Criminal Justice

in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 12, 2025

HB 367: Provide Rape Kit Status Updates to Victims.

HB 367 requires North Carolina's State Crime Laboratory to provide sexual assault victims with updates on the status of their examination kits. Victims will be notified if their kit cannot be tested, if testing is declined for reasons other than untestability, or if the kit is scheduled for destruction. The law mandates that the lab develop procedures for these notifications but specifies victims must provide and maintain current contact information. This law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all kits submitted before, on, or after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates victim notifications for rape kit status, enhancing transparency and rights in sexual assault cases within criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Violent Crime

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 182: Revise Law Permanent Protective Order/Child Abuse.

HB 182 creates two key policy changes: First, it allows judges to issue lifetime no-contact orders against defendants convicted of certain violent offenses (including sex offenses requiring registration), requiring a show-cause hearing to determine if the victim fears future contact. Second, it clarifies that caregivers of children under 16 who commit or allow sexual acts with the child face Class D felony charges, specifically expanding penalties for permitting such abuse. The law directly affects victims of violent crimes (through the no-contact protections) and caregivers of children under 16 (through updated felony charges for sexual abuse). These provisions apply to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminal penalties for caregivers (Class D felony) and mandates lifetime no-contact orders for violent offenders, increasing punitive measures per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

Track

in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 452: Revise Law/Obstruction of Health Facility.

HB 452 makes it a crime to obstruct access to or threaten people at healthcare facilities in North Carolina. It prohibits blocking entrances, delaying care, or threatening patients, staff, or those helping others access services. The bill also restricts protests within 8 feet of people near facility entrances (unless consented to) and increases penalties: first offenses are misdemeanors, repeat offenses within three years become more serious misdemeanors, and third offenses escalate to felonies. This law directly affects individuals engaging in protests or obstruction near healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, and patients seeking care. It takes effect December 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new offenses (obstructing healthcare access) and increasing penalties, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of expanding criminalization.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill prohibits obstruction and threats at healthcare facilities, protecting patient access and staff safety, directly strengthening healthcare access and safety protections.95% confidence

Track

in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 446: Prohibition on Disclosing Booking Photographs.

HB 446 prevents law enforcement from sharing booking photographs (taken during initial arrest) with websites or publications that require payment to remove the photos. It requires those "pay-to-remove" sites to delete such photos within seven business days if the person was not convicted (and provides proof of dismissal, acquittal, or expungement). Sites that fail to comply face civil penalties, including $100 per day for each day the photo remains visible. This directly affects individuals arrested but not convicted and "pay-to-remove" online platforms.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents exploitation of pre-conviction arrest photos, protecting civil rights and reducing stigma - aligns with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

Track

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 20, 2025

SB 353: The Second Chance Coding Act.

SB 353, the Second Chance Coding Act, requires North Carolina's Division of Juvenile Justice to create a program teaching coding and computer skills to juveniles in youth development centers. The program must include specialized courses, industry certification opportunities, and workforce connections like mentorship and job placement to help these youth transition into careers after release. Implemented by January 1, 2026, with $250,000 in funding for 2025-2026, the bill aims to reduce recidivism by improving job prospects. It directly affects youth committed to juvenile facilities, focusing on concrete skill-building rather than speculative outcomes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $250,000 for juvenile coding program under appropriations/budgeting subjects, explicitly funding a public service initiative.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds coding education for juveniles in correctional facilities to reduce recidivism, directly supporting rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds vocational coding program for juveniles in correctional facilities, expanding educational access and workforce readiness within education policy.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides vocational coding training with job placement for juvenile offenders, directly enhancing workforce readiness and employment opportunities through workforce connections and certification.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds coding education and IT skills training for juveniles, directly advancing tech workforce development through vocational programs and industry certifications.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Career & Technical Education Professional Licensing Workforce Development

Track

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 20, 2025

SB 350: Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act.

SB 350, the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act, would legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older in North Carolina, allowing possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, 15 grams of concentrate, or products containing no more than 2,000mg THC. It establishes a regulatory framework requiring licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and retail sales, with mandatory lab testing, potency labeling, and restrictions on advertising. The bill directly affects North Carolina residents over 21, cannabis businesses, and communities disproportionately impacted by past cannabis prohibition - addressing the ACLU finding that Black individuals were 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for possession than white individuals despite similar usage rates. Key provisions include creating three funds to reinvest tax revenue into affected communities for substance abuse treatment, education, and business support, while requiring licensed businesses to prioritize diversity, fair wages, and community investment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill includes excise taxes on cannabis sales with 'reinvestment' language, implying tax revenue funds community programs, aligning with fiscal support indicators.85% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeLegalizes cannabis, removes criminal penalties for possession, and includes expungement of records - directly advancing criminal justice reform by reducing convictions and enabling record clearance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Drug Policy

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 95: 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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties to Class I felony for threats against officials, requiring $50k bond. Expands criminalization of speech, opposing reform efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

Track

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 25, 2025

SB 421: Prison Reform Omnibus.

SB 421, the "Fair and Rehabilitative Prison Labor Act," replaces outdated North Carolina prison labor laws to ensure incarcerated individuals receive fair pay, vocational training, and protections. It requires prison labor programs to pay at least $5 per hour (or state minimum wage for PIECP-certified programs), prioritize job skills for post-release employment, and prohibit using prison labor to displace migrant or seasonal agricultural workers. The bill mandates annual transparency reports on wages, hours worked, and job impacts in agriculture, and requires labor market assessments before agricultural contracts. These changes directly affect incarcerated people in North Carolina prisons, prison labor programs, and agricultural businesses that contract prison labor.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates fair prison labor pay, vocational training for reentry, and prohibits displacing agricultural workers - directly advancing rehabilitation and reducing recidivism per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits prison labor from displacing migrant agricultural workers, protecting immigrant laborers' employment in agriculture.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Mar 26, 2025

HB 330: Controlled Substances Act - Updates.

HB 330 updates North Carolina's Controlled Substances Act by adding specific synthetic drugs and chemical structures to Schedule I, making them illegal without exception. It directly affects law enforcement, healthcare providers, and individuals using these substances, as it automatically controls new variants of fentanyl derivatives (like 4-fluorofentanyl), nitazenes, synthetic cannabinoids (including indole carboxamides), and other novel psychoactive substances based on their chemical structure - not just named compounds. Key mechanisms include defining "structurally derived" compounds (e.g., fentanyl modifications) and listing specific examples to close loopholes where manufacturers alter molecules slightly to evade existing laws. This policy change aims to address emerging drug threats by expanding the legal definition of controlled substances.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds synthetic drugs to Schedule I, expanding criminalization of substances under controlled substances law without exceptions, increasing enforcement focus on possession/use.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

Track

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 564: Public Safety Through Food Access Act.

SB 564, the "Public Safety Through Food Access Act," allows North Carolina to opt out of a federal ban that denies food assistance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to people convicted of drug-related felony offenses. It directly affects individuals convicted of Class H or I drug felonies who meet specific conditions: they must complete six months without new offenses and successfully finish or actively participate in a substance abuse treatment program approved by mental health authorities. The bill requires county social services to link food and TANF benefits to this treatment requirement, as permitted by federal law. The policy change takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestores food/TANF benefits for drug felony offenders completing treatment, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism - direct criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

Track