North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H52 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 3
	3	+	H 2
4	4		HOUSE BILL 52
5	5		Committee Substitute Favorable 2/25/25
6		-	Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 3/4/25
7	6
8	7		Short Title: Protect Those Who Serve & Protect Act of 2025. (Public)
9	8		Sponsors:
10	9		Referred to:
11	10		February 5, 2025
12		-	H52-v-3
	11	+	H52-v-2
13	12		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	13		AN ACT ENACTING THE PROTECT THOSE WHO SERVE AND PROTECT ACT OF 2025. 2
15	14		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
16	15		SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the "Protect Those Who Serve and Protect 4
17	16		Act of 2025." 5
18	17		SECTION 2. Article 8 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 6
19	18		a new section to read: 7
20	19		"§ 14-34.7A. Assault on a public safety officer, law enforcement agency animal, or search 8
21	20		and rescue animal by throwing, spraying, or otherwise projecting water or other 9
22	21		substances. 10
23	22		(a) Definition. – The following definitions apply in this section: 11
24	23		(1) Law enforcement agency animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 12
25	24		(2) Public safety officer. – Any of the following: 13
26	25		a. A law enforcement officer. 14
27	26		b. A probation or parole officer. 15
28	27		c. A person who is employed at (i) a detention facility, as defined in 16
29	28		G.S. 143B-805, or (ii) any other detention facility operated under the 17
30	29		jurisdiction of the State or a local government. 18
31	30		d. A telecommunicator employed by a law enforcement agency. 19
32	31		e. A firefighter or rescue squad worker. 20
33	32		f. An emergency medical services personnel, as defined in 21
34	33		G.S. 131E-155. 22
35	34		g. A hospital employee, medical practice employee, licensed health care 23
36	35		provider, individual under contract to provide services at a hospital or 24
37	36		medical practice, hospital security personnel, or other emergency 25
38	37		health care provider not otherwise covered under sub-subdivision e. of 26
39	38		this subdivision. 27
40	39		h. A member of the North Carolina National Guard. 28
41	40		i. A member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. 29
42	41		j. A juvenile court counselor or chief court counselor, as those terms are 30
43	42		defined in G.S. 143B-805. 31
44	43		k. An emergency management worker , as defined in 32
45	44		G.S. 166A-19.60(e). 33
46		-	(3) Search and rescue animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 House Bill 52-Third Edition
	45	+	l. An employee or volunteer at a school, as those terms are defined in 34
	46	+	subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of G.S. 14-33. 35
	47	+	(3) Search and rescue animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	48	+	Page 2 House Bill 52-Second Edition
48	49		(b) Offense and Punishment. – Unless covered under some other provision of law 1
49	50		providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class I felony if the person commits an 2
50	51		assault or battery on either of the following by throwing, spraying, or otherwise projecting, or 3
51	52		causing to be thrown, sprayed, or otherwise projected, water or any other substance at: 4
52	53		(1) A public safety officer (i) while the public safety officer is discharging or 5
53	54		attempting to discharge his or her official duties or (ii) because of the victim's 6
54	55		status as a public safety officer. 7
55	56		(2) A law enforcement agency animal or a search and rescue animal (i) while the 8
56	57		animal is in the performance of its duty or (ii) because of the animal's status 9
57	58		as a law enforcement agency animal or search and rescue animal." 10
58	59		SECTION 3. G.S. 14-34.8 reads as rewritten: 11
59	60		"§ 14-34.8. Criminal use of laser device. 12
60	61		(a) The following definitions apply in this section: 13
61	62		(1) Laser. – Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. 14
62	63		(2) Law enforcement agency animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 15
63	64		(3) Public safety officer. – As defined in G.S. 14-34.7A. 16
64	65		(4) Search and rescue animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 17
65	66		(b) It is unlawful to intentionally point a laser device while the device is emitting a laser 18
66	67		beam at: 19
67	68		(1) Any of the following A public safety officer (i) while the person is in the 20
68	69		performance of his or her duties:duties or (ii) because of the person's status as 21
69	70		a public safety officer. 22
70	71		a. A law enforcement officer. 23
71	72		b. A probation or parole officer. 24
72	73		c. A person whose employment duties include the custody, 25
