A new bill filed by State Rep. David Willis in the North Carolina House seeks to enhance principal training and support school leader preparation through competitive grants and forgivable scholarships, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 566 on March 27 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Principal Fellows Changes.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill proposes several changes to the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program, effective July 1, 2025. It establishes a competitive grant system to enhance principal training and provide forgivable scholarship loans to participants in school leader preparation programs. The Commission will issue requests for proposals, allowing eligible entities to apply, with grants supporting up to eight recipients per fiscal year for forgivable loans and two recipients for innovative training methods, capped at $250,000 each. Grants for forgivable loans can last two to six years, while those for training innovation are annual. The bill also permits the use of administrative funds for statewide program operations, including staff salaries and program evaluation, designating up to 2% of program funds or $160,000, whichever is larger, for administrative costs. Any unallocated funds can be used for program monitoring, evaluation, and extracurricular activities.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Brian Biggs proposed the most bills (26) 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.
Willis graduated from Appalachian State University in 1996.
Willis, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 68th House district, replacing previous state representative D. Craig Horn.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Willis, Brian Biggs, Hugh Blackwell, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 566 | 03/27/2025 | Principal Fellows Changes. |
| David Willis | HB 556 | 03/27/2025 | 2025 Charter Schools Review Board Omnibus. |
| David Willis, Allen Chesser, Brenden H. Jones, and Grant L. Campbell, MD | HB 572 | 03/27/2025 | Veterans/eTMS Pilot Program. |
| David Willis, Charles Smith, Kyle Hall, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 543 | 03/26/2025 | Criminal Background Check For Athlete Agents. |
| David Willis, Kyle Hall, Matthew Winslow, and Ray Pickett | HB 490 | 03/24/2025 | Propel NC Funding and Tuition Surcharge. |
| David Willis, Donnie Loftis, Grant L. Campbell, MD, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 430 | 03/18/2025 | Protect Youth From Harms of Vaping & Nicotine. |
| David Willis, Brian Biggs, Ray Pickett, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 414 | 03/17/2025 | 1-to-1 Credit for Career and College Promise. |
| David Willis, Brian Biggs, and Heather H. Rhyne | HB 415 | 03/17/2025 | Modify Math & Social Studies Grad. Req. |
| David Willis, Jake Johnson, Steve Tyson, and Zack Hawkins | HB 424 | 03/17/2025 | Gaming Laws/Allow Certain Social Games. |
| David Willis, Donnie Loftis, Grant L. Campbell, MD, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 425 | 03/17/2025 | Protect Youth From Harms of Vaping & Nicotine. |
| David Willis, Grant L. Campbell, MD, James Roberson, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 365 | 03/11/2025 | Workforce Education Act. |
| David Willis, Allen Chesser, Grant L. Campbell, MD, and Ray Pickett | HB 373 | 03/11/2025 | UNC Tuition Discounts for Certain Students. |
| David Willis, Jeff Zenger, Jonathan L. Almond, and Neal Jackson | HB 301 | 03/05/2025 | Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16. |
| David Willis, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Bill Ward, and Charles W. Miller | HB 270 | 03/03/2025 | Revise Law on the Death Penalty. |
| David Willis and Dean Arp | HB 170 | 02/21/2025 | Restore Down-Zoning/Union Co. |
| David Willis, Brian Biggs, Hugh Blackwell, and John A. Torbett | HB 144 | 02/17/2025 | Elect SBE/Superintendent as SBE Chair. |
| David Willis, Paul Scott, and Todd Carver | HB 106 | 02/11/2025 | Revive High-Need Retired Teachers Program. |
| David Willis, Grant L. Campbell, MD, Harry Warren, and John R. Bell, IV | HB 12 | 01/29/2025 | Observe Standard Time All Year. |
| David Willis, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., and Charles W. Miller | HB 2 | 01/29/2025 | Entry Fees for Interscholastic Sports Events. |
| David Willis, Ben T. Moss, Jr., Celeste C. Cairns, and Keith Kidwell | HB 7 | 01/29/2025 | NC REACH Act. |
