North Carolina SB 827: Ferry Division Changed to Marine Division.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 827

Short Title: Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chaudhuri and Mohammed (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 23, 2026
*S827-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE SCOPE AND PUNISHMENT OF HATE CRIMES; TO 2
REQUIRE THE STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN 3
A HATE CRIMES STATISTICS DATABASE; TO REQUIRE THE NORTH CAROLINA 4
JUSTICE ACADEMY TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT 5
OFFICERS WITH TRAINING ON IDENTIFYING, RESPONDING TO, AND 6
REPORTING HATE CRIMES; AND TO REQUIRE THE CONFERENCE OF DISTRICT 7
ATTORNEYS OF NORTH CAROLINA TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE TRAINING TO 8
PROSECUTORS ON HOW TO PROSECUTE HATE CRIMES. 9
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 10
11
PART I. TITLE OF ACT 12
SECTION 1. This act shall be known as "The Hate Crimes Prevention Act." 13
14
PART II. INCREASE SCOPE AND PUNISHMENT OF HATE CRIMES 15
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 14-3 reads as rewritten: 16
"§ 14-3. Punishment of misdemeanors, infamous offenses, offenses committed in secrecy 17
and malice, or with deceit and intent to defraud, or with ethnic animosity.as a 18
hate crime. 19
... 20
(c) If any Class 2 or Class 3 misdemeanor is committed committed, in whole or in part, 21
because of the victim's actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, or country 22
of origin, origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation of 23
the victim or a person or group associated with the victim, the offender shall be guilty of a Class 24
1 misdemeanor. If any Class A1 or Class 1 misdemeanor offense is committed because of the 25
victim's actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin, 26
origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation of the victim 27
or a person or group associated with the victim, the offender shall be guilty of a Class H felony. 28
(d) In addition to any other remedies at law or in equity, a person who is injured or whose 29
property is damaged as a result of conduct described under subsection (c) of this section, or an 30
immediate family member of that person, may bring a civil action in any court of competent 31
jurisdiction to obtain appropriate relief, including actual damages, punitive damages, any 32
reasonable attorneys' fees, and any other litigation costs reasonably incurred. In an action brought 33
pursuant to this subsection, the burden of proof shall be the same as in other civil actions for 34
similar relief. For purposes of this subsection, the term (i) "actual damages" includes damages 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 827-First Edition
for emotional distress and (ii) "immediate family member" means a child, sibling, parent, 1
grandparent, or legal guardian of the victim. 2
(e) In addition to any other remedies at law or in equity, a person who has been convicted 3
of or who has pleaded guilty or no contest to having engaged in conduct in violation of subsection 4
(c) of this section may be ordered to participate in a restorative justice session with the victim of 5
the offense if the victim requests a restorative justice session. If restorative justice under this 6
subsection is ordered, the court shall select a member of a local Human Relations Commission, 7
an attorney, a mediator, or an alternative dispute resolution professional who has training in racial 8
equity education to conduct the restorative justice session. All costs of a restorative justice 9
session ordered under this subsection shall be paid by the defendant." 10
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 14-401.14 reads as rewritten: 11
"§ 14-401.14. Ethnic intimidation; teaching any technique to be used for ethnic 12
intimidation.Intimidation by hate crime; teaching any technique to be used in 13
the commission of a hate crime. 14
(a) If a person shall, because of the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, 15
nationality, or country of origin, origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or 16
sexual orientation of another person or a person or group associated with that person, assault 17
another that person, or damage or deface the property of another that person, or threaten to do 18
any such act, he the person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. 19
... 20
(c) In addition to any other remedies at law or in equity, a person who is injured or whose 21
property is damaged as a result of conduct described under subsection (a) of this section, or an 22
immediate family member of that person, may bring a civil action in any court of competent 23
jurisdiction to obtain appropriate relief, including actual damages, punitive damages, any 24
reasonable attorneys' fees, and any other litigation costs reasonably incurred. In an action brought 25
pursuant to this subsection, the burden of proof shall be the same as in o