73	74		transportation, or management of persons who are detained or 26
74	75		confined to a detention facility, youth development center, or 27
75	76		correctional institution operated under the jurisdiction of the State or 28
76	77		a local government. 29
77	78		d. A firefighter. 30
78	79		e. An emergency medical technician or other emergency health care 31
79	80		provider. 32
80	81		f. A member of the North Carolina National Guard. 33
81	82		g. A member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. 34
82	83		h. Court counselors whose employment duties include intake, probation, 35
83	84		post-release supervision, and court supervision services of juveniles. 36
84	85		(2) The head or face of any person not covered under subdivision (1) of this 37
85	86		subsection. 38
86	87		(3) A law enforcement agency animal or a search and rescue animal (i) while the 39
87	88		animal is in the performance of its duty.duty or (ii) because of the animal's 40
88	89		status as a law enforcement agency animal or search and rescue animal. 41
89	90		…." 42
90	91		SECTION 4. G.S. 14-32 reads as rewritten: 43
91	92		"§ 14-32. Felonious assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious 44
92	93		injury; punishments. 45
93	94		… 46
94	95		(d) Any Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, 47
95	96		any person who assaults an emergency worker a public safety officer with a deadly weapon and 48
96	97		inflicts serious injury shall be punished as a Class D felon. 49 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
97		-	House Bill 52-~~Third~~ Edition Page 3
	98	+	House Bill 52-Second Edition Page 3
98	99		(e) Any Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, 1
99	100		any person who assaults an emergency worker a public safety officer with a deadly weapon with 2
100	101		intent to kill shall be punished as a Class D felon. 3
101	102		(f) For the purposes of this section, an "emergency worker" is a law enforcement officer, 4
102	103		firefighter, emergency medical technician, or medical responder.a "public safety officer" is as 5
103	104		defined in G.S. 14-34.7A." 6
104	105		SECTION 5. G.S. 14-33(c)(4) reads as rewritten: 7
105	106		"(4) Assaults an officer or employee of the State or any political subdivision of the 8
106	107		State, State (i) when the officer or employee is discharging or attempting to 9
107	108		discharge his or her official duties;duties or (ii) because of the victim's status 10
108	109		as an officer or employee of the State or any political subdivision of the State." 11
109	110		SECTION 6. G.S. 14-34.2 reads as rewritten: 12
110	111		"§ 14-34.2. Assault with a firearm or other deadly weapon upon governmental officers or 13
111	112		employees, company police officers, or campus police officers. 14
112	113		Unless a person's conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater 15
113	114		punishment, any person who commits an assault with a deadly weapon upon an officer or 16
114	115		employee of the State or of any political subdivision of the State, a company police officer 17
115	116		certified pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 74E of the General Statutes, or a campus police 18
116	117		officer certified pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 74G, Article 1 of Chapter 17C or Chapter 19
117	118		116 of the General Statutes, (i) in the performance of an official duty or (ii) because of the victim's 20
118	119		status as an officer or employee of the State or of any political subdivision of the State, a company 21
119	120		police officer, or a campus police officer, is guilty of a Class E felony." 22
120	121		SECTION 7. G.S. 14-34.5 reads as rewritten: 23
121	122		"§ 14-34.5. Assault with a firearm on a law enforcement, probation, or parole officer, or 24
122	123		on a member of the North Carolina National Guard, or on a person employed at 25
123	124		a State or local detention facility.public safety officer. 26
124	125		(a) Any person who commits an assault with a firearm upon a law enforcement officer, 27
125	126		probation officer, or parole public safety officer (i) while the officer is in the performance of his 28
126	127		or her duties or (ii) because of the victim's status as a public safety officer is guilty of a Class D 29
127	128		Class C felony. 30
128	129		(a1) Any person who commits an assault with a firearm upon a member of the North 31
129	130		Carolina National Guard while the member is in the performance of his or her duties is guilty of 32
130	131		a Class D felony. 33
131	132		(b) Anyone who commits an assault with a firearm upon a person who is employed at a 34
132	133		detention facility operated under the jurisdiction of the State or a local government while the 35
