A new bill filed by State Rep. Mary Belk in the North Carolina House aims to foster collaboration among technology coalitions to support economic growth and secure supply chains, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 723 on April 2 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Technology Coalitions Strategic Support Fund.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes the North Carolina Technology Coalitions Strategic Support Fund within the Department of Commerce, effective July 1, 2025. The purpose of the fund is to promote regional technology-based economic growth by fostering collaboration among technology coalitions and aligning state resource investments to enhance critical and secure supply chains. The fund, managed by the Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation, provides grants to organizations, including industry alliances, nonprofits, local governments, and academic institutions, that form technology coalitions in sectors like artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and biotechnology. Eligibility criteria require recipients to operate within the state, apply for grants under oath, and use funds for defined purposes without duplicating other funding sources. For 2025-26, $10.5 million is allocated from the General Fund to support these initiatives.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Robert T. Reives, II proposed the most bills (29) 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.
Belk graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2006 with a BA.
Belk, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 88th House district, replacing previous state representative Rob Bryan.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Belk, Carolyn G. Logan, Robert T. Reives, II, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 723 | 04/02/2025 | Technology Coalitions Strategic Support Fund. |
| Mary Belk, Jordan Lopez, Monika Johnson-Hostler, and Nasif Majeed | HB 706 | 04/02/2025 | Change to Needs-Based Capital Funding. |
| Mary Belk, Carolyn G. Logan, Robert T. Reives, II, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 724 | 04/02/2025 | NC-FACT. |
| Mary Belk, Aisha O. Dew, Marcia Morey, and Pricey Harrison | HB 732 | 04/02/2025 | Common Sense Gun Regulations. |
| Mary Belk, Jordan Lopez, Marcia Morey, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 735 | 04/02/2025 | Modernize STI Transit Funding. |
| Mary Belk, Becky Carney, Maria Cervania, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 752 | 04/02/2025 | Transportation Economic Development Funding. |
| Mary Belk, Cynthia Ball, Julie von Haefen, and Pricey Harrison | HB 686 | 04/01/2025 | Safe Cosmetics Act. |
| Mary Belk, Maria Cervania, Sarah Crawford, and Tracy Clark | HB 624 | 03/31/2025 | Prescription Drug Pricing. |
| Mary Belk, Becky Carney, Carla D. Cunningham, and Donny Lambeth | HB 525 | 03/26/2025 | Reorganize & Fund Rare Disease Adv. Council. |
| Mary Belk, Allison A. Dahle, Gloristine Brown, and Julie von Haefen | HB 510 | 03/25/2025 | Menstrual Equity for All Act. |
| Mary Belk, Becky Carney, Carla D. Cunningham, and Cynthia Ball | HB 495 | 03/24/2025 | Accessing Midwives Act. |
| Mary Belk, Allen Buansi, Becky Carney, and Carla D. Cunningham | HB 460 | 03/19/2025 | Medical Equipment Right to Repair Act. |
| Mary Belk and Nasif Majeed | HB 436 | 03/18/2025 | Counties/Semiannual Assessments. |
| Mary Belk, Cynthia Ball, Marcia Morey, and Pricey Harrison | HB 293 | 03/05/2025 | Marine Life Stewardship Act. |
| Mary Belk, Becky Carney, Donna McDowell White, and Donny Lambeth | HB 297 | 03/05/2025 | Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity. |
| Mary Belk, Deb Butler, Frances Jackson, PhD, and James Roberson | HB 282 | 03/04/2025 | STI Funding/Bicycle/Pedestrian Improv. |
| Mary Belk, Brandon Lofton, Terry M. Brown Jr., and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 265 | 03/03/2025 | SchCalFlex/Char-Meck/CC. |
| Mary Belk, Carolyn G. Logan, and Tim Longest | HB 203 | 02/25/2025 | Home Warranty Act. |
| Mary Belk, Deb Butler, Jordan Lopez, and Phil Rubin | HB 174 | 02/21/2025 | Marriage Equality Act. |
| Mary Belk, Deb Butler, Jordan Lopez, and Phil Rubin | HB 175 | 02/21/2025 | Const. Amend./Marriage Equality. |
| Mary Belk, Dennis Riddell, Harry Warren, and Mark Brody | HB 99 | 02/11/2025 | Reflexologists Right to Work Act. |
