North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H959 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 1
4		-	HOUSE BILL 959
	3	+	H D
	4	+	HOUSE BILL DRH40505-NG-104
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Social Media Literacy in Schools. (Public)
8		-	Sponsors: Representatives Blackwell, K. Hall, and Biggs (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10		-	Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11		-	April 14, 2025
12		-	H959 -v-1
	9	+	Sponsors: Representative Blackwell.
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRH40505 -NG-104
13	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	14		AN ACT TO PROMOTE INTERNET SAFETY AND TO PROVIDE SOCIAL MEDIA 2
15	15		LITERACY INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS . 3
16	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
17	17		SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 5
18	18		"(70) To Adopt an Internet Safety Policy. – Local boards of education shall adopt 6
19	19		policies for student access to the internet provided by the school district. The 7
20	20		policies shall do at least the following: 8
21	21		a. Limit access by students to only age-appropriate subject matter and 9
22	22		materials. 10
23	23		b. Protect the safety and security of students when accessing email, chat 11
24	24		rooms, and other forms of electronic communication. 12
25	25		c. Prohibit access by students to data or information, including by 13
26	26		"hacking" and other unlawful online activities. 14
27	27		d. Prevent access to websites, web applications, or software that does not 15
28	28		protect against the disclosure, use, or dissemination of a student's 16
29	29		personal information. 17
30	30		e. Prohibit and prevent students from accessing social media platforms 18
31	31		through the use of internet access provided by the local school 19
32	32		administrative unit, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely 20
33	33		for educational purposes. 21
34	34		f. Prohibit the use of the TikTok platform or any successor platform on 22
35	35		devices owned or provided by the local school administrative unit, 23
36	36		through internet access provided by the unit, or as a platform to 24
37	37		communicate or promote any unit or school sponsored club, 25
38	38		extracurricular organization, or athletic team." 26
39	39		SECTION 2. Part 1 of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended 27
40	40		by adding a new section to read: 28
41	41		"§ 115C-81.26. Social media and mental health. 29
42	42		Each local board of education shall provide instruction on social media and its effects on 30
43	43		health, including social, emotional, and physical effects. Instruction shall be provided once 31
44	44		during elementary school, once during middle school, and twice during high school. Instruction 32
45	45		may be included as part of the mental and emotional health instruction provided pursuant to 33
46	46		G.S. 115C-81.25. Instruction on this topic shall include at least the following: 34
47		-	(1) Negative effects of social media on mental health, including addiction. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 House Bill 959-First Edition
49		-	(2) The distribution of misinformation on social media. 1
50		-	(3) Methods of manipulating behavior using social media. 2
51		-	(4) The permanency of information shared online. 3
52		-	(5) How to maintain personal security. 4
53		-	(6) How to identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human trafficking on 5
54		-	the internet. 6
55		-	(7) How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet. 7
56		-	(8) Personal and interpersonal skills or character education that enhances 8
57		-	individual level protective factors and mitigates or reduces risk-taking or 9
58		-	harmful behavior." 10
59		-	SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 11
60		-	the 2025-2026 school year. 12
	47	+	(1) Negative effects of social media on mental health, including addiction. 35
	48	+	(2) The distribution of misinformation on social media. 36
	49	+	H.B. 959
	50	+	Apr 10, 2025
	51	+	HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRH40505-NG-104
	53	+	(3) Methods of manipulating behavior using social media. 1
	54	+	(4) The permanency of information shared online. 2
	55	+	(5) How to maintain personal security. 3
	56	+	(6) How to identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human trafficking on 4
	57	+	the internet. 5
	58	+	(7) How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet. 6
	59	+	(8) Personal and interpersonal skills or character education that enhances 7
	60	+	individual level protective factors and mitigates or reduces risk-taking or 8
	61	+	harmful behavior." 9
	62	+	SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 10
	63	+	the 2025-2026 school year. 11