133	134		employee is in the performance of the employee's duties is guilty of a Class D felony. 36
134	135		(c) For purposes of this section, the term "public safety officer" is as defined in 37
135	136		G.S. 14-34.7A." 38
136	137		SECTION 8. G.S. 14-34.6 is repealed. 39
137	138		SECTION 9. G.S. 14-34.7 reads as rewritten: 40
138	139		"§ 14-34.7. Certain assaults Assault or affray on a law enforcement, probation, or parole 41
139	140		officer, or on a member of the North Carolina National Guard, or on a person 42
140	141		employed at a State or local detention facility; public safety officer; penalty. 43
141	142		(a) Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a 44
142	143		person is guilty of a Class E felony if the person assaults commits an assault or affray on a law 45
143	144		enforcement officer, probation officer, or parole public safety officer (i) while the officer is 46
144	145		discharging or attempting to discharge his or her official duties or (ii) because of the victim's 47
145	146		status as a public safety officer, and inflicts serious bodily injury on the officer. 48
146	147		(a1) Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a 49
147	148		person is guilty of a Class E felony if the person assaults a member of the North Carolina National 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
148		-	Page 4 House Bill 52-~~Third~~ Edition
	149	+	Page 4 House Bill 52-Second Edition
149	150		Guard while he or she is discharging or attempting to discharge his or her official duties and 1
150	151		inflicts serious bodily injury on the member. 2
151	152		(b) Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a 3
152	153		person is guilty of a Class E felony if the person assaults a person who is employed at a detention 4
153	154		facility operated under the jurisdiction of the State or a local government while the employee is 5
154	155		in the performance of the employee's duties and inflicts serious bodily injury on the employee. 6
155	156		(c) Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a 7
156	157		person is guilty of a Class H felony if the person does any of the following: 8
157	158		(1) Assaults a law enforcement officer, probation officer, or parole officer while 9
158	159		the officer is discharging or attempting to discharge his or her official duties 10
159	160		and inflicts physical injury on the officer. 11
160	161		(2) Assaults a person who is employed at a detention facility operated under the 12
161	162		jurisdiction of the State or a local government while the employee is in the 13
162	163		performance of the employee's duties and inflicts physical injury on the 14
163	164		employee. 15
164	165		(3) Assaults a member of the North Carolina National Guard while he or she is 16
165	166		discharging or attempting to discharge his or her official duties and inflicts 17
166	167		physical injury on the member.violates subsection (a) of this section and 18
167	168		inflicts physical injury on the officer. 19
168	169		(d) For the purposes of this subsection, section, the term "public safety officer" is as 20
169	170		defined in G.S. 14-34.7A and the term "physical injury" includes cuts, scrapes, bruises, or other 21
170	171		physical injury which does not constitute serious injury." 22
171	172		SECTION 10. G.S. 14-69.3 reads as rewritten: 23
172	173		"§ 14-69.3. Arson or other unlawful burning that results in serious bodily injury or serious 24
173	174		injury to a firefighter, law enforcement officer, public safety officer or fire 25
174	175		investigator, or emergency medical technician.investigator. 26
175	176		(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 27
176	177		(1) Emergency medical technician. – The term includes an emergency medical 28
177	178		technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, and an emergency 29
178	179		medical technician-paramedic, as those terms are defined in G.S. 131E-155. 30
179	180		(2) Fire investigator. – The term includes any person who, individually or as part 31
180	181		of an investigative team, has the responsibility and authority to determine the 32
181	182		origin, cause, or development of a fire or explosion. 33
182	183		(3) Public safety officer. – As defined in G.S. 14-34.7A. 34
183	184		(b) Offense Involving Serious Bodily Injury. – A Unless covered under some other 35
184	185		provision of law providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class E felony if (i) the 36
185	186		person commits a felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes and a firefighter, 37
186	187		law enforcement officer, public safety officer or fire investigator, or emergency medical 38
