Vaping regulations, DMV changes among bills signed by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper

RALEIGH, North Carolina — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed four bills into law Wednesday, including the creation of a new registry for vaping products and a series of changes related to transportation regulations and the state DMV.

Cooper also vetoed two other bills ahead of his expected participation, along with other Democratic governors, in a meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

One bill signed by Cooper focuses on creating a registry within the North Carolina Department of Revenue for certified vaping products — such as e-cigarettes — or consumables containing nicotine by the end of the year. Certification of those products would be mandatory for manufacturers to sell them in North Carolina.

Sellers and manufacturers who fail to comply with the new regulations will be penalized. Both will be subject to various fees, and manufacturers may be charged with a misdemeanor.

Another bill approved introduces a wide range of changes to transportation regulations. The changes include creating digital driver’s licenses that can be viewed on mobile devices, printing temporary license plates on demand, implementing a construction zone safety course and increasing penalties for littering.

The third piece of legislation is the state’s annual Farm Act. Under this year’s version, farmland would be exempt from stormwater discharge fees and a tax break for certain types of land conservation donations would be enacted, among other changes.

The latest bill signed by Cooper makes various changes to insurance law.

Two other bills failed to pass. The first bill would allow title certification for off-highway and utility vehicles, and would allow modified utility vehicles to operate on roads at 55 mph or less, which Cooper said would pose a risk on state highways.

The second bill makes several changes to rent and landlords. Cooper criticized part of the bill for prohibiting cities from passing ordinances that prevent landlords from refusing to rent to someone who pays rent with federal housing assistance programs.

Although the General Assembly has adjourned, it has a list of dates when lawmakers can reconvene to take action, including considering veto overrides. Republican supermajorities in both chambers make the prospect of overrides likely.

The next meeting is scheduled for July 10.

Cooper’s decisions came hours before Biden met with other Democratic governors, which the governor’s office confirmed Cooper would participate in virtually. The meeting came after a difficult week for Biden’s campaign, sparked by his debate performance that led pundits and some officials to call for him to drop out of the presidential race.

The governor campaigned for Biden last week at a rally in Raleigh — the president’s first campaign stop after the Atlanta debate. Cooper told the cheering crowd that Biden “saved this nation” in 2020 and needs to do it again in 2024.

“If Joe Biden wins North Carolina, he will be president of the United States,” Cooper said last week.