North Carolina HB 496: Patriotic Youth Group Access.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 496
Committee Substitute Favorable 5/19/26

Short Title: Patriotic Youth Group Access. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 25, 2025
*H496-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW CIVIC YOUTH GROUPS TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT 2
ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-206 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 115C-206. State Board of Education; duties; responsibilities. 6
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall prepare and present to the State Board of 7
Education recommendations for general guidelines for encouraging increased community 8
involvement in the public schools and use of public school facilities. These recommendations 9
shall include, but shall not be limited to provisions for: 10
... 11
(4) Local boards of education are to be directed to give priority in the use of 12
school facilities to Requiring public school units to permit any youth group 13
listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the 14
Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, 15
and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North 16
Carolina groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access 17
for students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other 18
than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging 19
civic education.the opportunity to give a presentation on the purpose of the 20
group, how to become a member of the group, and encouraging civic 21
education. Presentations given pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 22
10 minutes and shall be scheduled between the start and release times of the 23
instructional day. Presentation time does not count toward any instructional 24
hour requirements. Nothing in this section, or a policy or rule adopted 25
pursuant to this section, shall be construed as requiring a public school unit to 26
provide equal access to an organization that is not designated as a patriotic 27
organization. 28
...." 29
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-150.12C(28) reads as rewritten: 30
"(28) Access for youth groups. – Schools for the deaf and blind are encouraged to 31
facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth 32
group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such 33
as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and 34
councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated 35
North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 496-Second Edition
offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time 1
during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.shall 2
develop policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools 3
in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-206(4)." 4
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-207 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 115C-207. Authority and responsibility of local boards of education. 6
Every local board of education that uses State funds to implement programs under this Article 7
shall: 8
... 9
(4) Give priority in the use of school facilities to any youth group listed in Title 10
36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of 11
America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl 12
Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina 13
groups and councils, in order to encourage schools to facilitate access for 14
students to participate in activities provided by these groups at times other 15
than instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging 16
civic education. If the local board of education denies priority access to a 17
patriotic society listed in Title 36 of the United States Code, the local board 18
shall provide reasons for the denial in writing to the requesting entity.Develop 19
policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools in 20
accordance with the provisions of G.S. 115C-206(4). 21
...." 22
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 115C-218.75(f) reads as rewritten: 23
"(f) Access for Youth Groups. – Charter schools are encouraged to facilitate access for 24
students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United 25
States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North 26
Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its 27
affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by 28
these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the 29
purposes of encouraging civic education.Charter schools shall