A new bill filed by State Rep. Ya Liu in the North Carolina House seeks to include AAPI history and contributions in the standard school curriculum statewide, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 835 on April 8 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Learning AAPI Contributions in Schools.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates the inclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) education in the standard course of study for North Carolina schools, from elementary through high school, beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. It requires courses to cover the early contributions of Asian immigrants as laborers, their struggles throughout U.S. history, and their role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Additionally, the curriculum will address the status of Asian Americans as the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. and their contributions to government, arts and sciences, and various developments in North Carolina and the nation. The act is effective upon becoming law.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Jarrod Lowery proposed the most bills (24) 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.
Liu graduated from North Carolina Central University with a JD.
Liu, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 21st House district, replacing previous state representative Raymond Smith Jr..
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ya Liu, Edward C. Goodwin, Jarrod Lowery, and Maria Cervania | HB 835 | 04/08/2025 | Learning AAPI Contributions in Schools. |
| Ya Liu, Edward C. Goodwin, and Maria Cervania | HB 704 | 04/02/2025 | Establish AAPI Heritage Commission. |
| Ya Liu, Allen Buansi, Amos L. Quick, III, and Cecil Brockman | HB 713 | 04/02/2025 | Universal Free Breakfast and Lunch. |
| Ya Liu, Brian Turner, Jordan Lopez, and Maria Cervania | HB 730 | 04/02/2025 | Comprehensive State Communications. |
| Ya Liu, Brenden H. Jones, Julia C. Howard, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 734 | 04/02/2025 | Modernize Debt Settlement Prohibition. |
| Ya Liu, Brian Biggs, Laura Budd, and Sarah Stevens | HB 431 | 03/18/2025 | Preventing Deed Fraud. |
| Ya Liu and Frank Iler | HB 444 | 03/18/2025 | Homeowners Association Reform Bill. |
| Ya Liu, Ray Pickett, Tricia Ann Cotham, and Zack Hawkins | HB 378 | 03/11/2025 | Leon’s Law (Dual Enrollment Info Parents). |
| Ya Liu, Matthew Winslow, Mike Schietzelt, and Robert T. Reives, II | HB 361 | 03/10/2025 | Funds to Fight Deed and Title Fraud. |
| Ya Liu, Jennifer Balkcom, John R. Bell, IV, and Julia C. Howard | HB 187 | 02/24/2025 | Credit Union Update. |
