The $45 Million Question
North Carolina received $45,167,732 as the first payment from its child-safety settlement with Meta. How it is spent depends on legislation the General Assembly has not yet passed.
North Carolina has received its first payment, $45,167,732, from Attorney General Jeff Jackson's child-safety settlement with Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, the NC Department of Justice announced Oct. 1.
Under the settlement, North Carolina is guaranteed at least $451 million and could receive up to $645 million. The remaining money arrives in nine installments, paid every Jan. 15 starting in January 2027 and running through 2035. NC Newsline reports the extra $194 million above the guaranteed amount depends on other major social media companies, including YouTube and TikTok, agreeing to safety measures.
The money cannot simply be spent. “How the settlement funds are used in North Carolina will be determined by legislation enacted by the General Assembly,” the Department of Justice said. Jackson has encouraged lawmakers to use it for after-school and summer programs, crisis helplines for children, and school health personnel. NC Newsline adds that he pointed to shortages of school counselors, social workers and nurses.
“Children were the ones harmed by Meta's actions, and this money should be used to help them.” — Attorney General Jeff Jackson, NC DOJ release
What happens Monday: the House and Senate both convene at noon on Monday, Oct. 26, according to the legislative calendar. That session runs through Oct. 28, and the adjournment resolution (S 1091) limits it to a short list of matters: veto overrides, appointments, election laws, litigation over legislative enactments, impeachment, constitutional amendments, and conference reports or concurrence votes on bills that were already in play by Aug. 6. A new spending bill is not on that list. Further reconvened sessions are set for Nov. 16–19 and Nov. 30–Dec. 18.
The 252 read-through: no allocation of these dollars has been made to any program yet. Jackson's priorities line up with youth programming and school health, so the real question for Eastern North Carolina is whether the final legislation reaches community-based youth programs across rural counties, and how organizations would apply. Hip Hop Peoples: The 252 Edition will track the register as each session opens.
Sources: NC Department of Justice release, Oct 1, 2026 · NC Newsline · WCCB Charlotte · NCGA legislative calendar · S 1091 adjournment resolution summary (UNC School of Government)