Rep. Cervania files bill revising school suspension policies in North Carolina House

A new bill filed by State Rep. Maria Cervania seeks to revise suspension policies and improve transparency and accountability in disciplinary actions within North Carolina public schools, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 885 on April 9 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Revise Suspension & Parental Notice Policies.’

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

In essence, this bill revises suspension policies in North Carolina public schools by defining the lengths of short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term suspensions, and creating a right of appeal for short-term suspensions. It prohibits the use of corporal punishment and requires childcare providers to report disciplinary actions in early child care settings. The bill mandates parental notification of suspensions in plain language, which must be translated if necessary and includes requirements for schools to report on disciplinary actions, ensuring data is public and disaggregated by demographic details. The Department of Public Instruction must analyze this data and develop strategies to minimize suspensions and expulsions. An appropriation of $2 million is allocated for developing guidance to implement the act, which becomes effective July 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Marcia Morey 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.