North Carolina HB 1191: ECU Brody School of Medicine Funds.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1191

Short Title: Fostering Care in NC Act 2026. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Chesser, Loftis, Reeder, and Alston (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Judiciary 2, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
Operations of the House
May 5, 2026
*H1191-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE LAWS AFFECTING JUVENILES AND 2
ASSOCIATED SERVICES, AGENCIES, AND DEPARTMENTS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
PART I. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS 6
SECTION 1.1. G.S. 7B-2901(a) reads as rewritten: 7
"(a) The clerk shall maintain a complete record of all juvenile cases brought pursuant to 8
Subchapter I of this Chapter and filed in the clerk's office alleging abuse, neglect, or 9
dependency.office. The records shall be withheld from public inspection and, except as provided 10
in this subsection, may be examined only by order of the court. The record shall include the 11
summons, petition, custody order, court order, written motions, the electronic or mechanical 12
recording of the hearing, and other papers filed in the proceeding. The recording of the hearing 13
shall be reduced to a written transcript only when notice of appeal has been timely given. After 14
the time for appeal has expired with no appeal having been filed, the recording of the hearing 15
may be erased or destroyed upon the written order of the court or in accordance with a retention 16
schedule approved by the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department 17
of Natural and Cultural Resources under G.S. 121‑5(c). 18
The following persons may examine the juvenile's record maintained pursuant to this 19
subsection and obtain copies of written parts of the record without an order of the court: 20
(1) The person named in the petition as the juvenile;juvenile, including the 21
juvenile who has reached the age of 18 or been emancipated, and their 22
attorney. 23
(2) The guardian ad litem;litem. 24
(3) The county department of social services; andservices and the Division of 25
Social Services of the Department of Health and Human Services. 26
(4) The juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian, or the attorney for the juvenile 27
or the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian.Any named party in the action 28
and the attorney for any named party in the action." 29
SECTION 1.2. G.S. 50-13.2 reads as rewritten: 30
"§ 50-13.2. Who entitled to custody; terms of custody; visitation rights of grandparents; 31
taking child out of State; consideration of parent's military service.service; 32
confidentiality of court file and records. 33
... 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1191-First Edition
(g) In any custody proceeding where the (i) physical or mental health, (ii) substance use, 1
or (iii) abuse or maltreatment against the minor child is raised, the court shall order that the entire 2
file be sealed and kept from public inspection. The sealed records shall not be released except by 3
order from the court to any person other than: 4
(1) The parties in the custody proceeding. 5
(2) The attorneys for the parties in the custody proceeding. 6
(3) Any court of competent jurisdiction hearing or reviewing the matter. 7
(4) The department of social services when providing protective services pursuant 8
to G.S. 7B-300. 9
For good cause shown, the court may order the records that are confidential under this 10
subsection to be made available to a person or agency who is not listed in this subsection." 11
SECTION 1.3. Section 1.2 of this act becomes effective October 1, 2026, and applies 12
to actions filed on or after that date. 13
14
PART II. PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT FROM RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS 15
LIST 16
SECTION 2.1. G.S. 7B-200(a) reads as rewritten: 17
"(a) The court has exclusive, original jurisdiction over any case involving a juvenile who 18
is alleged to be abused, neglected, or dependent. This jurisdiction does not extend to cases 19
involving adult defendants alleged to be guilty of abuse or neglect. The court also has exclusive 20
original jurisdiction of the following proceedings: 21
... 22
(9) Petitions for judicial review of a director's determinationProceedings 23
involving placement on or expungement from the responsible individuals list 24
under Article 3A of this Chapter." 25
SECTION 2.2. G.S. 7B-325(b) reads as rewritten: 26
"(b) The petition for expungement shall be filed with the district court of the county in 27
which the abuse or serious neglect report arose. A copy shall be delivered in person or by certified 28
mail, return receipt requested, to the director of the county department of social services of that 29
county.who determined the abuse or serious neglect and identified the individual seeking 30
expungement as a responsible individual. The petition for expungement