NC
North Carolina House Bill H701

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H701 Compare Versions

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11 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
22 SESSION 2025
3-H 1
4-HOUSE BILL 701
3+H D
4+HOUSE BILL DRH10310-LG-102
5+
56
67
78 Short Title: Adopt Lafayette Day. (Public)
8-Sponsors: Representatives Charles Smith, Blackwell, Wheatley, and Colvin (Primary
9-Sponsors).
10-For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
11-Referred to: State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the
12-House
13-April 3, 2025
14-*H701 -v-1*
9+Sponsors: Representative Charles Smith.
10+Referred to:
11+
12+*DRH10310 -LG-102*
1513 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
1614 AN ACT ADOPTING THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF MAY OF EACH YEAR AS 2
1715 LAFAYETTE DAY. 3
1816 Whereas, North Carolina cities and towns from the Virginia line down to the South 4
1917 Carolina line – including Murfreesboro, Jackson, Halifax, Enfield, Rocky Mount, Raleigh, and 5
2018 Fayetteville – held festive bicentennial commemorations from February 26 through March 5, 6
2119 2025; and 7
2220 Whereas, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Chapter of the National 8
2321 Society Daughters of the American Revolution is celebrating the Bicentennial of Lafayette's 9
2422 Farewell Tour of America in 2024-2025; and 10
2523 Whereas, Lafayette is known as the Hero of Two Worlds, America and France, and 11
2624 this celebration honors the visit to America of the last of the surviving Major Generals of the 12
2725 American Revolution; and 13
2826 Whereas, in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War, the young Marquis de 14
2927 Lafayette first rendered service to America by traveling from France to give aid to the colonies 15
3028 fighting for their independence, becoming one of George Washington's most trusted major 16
3129 generals and considered by many to be his "adopted son"; and 17
3230 Whereas, during Lafayette's service, undertaken at his own expense, he proved to be 18
3331 indispensable to the cause of American independence in both his military and diplomatic roles; 19
3432 and 20
3533 Whereas, during the American Revolutionary War, the 2nd North Carolina Regiment 21
3634 fought at Brandywine (1777) and Monmouth Courthouse (1778), two of the numerous battles in 22
3735 which Lafayette led other American troops; and 23
3836 Whereas, General Lafayette commanded an American infantry division during the 24
3937 Battle of Yorktown, in which his actions were key to the defeat and surrender of British General 25
4038 Cornwallis, a decisive American victory that caused England to recognize the United States of 26
4139 America as a sovereign Nation; and 27
4240 Whereas, Lafayette was a lifelong advocate for human rights, religious liberty, racial 28
4341 equality, and civil rights, relinquishing his own noble title during the French Revolution and 29
4442 co-authoring with Thomas Jefferson France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen; 30
45-and 31 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
46-Page 2 House Bill 701-First Edition
47-Whereas, Lafayette was an early and consistent voice against slavery in France and 1
48-in America, where he sought to persuade American friends, including George Washington, 2
49-Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, to eradicate this evil; and 3
50-Whereas, Lafayette supported women's rights in matters of education and divorce, 4
51-endorsing and promoting the views of activists like Frances (Fanny) Wright; and 5
52-Whereas, during Lafayette's Farewell Tour of America in 1824-1825, he visited the 6
53-then-24 states, including North Carolina, and addressed the ideals of liberty, justice, and 7
54-democracy; and 8
55-Whereas, the State Assembly of North Carolina changed the name of the area known 9
56-as "Campellton" to "Fayetteville" in honor of Lafayette on May 17, 1783, thus becoming the first 10
57-state in America to do so; and 11
58-Whereas, the State of North Carolina should adopt an official North Carolina 12
59-Lafayette Day; Now, therefore, 13
60-The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 14
61-SECTION 1. Chapter 103 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 15
62-section to read: 16
63-"§ 103-19. Lafayette Day. 17
64-The seventeenth day of May of each year is designated as Lafayette Day in the State of North 18
65-Carolina." 19
66-SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 20
43+and 31
44+Whereas, Lafayette was an early and consistent voice against slavery in France and 32
45+in America, where he sought to persuade American friends, including George Washington, 33
46+Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, to eradicate this evil; and 34
47+Whereas, Lafayette supported women's rights in matters of education and divorce, 35
48+endorsing and promoting the views of activists like Frances (Fanny) Wright; and 36
49+H.B. 701
50+Apr 2, 2025
51+HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
52+Page 2 DRH10310-LG-102
53+Whereas, during Lafayette's Farewell Tour of America in 1824-1825, he visited the 1
54+then-24 states, including North Carolina, and addressed the ideals of liberty, justice, and 2
55+democracy; and 3
56+Whereas, the State Assembly of North Carolina changed the name of the area known 4
57+as "Campellton" to "Fayetteville" in honor of Lafayette on May 17, 1783, thus becoming the first 5
58+state in America to do so; and 6
59+Whereas, the State of North Carolina should adopt an official North Carolina 7
60+Lafayette Day; Now, therefore, 8
61+The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
62+SECTION 1. Chapter 103 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 10
63+section to read: 11
64+"§ 103-19. Lafayette Day. 12
65+The seventeenth day of May of each year is designated as Lafayette Day in the State of North 13
66+Carolina." 14
67+SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 15