SB 633 prohibits individuals convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense from buying or owning firearms. It requires universal background checks for all firearm sales (including private transactions) and mandates that parents/guardians certify safe firearm storage for students in public schools. The bill also reinstates North Carolina’s pistol permit law. These provisions directly affect firearm sellers, private sellers, and people with domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, aiming to restrict firearm access for specific high-risk groups. The law takes effect December 1, 2025, for new offenses.
HB 942 allocates $10 million in recurring state funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. This funding will be distributed by the Coalition to partner organizations, including domestic violence programs, rape crisis centers, and child advocacy centers. The bill directs these organizations to use the funds for victim advocacy services, such as counseling and support for survivors of sexual assault. The legislation becomes effective July 1, 2025, and directly supports survivors by strengthening local victim services.
HB 621 appropriates $1.5 million from North Carolina's General Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Safe Alliance, Inc. for its Umbrella Center in Charlotte. The funds will directly support the center's services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking by enabling additional land acquisition and a deceleration lane. The bill requires the funds to be used specifically for expanding these victim services and infrastructure. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and is currently pending in the House Appropriations Committee.
HB 1008 enhances penalties for sexual battery and stalking when the perpetrator is a local government elected official. The bill specifically applies if the victim is a fellow member of the same governing board or an employee of that board. In such cases, sexual battery, which is typically a Class A1 misdemeanor, becomes a Class H felony. Similarly, stalking committed under these specific circumstances also escalates to a Class H felony. This act becomes effective on December 1, 2025, for offenses committed on or after that date.
SB 717 (North Carolina) increases penalties for assault by strangulation by creating three new felony classifications based on injury severity. It establishes a Class F felony for strangulation causing serious bodily injury (defined as risk of death, disfigurement, permanent impairment, or prolonged hospitalization), a Class H G felony for strangulation causing physical injury, and a Class H felony for strangulation without specified injury. The law directly affects individuals convicted of strangulation assaults in North Carolina, defining "strangulation" as pressure on the throat/neck or obstruction of nose/mouth. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, applying to offenses committed on or after that date.
SB 662 updates North Carolina's domestic violence protective order law to explicitly include same-sex couples in dating relationships. It amends the definition of "personal relationship" by removing the requirement that dating partners be of opposite sex, ensuring same-sex couples who are romantically involved can seek protective orders under the same criteria as opposite-sex couples. The bill changes Section 50B-1(b)(6) of the statute to clarify that a dating relationship is defined by ongoing romantic involvement, not gender. This policy change applies to protective orders issued on or after the bill's effective date.
HB 620 adds High Point University School of Law to the list of educational institutions receiving five free copies of appellate court reports annually. It establishes a new program within the Administrative Office of the Courts to oversee local accountability and recovery courts, requiring annual reports on their operation and effectiveness. The bill also prohibits modifying court forms without clear notation of changes and removes public notice requirements for name changes when applicants are in address confidentiality programs or victims of domestic violence, sexual offense, or stalking, keeping related records private. These changes directly affect courts, law schools, attorneys, and individuals seeking name changes.
SB 637 amends North Carolina's domestic violence protective order law to ensure same-sex couples in dating relationships can access these protections. Currently, the law required dating relationships to be between people of "opposite sex" for protective orders to apply, excluding same-sex couples. The bill removes this gender requirement from the definition of a dating relationship in the statute. This change applies to all protective orders issued on or after the law's effective date, providing equal access to domestic violence protections regardless of sexual orientation.
SB 634, "Kayla's Act: Protecting Domestic Violence Victims," allows domestic violence victims to testify remotely in court to reduce trauma from facing their abuser. It directly affects victims in criminal cases involving domestic violence (as defined under North Carolina law), including assault, stalking, or violations of protection orders. The bill requires prosecutors to notify the defense 15 business days before remote testimony, with the defense needing to object in writing 5 days prior to prevent it. If the defense objects, a judge may still allow remote testimony if the victim would suffer serious emotional distress from testifying in person or if their communication would be impaired. The law also sets specific standards for how remote testimony must be conducted, including real-time audio/video and safeguards for cross-examination.
HB 505, "Kayla's Act: Protecting Domestic Violence Victims," allows domestic violence victim witnesses in North Carolina criminal cases to testify remotely (via video or similar technology) instead of in person during trials. This directly affects victims, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courts in domestic violence cases involving crimes like assault or stalking under Chapter 14 of state law. The bill requires prosecutors to notify defendants 15 business days in advance of remote testimony, with defendants having 5 days to object in writing; if no objection is filed, remote testimony is permitted. If a defendant objects, a judge may still allow remote testimony only if the victim would suffer serious emotional distress from testifying in the defendant's presence or if their ability to communicate with the court would be impaired, with strict court oversight to ensure fair cross-examination.
