GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 496
Short Title: Patriotic Youth Group Access. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Ross, Bell, Tyson, and Ward (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 25, 2025
*H496 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW CIVI C YOUTH GROUPS TO GI VE PRESENTATIONS ABO UT 2
ORGANIZATION MEMBERS HIP TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-206 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 115C-206. State Board of Education; duties; responsibilities. 6
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall prepare and present to the State Board of 7
Education recommendations for general guidelines for encouraging increased community 8
involvement in the public schools and use of public school facilities. These recommendations 9
shall include, but shall not be limited to provisions for: 10
… 11
(4) Local boards of education are to be directed to give priority in the use of 12
school facilities to Requiring public school units to permit any youth group 13
listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the 14
Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, 15
and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North 16
Carolina groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access 17
for students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other 18
than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging 19
civic education.the opportunity to give a presentation on the purpose of the 20
group, how to become a member of the group, and encouraging civic 21
education. Presentations given pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 22
10 minutes and shall be scheduled between the start and release times of the 23
instructional day. Presentation time does not count toward any instructional 24
hour requirements. Nothing in this section, or a policy or rule adopted 25
pursuant to this section, shall be construed as requiring a public school unit to 26
provide equal access to an organization that is not designated as a patriotic 27
organization. 28
…." 29
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-150.12C(28) reads as rewritten: 30
"(28) Access for youth groups. – Schools for the deaf and blind are encouraged to 31
facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth 32
group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such 33
as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and 34
councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 496-First Edition
North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities 1
offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time 2
during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.shall 3
develop policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools 4
in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-206(4)." 5
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-207 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 115C-207. Authority and responsibility of local boards of education. 7
Every local board of education that uses State funds to implement programs under this Article 8
shall: 9
… 10
(4) Give priority in the use of school facilities to any youth group listed in Title 11
36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of 12
America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl 13
Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina 14
groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access for 15
students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other 16
than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging 17
civic education. If the local board of education denies priority access to a 18
patriotic society listed in Title 36 of the United States Code, the local board 19
shall provide reasons for the denial in writing to the requesting entity.Develop 20
policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools in 21
accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-206(4). 22
…." 23
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 115C-218.75(f) reads as rewritten: 24
"(f) Access for Youth Groups. – Charter schools are encouraged to facilitate access for 25
students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United 26
States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North 27
Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its 28
affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by 29
these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the 30
purposes of encouraging civic education.Charter schools shall develop policies to ensure that 31
patriotic youth groups have access to schools in accordance with the provisions of 32
G.S. 115C-206(4)." 33
SECTION 2.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66(13) reads as rewritten: 34
"(13) Access for youth groups. – Regional schools are encouraged to facilitate 35
access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth group 36
listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the 37
Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, 38
and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North 39
Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered 40
by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the 41
school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.Regional schools 42
shall develop policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to 43
schools in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-206(4)." 44
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 45
the 2025-2026 school year. 46