North Carolina HB 645: Study/No Emission Testing for Hybrid Vehicle.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 645

Short Title: Friendly NC Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives von Haefen, Reives, Alston, and Lofton (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 2, 2025
*H645-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ENSURE A FRIENDLY NORTH CAROLINA. 2
Whereas, it is the policy of the State of North Carolina to proactively foster economic 3
and social progress, fostering a free and inclusive environment for all people; and 4
Whereas, regressive social policies have deterred potential residents, workforce, 5
businesses, and investors from engaging with the State, ultimately hampering its economic 6
growth and reputation as a welcoming environment to live and work; and 7
Whereas, such policies fail to reflect the values of hospitality, community, and 8
opportunity that North Carolinians hold dear; and 9
Whereas, it has been demonstrated in numerous research studies that jurisdictions 10
with more inclusive social policies consistently correlate with a higher economic standard of 11
living; and 12
Whereas, to maintain its position as one of the nation's fastest-growing states, foster 13
long-term prosperity, and drive meaningful progress, North Carolina must promote 14
nondiscrimination and ensure that it remains welcoming to all individuals, facilitating an 15
inclusive and dynamic workforce and economy; Now, therefore, 16
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 17
18
PART I. HATE CRIME PREVENTION 19
20
ENACT THE HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT 21
SECTION 1.1.(a) G.S. 14-3 reads as rewritten: 22
"§ 14-3. Punishment of misdemeanors, infamous offenses, offenses committed in secrecy 23
and malice, or with deceit and intent to defraud, or with ethnic animosity.as a 24
hate crime. 25
... 26
(c) If any Class 2 or Class 3 misdemeanor is committed because of the by a person 27
motivated by, in whole or in part, a victim's race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin, 28
actual or perceived personally identifying characteristic, the offender shall be guilty of a Class 1 29
misdemeanor. If any Class A1 or Class 1 misdemeanor offense is committed because of the by a 30
person motivated by, in whole or in part, a victim's race, color, religion, nationality, or country 31
of origin, actual or perceived personally identifying characteristic, the offender shall be guilty of 32
a Class H felony. 33
(d) In addition to any other remedies at law or in equity, a victim of an offense punished 34
under subsection (c) of this section, or an immediate family member of the victim, may, in a civil 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 645-First Edition
action in any court of competent jurisdiction, obtain appropriate relief from the person who 1
committed the offense, including actual damages, punitive damages, any reasonable attorneys' 2
fees, and any other litigation costs reasonably incurred. For purposes of this subsection, the term 3
(i) "actual damages" includes damages for emotional distress and (ii) "immediate family 4
member" means a child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or legal guardian of the victim. 5
(e) In addition to any other remedies at law or in equity, a person who has been convicted 6
of or who has pleaded guilty or no contest to having engaged in conduct in violation of subsection 7
(c) of this section may be ordered to participate in a restorative justice session with the victim of 8
the offense if the victim requests a restorative justice session. If restorative justice under this 9
subsection is ordered, the court shall select a member of a local Human Relations Commission, 10
an attorney, a mediator, or an alternative dispute resolution professional, who has training in 11
racial equity education, to conduct the restorative justice session. All costs of a restorative justice 12
session ordered under this subsection shall be paid by the defendant. 13
(f) For purposes of this section, the term "personally identifying characteristic" means 14
any characteristic protected by the nondiscrimination provisions of the International Convention 15
on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), identified in supporting decisions or General Comments 16
of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), or both protected by the 17
nondiscrimination provisions of the ICCPR and identified in supporting decisions or General 18
Comments of the UNHRC." 19
SECTION 1.1.(b) G.S. 14-401.14 reads as rewritten: 20
"§ 14-401.14. Ethnic intimidation; teaching any technique to be used for ethnic 21
intimidation.Intimidation by hate crime; teaching any technique to be used in 22
the commission of a hate crime. 23
(a) If a person shall, because of race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin, 24
motivated by, in whole or in part, a person's actual or perceived personally identifying 25
characteristic, shall as