North Carolina Rep. Penny’s bill including U.S. Space Force and Fort Liberty renaming passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Howard Penny Jr. seeks to update North Carolina statutes to include the U.S. Space Force as part of the armed forces and to reflect the renaming of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 48 Democrats and 70 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Democrats and 29 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Penny filed the bill in the North Carolina House on Feb. 10 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 91, was passed on June 17 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Define Armed Forces/Religious Prop. Tax Excl.”

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

In essence, this bill amends various North Carolina statutes to include the United States Space Force as part of the “Armed Forces,” ensuring its recognition alongside other branches such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for changing the name of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty in compliance with the renaming directives from the Department of Defense. These updates are reflected in numerous legal definitions and provisions related to military service, residency requirements for legal actions, exemptions for military personnel, and duties related to educational reporting systems for military-connected students. The act takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Howard Penny, Jr. (Republican-53rd District), Rep. Steve Tyson (Republican-3rd District), and Rep. Donnie Loftis (Republican-109th District).

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.

Penny, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2020 to represent the state’s 53rd House district, replacing previous state representative David Lewis, Sr..

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.