Criminal Justice

died · North Carolina · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 985: HALO Law.

The HALO Law creates a new criminal offense in North Carolina that prohibits people from approaching or staying within 25 feet of first responders who are performing their duties, after the responders have issued a verbal warning. This law protects law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, probation officers, and other specified workers from harassment, threats, or interference. Violating these rules is classified as a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by fines or jail time, unless a more severe penalty already exists for the specific conduct. The legislation also allocates $25,000 to the Department of Public Safety to fund a marketing campaign aimed at informing the public about these new restrictions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates safety buffers for first responders, protecting law enforcement and correctional staff from interference and harassment, thereby supporting public safety and criminal justice operations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Tags Public Safety

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 1064: Civil Rights Helpline.

This bill establishes a 24-hour toll-free helpline and online portal within the North Carolina Department of Justice to assist individuals harmed by federal troop deployments, federal law enforcement actions, or immigration enforcement in the state. The Attorney General is required to maintain a secure database of complaints, investigate reported violations, and publish annual public reports detailing the number of reports, arrest statistics, and observed patterns of misconduct while keeping individual identities confidential. To ensure accessibility, the helpline must offer voicemail, translation services, and disability accommodations, along with resources connecting victims to legal, social, and school support programs. The legislation also mandates that the Attorney General hold at least one public hearing each year to present aggregate data and findings from the annual reports. Implementation of the helpline must begin within 60 days of the bill's effective date, with an initial report due one year after launch, and the program is funded with $3 million starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes a helpline to investigate civil rights violations by law enforcement, enhancing accountability and protecting rights.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill establishes a helpline for victims of immigration actions and provides legal/translation resources, directly supporting immigrant rights and services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Law Enforcement Tags Civil Liberties

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 30, 2026

SB 935: Increase Number of Magistrates/Mecklenburg.

This bill seeks to increase the number of magistrates authorized to serve in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It amends existing state statutes to raise the minimum requirement and appropriates $236,140 from the General Fund to hire five additional magistrates. The Administrative Office of the Courts will receive these funds starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The new positions become effective on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $236,140 from the General Fund to hire five additional magistrates, directly funding a public service.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds additional magistrates to improve court capacity and efficiency within the criminal justice system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 792: Kayla's Act: Protecting Dom. Violence Victims.

SB 792, titled Kayla's Act, amends North Carolina laws to provide additional protections for victims of domestic violence within the criminal justice system. The legislation primarily allows domestic violence victims to testify remotely in court rather than appearing in person, provided specific notice and approval procedures are followed. Additionally, the bill modifies evidence rules regarding unavailable witnesses and extends the statute of limitations for certain misdemeanor offenses. These policy changes directly impact criminal defendants, prosecutors, and judges handling domestic violence cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens victim protections and improves court access for domestic violence cases, enhancing the criminal justice system's ability to serve victims.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 784: Ensure Same-Sex Domestic Violence Prot. Order.

This bill amends North Carolina law to allow same-sex couples to obtain domestic violence protective orders by removing gender restrictions from the definition of a dating relationship. It updates the legal definition of a personal relationship to include partners of any gender who are romantically involved, rather than limiting protection to opposite-sex couples. Additionally, the legislation allocates $500,000 in state funds to run a public awareness campaign focused on domestic violence prevention within same-sex relationships. The changes apply to all protection orders issued after the law takes effect.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands protective orders to same-sex couples, strengthening legal protections and addressing gaps in domestic violence enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

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died · North Carolina · Senate Apr 23, 2026

SB 827: Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

This North Carolina legislation expands the state's hate crime laws to cover additional protected characteristics, including gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. It increases criminal penalties for offenses motivated by bias and allows victims or their families to file civil lawsuits for damages such as emotional distress. The bill also requires the state to create a hate crimes statistics database and mandates specialized training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors. Finally, it gives courts the option to order convicted offenders to participate in restorative justice sessions with victims at the defendant's cost.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands hate crime protections and mandates specialized law enforcement training, enhancing accountability and civil rights within the criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Law Enforcement

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 903: Highway and Road Safety Act.

This bill increases law enforcement and judicial resources in Mecklenburg County by funding 12 additional State Trooper positions and five new magistrates, effective July 1, 2025. It also raises minimum fines for drivers who fail to stop for school buses and establishes vehicle registration records as preliminary evidence of who was driving during such violations. Additionally, the bill expands the operating hours of the Metrolina Transportation Management Center and creates new rules for accessing highway camera footage, limiting public disclosure to specific individuals directly involved in incidents captured by the cameras.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill increases law enforcement and judicial resources by funding additional State Trooper positions and magistrates, directly strengthening criminal justice infrastructure and capacity.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill increases law enforcement funding, expands public transit center hours, and strengthens traffic safety measures for transportation infrastructure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Traffic Safety Vehicle Registration

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passed · North Carolina · House May 5, 2025

HB 908: Modify Civil Commitment Hearing Procedures.

This bill modifies North Carolina's civil commitment hearing procedures by giving judges discretion to dismiss criminal charges when a defendant lacks the capacity to proceed. Currently, judges are required to dismiss charges under certain conditions, but this change would allow them to decide whether dismissal is appropriate in each case. The law applies to offenses committed on or after the bill becomes effective. It affects criminal defendants who have mental health or cognitive issues that prevent them from participating in their own defense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill grants judges discretion to dismiss charges for defendants lacking capacity, aligning with criminal justice reform by protecting civil rights and reducing unnecessary prosecutions of vulnerable individuals.85% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · House Apr 14, 2025

HB 980: Remove Barriers to Employment from Court Debt.

HB 980 removes barriers to employment by ending North Carolina's practice of suspending driver's licenses for unpaid traffic-related fines, fees, or court appearances. It automatically reinstates licenses suspended under these rules without requiring action from the person, waives associated fees, and requires the DMV to notify affected individuals. The bill also mandates data collection on suspended licenses (disaggregated by race, gender, and zip code) and forgives fines for past "Driving While License Revoked" convictions tied to these suspensions. This directly affects North Carolinians whose licenses were suspended solely for unpaid traffic debts or non-appearance, restoring their ability to drive for work or daily needs.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves license suspensions for unpaid traffic fines, reducing employment barriers and addressing systemic disparities in court debt enforcement, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 581: Revise Neglected Juvenile Definition.

SB 581 revises North Carolina's definition of a "neglected juvenile" to clarify that parents or guardians cannot be deemed neglectful for allowing certain independent activities if a reasonable parent would consider them safe based on the child's age, maturity, and abilities. It specifically exempts activities like walking or biking to school, visiting nearby recreational areas, staying home briefly, or playing outdoors. This change prevents child welfare authorities from classifying such routine, age-appropriate activities as neglect. The bill directly affects parents, guardians, and child welfare systems by narrowing the circumstances under which independent activities trigger neglect investigations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents unnecessary juvenile justice system involvement by clarifying safe parental activities, reducing overreach in neglect cases per juvenile code reform.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

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