North Carolina SB 945: Safe Camps Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 945

Short Title: Safe Camps Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Sawyer and Chitlik (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 30, 2026
*S945-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A YOUTH CAMP PERMITTING AND SAFETY PROGRAM; TO 2
PROHIBIT PERMITTING OF YOUTH CAMPS WITH CABINS IN FLOODPLAINS 3
EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED; TO REQUIRE EMERGENCY PLANNING AND 4
WARNING COMMUNICATIONS; TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM SAFETY 5
REQUIREMENTS FOR CAMPGROUNDS; AND TO PROVIDE IMPLEMENTATION 6
FUNDS. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
SECTION 1.(a) Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 9
Article to read: 10
"Article 25. 11
"Youth Camps and Campground Safety. 12
"Part 1. Youth Camps. 13
"§ 130A-512. Definitions. 14
The following definitions apply in this Part: 15
(1) Cabin. – A structure used to provide temporary sleeping quarters for campers. 16
(2) Camper. – A minor attending a youth camp on a day or residential basis. 17
(3) Day camp. – A youth camp that operates during any portion of the day 18
between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. for a period of four or more consecutive 19
days and that provides no more than two incidental overnight stays per camp 20
session. The term does not include a facility required to be licensed as a child 21
care facility under Article 7 of Chapter 110 of the General Statutes. 22
(4) Floodplain. – The base floodplain or 100-year floodplain as defined in 23
G.S. 143-215.52(1b). The term includes any area removed from the 100-year 24
floodplain by a letter of map amendment, a letter of map revision based on 25
fill, or a substantially similar administrative process conducted by the Federal 26
Emergency Management Agency. 27
(5) Floodway. – The regulatory floodway, if any, as shown on the current 28
floodplain maps prepared pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Program 29
or approved by the Department of Public Safety. If a regulatory floodway is 30
not shown on the applicable floodplain map used for a determination under 31
this Part, the term includes a floodway delineated in accordance with rules 32
adopted pursuant to G.S. 130A-515(d). 33
(6) Youth camp. – A facility or property, not licensed under Article 7 of Chapter 34
110 of the General Statutes, that provides structured recreational, athletic, 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 945-First Edition
religious, or educational activities to minors for four or more consecutive 1
days, including residential, primitive, and day camps. 2
(7) Youth camp operator. – A person who owns, operates, controls, or supervises 3
a youth camp, regardless of profit status. 4
"§ 130A-513. Religious sponsored child care facilities. 5
(a) Applicability. – Notwithstanding G.S. 110-106(b)(4), a religious sponsored child care 6
facility operating pursuant to G.S. 110-106 that operates a day camp, as defined in 7
G.S. 130A‑512(3), shall comply with G.S. 130A-520(d) and G.S. 130A-522 with respect to that 8
day camp. 9
(b) Permit and Other Requirements Not Applicable. – A facility described in subsection 10
(a) of this section is not required to obtain a permit under G.S. 130A-514 to operate the day camp 11
and is not subject to the requirements of this Part or rules adopted under this Part. This subsection 12
does not exempt the facility from G.S. 130A-520(d) or G.S. 130A-522, or rules adopted to 13
implement those sections, and G.S. 130A-523 applies to the extent necessary to inspect and 14
enforce compliance with G.S. 130A-520(d) and G.S. 130A-522. 15
(c) Religious Training; No Regulation of Doctrine. – Consistent with G.S. 110-106(b)(4), 16
nothing in this Article shall be construed to authorize the Department, the Commission, or a local 17
health department to regulate or otherwise interfere with religious doctrine, religious instruction, 18
worship, curriculum, or internal church governance. This Article shall be applied to a facility 19
described in subsection (a) of this section solely as a program of health and safety regulation. 20
(d) Inspection Scope. – Any inspection or request for records by the Department or a 21
local health department under this Article of a facility described in subsection (a) of this section 22
shall be limited to matters reasonably necessary to determine compliance with G.S. 130A-520(d) 23
and G.S. 130A-522. 24
(e) Floodplain Documentation. – A facility described in subsection (a) of this section 25
shall maintain documentation supporting floodplain and floodway determinations made to 26
comply with G.S. 130A-520(d) and the parent notice required by G.S. 130A-522(j)(2) and shall 27
make the documentation available to the Department or a local health department upon request 28
in the form and manner prescribed by rule. 29
"§ 130A-514. Permit required; issuance by Department. 30
(a) Permit Required. – Except as provided in G.S. 130A-513, no person shall operate a 31
youth ca