North Carolina HB 560: Parents Protection Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 560
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25

Short Title: Parents Protection Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 31, 2025
*H560-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO LAWS AFFECTING THE CARE OF 2
JUVENILES AND THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) The title of Article 1 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General 5
Statutes reads as rewritten: 6
"Article 1. 7
"Purposes; Definitions.Definitions; Limitation." 8
SECTION 1.(b) Article 1 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes is 9
amended by adding a new section to read: 10
"§ 7B-102. Limitation. 11
A parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker who raises a juvenile consistent with the juvenile's 12
biological sex or who refers to a juvenile consistent with the juvenile's biological sex shall not 13
be subject to a petition supporting abuse or neglect under this Subchapter based solely on those 14
acts. This section shall not be construed to authorize or allow any other acts or omissions 15
prohibited by this Subchapter that would constitute abuse or neglect, including abandonment or 16
the creation of an injurious environment." 17
SECTION 1.(c) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 18
petitions filed before, on, or after that date. 19
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 48-3-203 reads as rewritten: 20
"§ 48-3-203. Agency placement adoption. 21
(a) An agency may acquire legal and physical custody of a minor for purposes of adoptive 22
placement only by means of a relinquishment pursuant to Part 7 of this Article or by a court order 23
terminating the rights and duties of a parent or guardian of the minor. 24
(a1) No agency shall deny or delay (i) the opportunity to become an adoptive parent or (ii) 25
the placement of a child for adoption on the basis of race, any of the following: 26
(1) Race, color, or national origin of the person or the child involved. 27
(2) The adoptive parents' refusal, unwillingness, or lack of support to enable the 28
child to engage in a gender transition. 29
...." 30
SECTION 2.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 31
petitions and placements for adoption and opportunities to become an adoptive parent requested, 32
filed, or submitted before, on, or after that date. 33
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 131D-10.1 reads as rewritten: 34
"§ 131D-10.1. Foster Care Children's Bill of Rights; purpose. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 560-Second Edition
(a) It is the policy of this State to strengthen and preserve the family as a unit consistent 1
with a high priority of protecting children's welfare. When a child requires care outside the family 2
unit, it is the duty of the State to assure that the quality of substitute care is as close as possible 3
to the care and nurturing that society expects of a family. However, the State recognizes there 4
are instances when protecting a child's welfare outweighs reunifying the family unit, and as such, 5
the care of residential care facilities providing high quality services that include meeting the 6
children's educational needs as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services, 7
Division of Social Services can satisfy the standard of protecting a child's welfare, regardless of 8
the child's age, particularly when the sibling groups can be kept intact. To that end, the General 9
Assembly promotes the following in the provision of foster care: 10
(1) A safe foster home free of violence, abuse, neglect, and danger. The act of 11
raising a child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex, including 12
any related mental health or medical decisions, shall not be considered a 13
violation under this subdivision of violence, abuse, neglect, or danger, as those 14
terms are used in this subdivision. 15
... 16
A violation of subdivisions (1) through (11) of this subsection shall not be construed to create a 17
cause of action under this section against the State, the Department of Health and Human 18
Services, or a person or entity providing foster care pursuant to this Article. 19
(a1) No agency or other State entity shall deny or delay (i) the opportunity to become a 20
foster parent or (ii) the placement of a child in foster care on the basis of race, any of the 21
following: 22
(1) Race, color, or national origin of the person or the child involved. 23
(2) The foster parents' refusal, unwillingness, or lack of support to enable the child 24
to engage in a gender transition. 25
(b) The purpose of this Article is to assign the authority to protect the health, safety and 26
well-being of children separated from or being cared for away from their families." 27
SECTION 3.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to 28
placements in foster care and opportunities to become a foster parent requested, filed, or 29
submitted before, on, or after that date. 3