State budget bill sent to governor after final legislative votes

Senate Bill 257, the 2026 Appropriations Act, was ratified and presented to Gov. Josh Stein on July 2 after final House and Senate votes.

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s 2026 state budget bill has been sent to Gov. Josh Stein after final approval by the General Assembly.

Senate Bill 257, titled the “2026 Appropriations Act,” was ratified and presented to the governor on Thursday, July 2, according to the North Carolina General Assembly bill history. The measure was adopted on third reading in both chambers that day, with the House voting 88-21 and the Senate voting 35-10 on the conference report.

The bill is the main state spending measure for the 2026 budget year and contains appropriations. The General Assembly’s bill page lists the measure as public legislation that contains appropriations, local appropriations, roll-call votes and requested studies.

The final legislative action followed earlier votes July 1, when the House and Senate approved the conference report on second reading. The House vote on second reading was 92-23, while the Senate vote was 36-13, according to the bill history.

The General Assembly also posted several supporting budget documents this week, including the proposed conference committee substitute for Senate Bill 257, the Joint Conference Committee Report on the Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2026, a table of contents and the bill information page.

The governor may sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. If vetoed, the measure could return to the General Assembly for a possible override vote.

The bill’s movement is one of the most significant actions of the 2026 short session because it sets statewide fiscal policy across state agencies, public education, health care, public safety, transportation and other government operations.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.