State Rep. Hugh Blackwell has introduced a new bill in the North Carolina House seeking to expand the range of education fund uses and bolster scholarship options for students, the North Carolina State House reports.
The measure, HB 1020, was filed April 21 for the 2025 regular session and carries the short title: ‘PESA Class Aides & Child. Wartime Vets Funds.’
This overview is based on a review of the bill text itself, with clarifying details as needed to explain its content.
The legislation permits Personal Education Student Account funds to cover education-related support services provided by one-to-one classroom aides at eligible Part 1 or Part 2 nonpublic schools, starting in the 2026-27 school year. Funds cannot go toward aides who are immediate relatives or who are directly employed by the school. The proposal also requires schools to note each semester when aide services are requested. It allocates $1 million in nonrecurring funding for 2025-26 to reinstate and potentially grow Children of Wartime Veterans scholarships, and sets aside $7 million in recurring funding beginning July 1, 2026, to fund these additional scholarships.
Among the four House sponsors for the bill, Allen Chesser sponsored the most legislation during the 2025 session, introducing 52 bills.
In North Carolina, legislation must advance through a series of legislative steps before becoming law. Lawmakers first introduce a bill, which is then assigned to committee for review. Each chamber must read the bill three separate times. Amendments by either chamber require both to agree on the final language. After passage in both chambers, the legislation goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is out of session) to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature.
Blackwell is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an AB and also holds a JD from Harvard Law School.
A Republican, Blackwell joined the North Carolina State House in 2009, succeeding former state representative Walt Church in representing the 86th House district.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Blackwell, Allen Chesser, Donnie Loftis, and Erin Paré | HB 1020 | 04/21/2026 | PESA Class Aides & Child. Wartime Vets Funds. |
| Hugh Blackwell, David Willis, and John A. Torbett | HB 918 | 04/10/2025 | Standardized Testing Choice Act. |
| Hugh Blackwell and Sarah Stevens | HB 958 | 04/10/2025 | Election Law Changes. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Biggs, and Kyle Hall | HB 959 | 04/10/2025 | Protecting Students in a Digital Age. |
| Hugh Blackwell, David Willis, John A. Torbett, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 971 | 04/10/2025 | Career Development Adjustment. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Dudley Greene, Jay Adams, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 850 | 04/09/2025 | Interbasin Transfer Moratorium/Study. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Diane Wheatley, Erin Paré, and Mike Schietzelt | HB 854 | 04/09/2025 | Require Licensure of Educational Interpreters. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brandon Lofton, Brian Biggs, and Paul Scott | HB 855 | 04/09/2025 | Residency Licenses for Nonpublic EC Teachers. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Echevarria, Jake Johnson, and John A. Torbett | HB 872 | 04/09/2025 | School Employee Protections for Use of Force. |
| Hugh Blackwell, David Willis, Jake Johnson, and Wyatt Gable | HB 878 | 04/09/2025 | Increased Academic Transparency. |
| Hugh Blackwell, John M. Blust, Julia C. Howard, and Mike Schietzelt | HB 891 | 04/09/2025 | Civil Actions/State Agency and AG Litigation. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Carla D. Cunningham, Diane Wheatley, and Grant L. Campbell, MD | HB 832 | 04/08/2025 | Revise School Safety Grant Program. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Biggs, Heather H. Rhyne, and Larry W. Potts | HB 803 | 04/07/2025 | 3-Year FDA Approval for New Childhood Vaxx. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Jake Johnson, Matthew Winslow, and Zack Hawkins | HB 819 | 04/07/2025 | DIT Agency Bill. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Carla D. Cunningham, Donny Lambeth, and Gloristine Brown | HB 772 | 04/03/2025 | North Carolina Student Lifeline Act. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Charles Smith, Diane Wheatley, and Mike Colvin | HB 701 | 04/02/2025 | Adopt Lafayette Day. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Diane Wheatley, Timothy Reeder, MD, and Wyatt Gable | HB 727 | 04/02/2025 | Marriage/Family Therapy Mods. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Diane Wheatley, Frank Iler, and Phil Shepard | HB 741 | 04/02/2025 | Veterans Registration Plate Modifications. |
| Hugh Blackwell and John A. Torbett | HB 595 | 03/31/2025 | Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books. |
| Hugh Blackwell and John A. Torbett | HB 596 | 03/31/2025 | Standards Advisory Commission. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Biggs, David Willis, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 566 | 03/27/2025 | Principal Fellows Changes. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Cody Huneycutt, Kyle Hall, and Sarah Stevens | HB 443 | 03/18/2025 | Const. Amendment: Council of State Vacancies. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Carla D. Cunningham, Donna McDowell White, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 390 | 03/12/2025 | Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Abe Jones, Garland E. Pierce, and Marcia Morey | HB 335 | 03/06/2025 | Expand Emergency Judge Eligibility. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Grant L. Campbell, MD, Larry W. Potts, and Timothy Reeder, MD | HB 231 | 02/26/2025 | Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Kyle Hall, Mike Schietzelt, and Sarah Stevens | HB 182 | 02/24/2025 | Rev. Law Perm. Protect Order/Child Abuse. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Cody Huneycutt, Heather H. Rhyne, and Jarrod Lowery | HB 163 | 02/21/2025 | Pharmacy Benefits Manager Provisions. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Biggs, David Willis, and John A. Torbett | HB 144 | 02/17/2025 | Elect SBE/Superintendent as SBE Chair. |
| Hugh Blackwell, Brian Echevarria, Donnie Loftis, and Harry Warren | HB 127 | 02/13/2025 | Voter Registration Drive Form. |
