North Carolina HB 52: Davie County Projects/Funds.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 52
Committee Substitute Favorable 2/25/25
Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 3/4/25

Short Title: Protect Those Who Serve & Protect Act of 2025. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 5, 2025
*H52-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT ENACTING THE PROTECT THOSE WHO SERVE AND PROTECT ACT OF 2025. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the "Protect Those Who Serve and Protect 4
Act of 2025." 5
SECTION 2. Article 8 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 6
a new section to read: 7
"§ 14-34.7A. Assault on a public safety officer, law enforcement agency animal, or search 8
and rescue animal by throwing, spraying, or otherwise projecting water or other 9
substances. 10
(a) Definition. – The following definitions apply in this section: 11
(1) Law enforcement agency animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 12
(2) Public safety officer. – Any of the following: 13
a. A law enforcement officer. 14
b. A probation or parole officer. 15
c. A person who is employed at (i) a detention facility, as defined in 16
G.S. 143B-805, or (ii) any other detention facility operated under the 17
jurisdiction of the State or a local government. 18
d. A telecommunicator employed by a law enforcement agency. 19
e. A firefighter or rescue squad worker. 20
f. An emergency medical services personnel, as defined in 21
G.S. 131E-155. 22
g. A hospital employee, medical practice employee, licensed health care 23
provider, individual under contract to provide services at a hospital or 24
medical practice, hospital security personnel, or other emergency 25
health care provider not otherwise covered under sub-subdivision e. of 26
this subdivision. 27
h. A member of the North Carolina National Guard. 28
i. A member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. 29
j. A juvenile court counselor or chief court counselor, as those terms are 30
defined in G.S. 143B-805. 31
k. An emergency management worker, as defined in 32
G.S. 166A-19.60(e). 33
(3) Search and rescue animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 52-Third Edition
(b) Offense and Punishment. – Unless covered under some other provision of law 1
providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class I felony if the person commits an 2
assault or battery on either of the following by throwing, spraying, or otherwise projecting, or 3
causing to be thrown, sprayed, or otherwise projected, water or any other substance at: 4
(1) A public safety officer (i) while the public safety officer is discharging or 5
attempting to discharge his or her official duties or (ii) because of the victim's 6
status as a public safety officer. 7
(2) A law enforcement agency animal or a search and rescue animal (i) while the 8
animal is in the performance of its duty or (ii) because of the animal's status 9
as a law enforcement agency animal or search and rescue animal." 10
SECTION 3. G.S. 14-34.8 reads as rewritten: 11
"§ 14-34.8. Criminal use of laser device. 12
(a) The following definitions apply in this section: 13
(1) Laser. – Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. 14
(2) Law enforcement agency animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 15
(3) Public safety officer. – As defined in G.S. 14-34.7A. 16
(4) Search and rescue animal. – As defined in G.S. 14-163.1. 17
(b) It is unlawful to intentionally point a laser device while the device is emitting a laser 18
beam at: 19
(1) Any of the following A public safety officer (i) while the person is in the 20
performance of his or her duties:duties or (ii) because of the person's status as 21
a public safety officer. 22
a. A law enforcement officer. 23
b. A probation or parole officer. 24
c. A person whose employment duties include the custody, 25
transportation, or management of persons who are detained or 26
confined to a detention facility, youth development center, or 27
correctional institution operated under the jurisdiction of the State or 28
a local government. 29
d. A firefighter. 30
e. An emergency medical technician or other emergency health care 31
provider. 32
f. A member of the North Carolina National Guard. 33
g. A member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. 34
h. Court counselors whose employment duties include intake, probation, 35
post-release supervision, and court supervision services of juveniles. 36
(2) The head or face of any person not covered under subdivision (1) of this 37
subsection. 38
(3) A law enforcement agency animal or a search and rescue animal (i) while the 39
animal is in the performance of its duty.duty or (ii) because of the animal's 40
status as a law enforcement agency animal or search and rescue animal. 41
...." 42
SECTION 4. G.S. 14-32 reads as rewritten: 43
"§ 14-32. Felonious assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious 44
injury; punishments. 45
... 46
(d) Any Unl