187	188		technician investigator suffers serious bodily injury while discharging or attempting to discharge 39
188	189		official duties on the property, or proximate to the property, that is the subject of the firefighter's, 40
189	190		law enforcement officer's, fire investigator's, or emergency medical technician's public safety 41
190	191		officer's or fire investigator's discharge or attempt to discharge his or her respective duties.duties 42
191	192		or (ii) the person commits a felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes because 43
192	193		of the victim's status as a public safety officer or fire investigator and the public safety officer or 44
193	194		fire investigator suffers serious bodily injury. 45
194	195		(c) Offense Involving Serious Injury. – A Unless covered under some other provision of 46
195	196		law providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class F felony if (i) the person commits 47
196	197		a felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes and a firefighter, law enforcement 48
197	198		officer, public safety officer or fire investigator, or emergency medical technician investigator 49
198	199		suffers serious injury while discharging or attempting to discharge official duties on the property, 50
199	200		or proximate to the property, that is the subject of the firefighter's, law enforcement officer's, fire 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
200		-	House Bill 52-~~Third~~ Edition Page 5
	201	+	House Bill 52-Second Edition Page 5
201	202		investigator's, or emergency medical technician's public safety officer's or fire investigator's 1
202	203		discharge or attempt to discharge his or her respective duties.duties or (ii) the person commits a 2
203	204		felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes because of the victim's status as a 3
204	205		public safety officer or fire investigator and the public safety officer or fire investigator suffers 4
205	206		serious injury." 5
206	207		SECTION 11. G.S. 15A-266.3A(f)(4) reads as rewritten: 6
207	208		"(4) G.S. 14-28, Malicious castration; G.S. 14-29, Castration or other maiming 7
208	209		without malice aforethought; G.S. 14-30, Malicious maiming; G.S. 14-30.1, 8
209	210		Malicious throwing of corrosive acid or alkali; G.S. 14-31, Maliciously 9
210	211		assaulting in a secret manner; G.S. 14-32, Felonious assault with deadly 10
211	212		weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury; G.S. 14-32.1(e), 11
212	213		Aggravated assault or assault and battery on an individual with a disability; 12
213	214		G.S. 14-32.2(a) when punishable pursuant to G.S. 14-32.2(b)(1), Patient 13
214	215		abuse and neglect, intentional conduct proximately causes death; 14
215	216		G.S. 14-32.3(a), Domestic abuse of disabled or elder adults resulting in injury; 15
216	217		G.S. 14-32.4, Assault inflicting serious bodily injury or injury by 16
217	218		strangulation; G.S. 14-33.2, Habitual misdemeanor assault; G.S. 14-34.1, 17
218	219		Discharging certain barreled weapons or a firearm into occupied property; 18
219	220		G.S. 14-34.2, Assault with a firearm or other deadly weapon upon 19
220	221		governmental officers or employees, company police officers, or campus 20
221	222		police officers; G.S. 14-34.4, Adulterated or misbranded food, drugs, etc.; 21
222	223		intent to cause serious injury or death; intent to extort; G.S. 14-34.5, Assault 22
223	224		with a firearm on a law enforcement, probation, or parole officer or on a 23
224	225		person employed at a State or local detention facility; G.S. 14-34.6, Assault 24
225	226		or affray on a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, medical 25
226	227		responder, emergency department nurse, or emergency department physician; 26
227	228		public safety officer; G.S. 14-34.7, Assault inflicting serious injury on a law 27
228	229		enforcement, probation, or parole officer or on a person employed at a State 28
229	230		or local detention facility; or affray on a public safety officer; G.S. 14-34.9, 29
230	231		Discharging a firearm from within an enclosure; and" 30
231	232		SECTION 12. G.S. 131E-88.3(a) reads as rewritten: 31
232	233		"(a) Annually by September 1, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall report to the 32
233	234		Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation, the number 33
234	235		of persons charged and convicted during the preceding calendar year of a crime under 34
235	236		G.S. 14-34.6.G.S. 14-34.7 committed against a person listed in sub-subdivisions e. through g. of 35
236	237		subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of G.S. 14-34.7A." 36
237	238		SECTION 13. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses 37
238	239		committed on or after that date. 38