Rep. Arp files bill in North Carolina House to fund special education costs

A new bill filed by State Rep. Arp in the North Carolina House seeks to provide financial support for local school units covering special education costs beyond typical funding, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 883 on April 9 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Support Students with Disabilities Act.’

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

In essence, this bill establishes a grant program starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year for local school administrative units in North Carolina to support extraordinary costs incurred when providing special education services to students with disabilities. The funding will cover costs related to placements in private schools and other specialized settings outside the school system, as required by the students’ individualized education programs (IEPs). The Department of Public Instruction will oversee the grant distribution and ensure compliance with state and federal laws. The grant will cover 75% of qualifying extraordinary costs, with funds disbursed quarterly. An annual report on fund utilization and student placements will be submitted by the Department to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15, 2026. The bill appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to support the program and requires additional monitoring and reporting on various placements of students with disabilities. The act becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Brian Biggs proposed the most bills (43) 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.

Arp graduated from The Military College of South Carolina in 1988 with a BS.

Arp, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 69th House district, replacing previous state representative Frank McGuirt.