House Bill 2 is one step closer to becoming law after the House gave its approval on Wednesday afternoon.

The bill, which is titled Entry Fees for Interscholastic Sports Events, would require high schools and middle schools to accept cash as a form of payment at any event where admission is being charged.

Originally, the bill included language that would have required schools to allow senior citizens who have a Senior Tar Heel Card free admission to all sporting events. However, that language has been removed from the bill.

The House approved the bill by a 111-1 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it could work its way through the committee process before going to the full Senate for consideration.

If the Senate passes the bill, it will go to Gov. Josh Stein (D) who will have to decide whether or not to sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

HB 2 was introduced by Rep. Reece Pyrtle Jr. (R-Rockingham). It is the second time he has introduced such legislation. In 2023, he told HighSchoolOT he was concerned about the move to digital tickets because some community members did not have smart phones.

“I actually had an experience at a high school football game last fall where I was required to download an app, enter my credit card information and pay a convenience fee for each ticket to gain admission to the event,” Pyrtle said in 2023. “There are some adults and students in our communities that may not have the resources to purchase athletic tickets in such a manner. They should not be excluded from attending any interscholastic athletic event.”

The move to digital ticketing accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was used as a safety measure during the pandemic, it became popular with schools and athletic directors because the digital transactions were easier to track and made it harder for money to be mismanaged or lost.

Some athletic directors have said having cash at the gate means there is a need for added security, which means additional costs for the school. Digital tickets also allow administrators to have a better idea of who is attending events at their school. When someone purchases a digital ticket, they provide their name and contact information.

There are some school districts who have moved to digital ticketing platforms instead of accepting cash, but they have added the ability for people to pay at the gate with debit or credit cards if they don’t have a smart phone. HB 2 would require these schools to accpet cash though.

If the bill becomes law, it will go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year.