Rep. Brown files bill in North Carolina House to fund cultural arts project

A new bill filed by State Rep. Kanika Brown in the North Carolina House seeks to provide financial support for cultural development through a directed grant to Triad Cultural Arts, Inc, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 995 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Shotgun House Funding Act.’

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

In essence, this bill allocates a nonrecurring sum of $750,000 from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The funds are designated as a directed grant to Triad Cultural Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization, to support the development of the Shotgun House Legacy Site project located in the City of Winston-Salem. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Brown proposed the most bills (22) 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.

Brown, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 71st House district, replacing previous state representative Evelyn Terry.