North Carolina Sen. Overcash technology cost evaluation bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Brad Overcash seeks to improve technology cost evaluations and reporting in public schools, community colleges, and UNC institutions following its approval in both chambers, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 10 Democrats and 66 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 36 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 19 Democrats and 28 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Overcash filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on March 24 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 449, was passed on June 17 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Fiscal Responsibility and K-20 Tech Planning.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that all public schools, community colleges, and University of North Carolina institutions evaluate technology costs through specific considerations, including long-term ownership expenses, flexibility for innovation, and anticipated resale value. Public schools are further required to report the “break/fix rate” of their technology, which is the percentage of devices needing repair before their expected life cycle ends. These reports, including recommendations to lower repair rates, must be submitted to the State Board of Education and Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by Aug. 15 each year. The bill’s provisions will take effect starting with the 2025-26 academic year.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Michael V. Lee (Republican-7th District), Sen. Kevin Corbin (Republican-50th District), and Sen. Brad Overcash (Republican-43rd District).

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.

Overcash graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA and again from University of Mississippi with a JD.

Overcash, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 43rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Kathy Harrington.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.