A new bill filed by State Rep. Howard seeks to create a division focused on data analytics and transparency within the North Carolina General Assembly, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 917 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Establish DATA Division.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill establishes the Data Analytics, Transparency, and Accountability (DATA) Division within the North Carolina General Assembly, reenacting previous legislative statutes and reallocating responsibilities to this new division. It mandates the inclusion of the DATA Division in various state report submissions, including the annual Global TransPark performance report and fiscal analyses requested by legislative directors. Every state department, agency, and institution is required to provide requested records and database access to the DATA Division, except where restricted by law. The act also includes whistleblower protections for state employees reporting to the DATA Division. An appropriation of $2 million from the General Fund is allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year to support the division’s operations. The bill is effective July 1, 2025, with specific provisions applying to reports due on or after this date.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Maria Cervania proposed the most bills (33) 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.
Howard graduated from Salem College in 2003 with a BA.
Howard, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 77th House district, replacing previous state representative Harry Warren.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia C. Howard, Carolyn G. Logan, and Maria Cervania | HB 917 | 04/10/2025 | Establish DATA Division. |
| Julia C. Howard, John R. Bell, IV, Robert T. Reives, II, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 909 | 04/10/2025 | State Infrastructure Bank Board. |
| Julia C. Howard, Hugh Blackwell, John M. Blust, and Mike Schietzelt | HB 891 | 04/09/2025 | Civil Actions/State Agency and AG Litigation. |
| Julia C. Howard, Brian Biggs, Kyle Hall, and Steve Tyson | HB 797 | 04/07/2025 | Residential Property Wholesaling Protection. |
| Julia C. Howard, Cody Huneycutt, Jonathan L. Almond, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 702 | 04/02/2025 | Chiropractic Education Changes. |
| Julia C. Howard, Dennis Riddell, and Jimmy Dixon | HB 729 | 04/02/2025 | Farmland Protection Act. |
| Julia C. Howard, Brenden H. Jones, Mitchell S. Setzer, and Ya Liu | HB 734 | 04/02/2025 | Modernize Debt Settlement Prohibition. |
| Julia C. Howard, Neal Jackson, Sarah Crawford, and Stephen M. Ross | HB 754 | 04/02/2025 | Fin. Exploit. Prevention/Savings Bank Updates. |
| Julia C. Howard, Mitchell S. Setzer, and Neal Jackson | HB 650 | 04/01/2025 | No Interchange Fees on Sales Tax or Tips. |
| Julia C. Howard, Maria Cervania, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 654 | 04/01/2025 | Adopt Girl Scouts Week. |
| Julia C. Howard and Brandon Lofton | HB 631 | 03/31/2025 | State Infrastructure Bank Study. |
| Julia C. Howard, Mitchell S. Setzer, and Neal Jackson | HB 554 | 03/27/2025 | Rev Laws Tech Chngs/BBA Chngs/P2P Tax Parity. |
| Julia C. Howard, Karl E. Gillespie, Kyle Hall, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 559 | 03/27/2025 | Make Elevators Great Again.-AB |
| Julia C. Howard, Becky Carney, Mitchell S. Setzer, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 515 | 03/25/2025 | North Carolina Economic Abuse Prevention Act. |
| Julia C. Howard, Donny Lambeth, Lindsey Prather, and Pricey Harrison | HB 410 | 03/17/2025 | NCIOM Study/Medical Aid in Dying. |
| Julia C. Howard, Jeff Zenger, and Ted Davis, Jr. | HB 264 | 03/03/2025 | Wire Fraud Prevention Act. |
| Julia C. Howard, Jennifer Balkcom, John R. Bell, IV, and Ya Liu | HB 187 | 02/24/2025 | Credit Union Update. |
| Julia C. Howard, Harry Warren, Jake Johnson, and John M. Blust | HB 154 | 02/18/2025 | Reclaim State Assets from NCInnovation. |
| Julia C. Howard, Brian Biggs, Kyle Hall, and Steve Tyson | HB 96 | 02/11/2025 | Expedited Removal of Unauthorized Persons. |
| Julia C. Howard, Cody Huneycutt, Paul Scott, and Steve Tyson | HB 97 | 02/11/2025 | Support Firefighters Fighting Cancer. |
| Julia C. Howard, Harry Warren, Mark Brody, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 48 | 02/04/2025 | Increase UI Max Benefit/2025 UI Tax Credit. |
| Julia C. Howard, Cody Huneycutt, Larry W. Potts, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 54 | 02/04/2025 | Funds for NC APSE. |
| Julia C. Howard, Cody Huneycutt, Larry W. Potts, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 55 | 02/04/2025 | Funds for the IGNITE Program. |
| Julia C. Howard | HB 33 | 02/03/2025 | SchCalFlex/Yadkin, Davie/CC. |
| Julia C. Howard, Cody Huneycutt, Neal Jackson, and Paul Scott | HB 37 | 02/03/2025 | Enhance Firefighter Benefits & Representation. |
