY EDUCATION", "EMERGENCY SERVICES", "EMPLOYMENT", "FAMILY ISSUES", "FEES", "FOOD & NUTRITION PROGRAMS", "FOODS & BEVERAGES", "GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES", "GRANTS", "HEALTH EDUCATION", "HIGHER EDUCATION", "KINDERGARTEN", "LAW ENFORCEMENT", "LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS", "LICENSING & CERTIFICATION", "LOCAL GOVERNMENT", "MEMBERSHIP", "MINORS", "NUTRITION", "OCCUPATIONS", "PERSONNEL", "PRESENTED", "PRINCIPAL FELLOWS COMN.", "PRINCIPALS", "PRIVATE SCHOOLS", "PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION", "PUBLIC", "PUBLIC HEALTH", "PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DEPT.", "RATIFIED", "REPORTING", "REPORTS", "RETAILING", "SALARIES & BENEFITS", "SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID", "SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & MATH", "SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & MATH BOARD", "SCHOOL STAFF", "SECONDARY EDUCATION", "SESSION LAWS", "SOCIAL SERVICES", "STATE BOARD OF", "STATE EMPLOYEES", "STEM", "STUDENTS", "TEACHERS", "TEACHING FELLOWS COMN.", "TUITION", "UNC", "UNC BOARD OF GOVERNORS", "VENDING MACHINES", "VOCATIONAL EDUCATION"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Torbett"]
version_count: 13
action_count: 57
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-02-24"
last_action: "2022-07-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/db1f01ce-0681-40f9-80f8-151abfe785c6"
source_url: "https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2021/H159"
source_hash: "6333058eb0be4a4d7e41ab23396b11727e459319fb9c4d15dbb847f2f2e1ab7c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nc"]
---

# North Carolina HB 159 (2021) — Education Law Changes.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v0.pdf)
2. **A1: ABE-53-V-5** (committee substitute) — [source](https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2021/54767/0/H159-ABE-53-V-5)
3. **A1: ARQ-26-V-1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2021/2302/0/H159-ARQ-26-V-1)
4. **Edition 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v1.pdf)
5. **Edition 2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v2.pdf)
6. **Edition 3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v3.pdf)
7. **Edition 4** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v4.pdf)
8. **Edition 5** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v5.pdf)
9. **Edition 6** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v6.pdf)
10. **Edition 7** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v7.pdf)
11. **Edition 8** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v8.pdf)
12. **Ratified** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v9.pdf)
13. **SL 2022-71** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H159v10.pdf)

## Votes

- C RPT Adoption — **102–5** (pass) · lower
- Conference Rpt Motion 8 To Adopt — **44–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Torbett — primary (person)
- Ager — cosponsor (person)
- Blackwell — cosponsor (person)
- Harrison — cosponsor (person)
- Insko — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-07-08** Ch. SL 2022-71 `became-law`
- **2022-07-08** Signed by Gov. 7/8/2022 `executive-signature`
- **2022-07-01** Pres. To Gov. 7/1/2022 `executive-receipt`
- **2022-07-01** Ratified
- **2022-07-01** Ordered Enrolled
- **2022-07-01** Conf Report Adopted
- **2022-07-01** Added to Calendar
- **2022-07-01** Conf Com Reported
- **2022-07-01** Conf Report Adopted
- **2022-07-01** Placed on Today's Calendar
- **2022-07-01** Conf Com Reported
- **2022-06-27** Conf Com Appointed
- **2022-06-23** Conf Com Appointed
- **2022-06-23** Failed Concur In S Com Sub
- **2022-06-23** Added to Calendar
- **2022-06-23** Withdrawn From Com
- **2022-06-16** Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-15** Regular Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
- **2022-06-15** Regular Message Sent To House
- **2022-06-14** Engrossed
- **2022-06-14** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-06-14** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2022-06-14** Amend Adopted A1 `amendment-passage`
- **2022-06-13** Reptd Fav `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-06-08** Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-08** Com Substitute Adopted
- **2022-06-08** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-26** Re-ref to Education/Higher Education. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2022-05-26** Withdrawn From Com
- **2021-06-30** Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-30** Com Substitute Adopted
- **2021-06-30** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-06-28** Re-ref to Finance. If fav, re-ref to Appropriations/Base Budget. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-28** Withdrawn From Com
- **2021-06-16** Re-ref Com On Finance `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-16** Com Substitute Adopted
- **2021-06-16** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-20** Re-ref to Education/Higher Education. If fav, re-ref to Finance. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-20** Withdrawn From Com
- **2021-04-05** Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-05** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-04-05** Regular Message Received From House
- **2021-04-05** Regular Message Sent To Senate
- **2021-04-01** Ordered Engrossed
- **2021-04-01** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-01** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2021-04-01** Amend Adopted A1 `amendment-passage`
- **2021-03-31** Placed On Cal For 04/01/2021
- **2021-03-31** Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- **2021-03-31** Reptd Fav Com Sub 2 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-30** Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-30** Withdrawn From Com
- **2021-03-09** Re-ref Com On Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-09** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-01** Ref to the Com on Education - K-12, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-01** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-02-24** Filed `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/db1f01ce-0681-40f9-80f8-151abfe785c6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Carolina legislature records).