HB 95 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Threaten Elected Official/Increase Punishment.

HB 95 increases penalties for threats against certain elected and public officials in North Carolina, making such threats a Class I felony. It directly affects individuals who make threats against legislative, executive, court, local elected, or election officials, requiring a $50,000 secured appearance bond for anyone charged with these offenses. The bill amends existing statutes to clarify that threats need not be received or believed by the targeted official, and it specifically covers threats made in retaliation for an official's duties. The law applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Last action Mar 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to expand protections for public officials by adding assault as a criminal offense alongside threats, changing felony classifications for certain offenses, and modifying bail requirements. The changes make it easier to prosecute attacks on officials and give judges more authority over pretrial release decisions.

Scope change

The bill now covers both physical assaults and threats against public officials, whereas the original version only addressed threats. It also expanded the range of felony classifications based on weapon use and injury severity.

SCOPE

Added assault as a criminal offense alongside threats against public officials, expanding the bill's protections to cover physical attacks in addition to verbal threats.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the felony classification for threats against officials from Class I to Class H, and added new felony classifications for assaults with deadly weapons (Class D) and serious bodily injury (Class C).

Modified bail requirements to give judges authority to determine pretrial release conditions rather than requiring a minimum $50,000 secured bond, and added provisions for judges to review criminal history reports.

Added new provisions allowing judges to detain defendants for reasonable periods while determining release conditions if immediate release would pose danger to persons.

Added specific conditions judges may impose on pretrial release, including staying away from victims and refraining from assaulting or threatening them.

Floor votes · House Mar 19, 2025

How they voted

114–2

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 121

Mar 19, 2025

D Democratic46

41 Yea 2 Nay 3

89% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican73

71 Yea 2

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed 3rd Reading

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav Com Substitute

lower

Feb 25, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Judiciary 2

lower

Feb 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Ref to the Com on State and Local Government, if favorable, Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 13 co-sponsors