GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 61
Short Title: Assaults on First Responders. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Pyrtle, Carson Smith, Greene, and Miller (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Judiciary 2, if favorable, Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery, if
favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
February 6, 2025
*H61-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE PUNISHMENT FOR COMMITTING AN ASSAULT WITH A 2
FIREARM AGAINST CERT AIN EMERGENCY, MEDIC AL, AND LAW 3
ENFORCEMENT PERSONNE L. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 14-34.5 reads as rewritten: 6
"ยง 14-34.5. Assault with a firearm on a law enforcement, probation, or parole officer, or 7
on a member of the North Carolina National Guard, or on a person employed at 8
a State or local detention facility. 9
(a) Any person who commits an assault with a firearm upon a law enforcement officer, 10
probation officer, or parole officer while the officer is in the performance of his or her duties is 11
guilty of a Class D felony. 12
(a1) Any person who commits an assault with a firearm upon a member of the North 13
Carolina National Guard while the member is in the performance of his or her duties is guilty of 14
a Class D felony. 15
(b) Anyone who commits an assault with a firearm upon a person who is employed at a 16
detention facility operated under the jurisdiction of the State or a local government while the 17
employee is in the performance of the employee's duties is guilty of a Class D felony.any of the 18
following persons who are in the performance of their duties is guilty of a Class B1 felony: 19
(1) A law enforcement officer. 20
(2) A probation officer. 21
(3) A parole officer. 22
(4) A member of the North Carolina National Guard. 23
(5) An employee of a detention facility operated under the jurisdiction of the State 24
or a local government. 25
(6) An emergency medical technician or other emergency health care provider. 26
(7) A medical responder. 27
(8) A firefighter. 28
(9) A telecommunicator employed by a law enforcement agency." 29
SECTION 2. G.S. 14-34.6(c) reads as rewritten: 30
"(c) Unless a person's conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing 31
greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class D felony if the person violates subsection (a) of 32
this section against a person not otherwise covered under G.S. 14-34.5 and uses a firearm." 33 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 61-First Edition
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses 1
committed on or after that date. 2