Rep. Cervania files bill in North Carolina House to enhance highway work zone safety

A new bill filed by State Rep. Cervania seeks to improve public safety by allowing electronic speed monitoring in highway work zones through a pilot program, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 982 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘NC Highway Safety Act of 2025.’

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

In essence, the bill establishes a pilot program to enhance public safety by allowing the North Carolina Department of Transportation to utilize electronic speed-measuring systems in highway work zones to detect speed limit violations. These systems will consist of automated traffic cameras and sensors, capturing digital photographs of offending vehicles. A civil penalty of $250 will be imposed for violations, with no impact on driving or insurance points. Seventy-five percent of the collected penalties will go to the Civil Penalty Litigation Fund, benefiting local school funding, and the remaining 25% to the State Public School Fund. The pilot program can designate up to 25 work zones simultaneously. The Secretary of Transportation must report on the program’s effectiveness to legislative committees by May 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. This act takes effect Oct. 1, 2025, and expires Oct. 1, 2030.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, 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.

Cervania graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a BA.

Cervania, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 41st House district, replacing previous state representative Gale Adcock.