North Carolina HB 903: Highway and Road Safety Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 903

Short Title: Highway and Road Safety Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Logan, Budd, Cunningham, and Majeed (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
Operations of the House
April 14, 2025
*H903-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE STATE TROOPERS IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY, TO 2
INCREASE MAGISTRATES IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY, TO REVISE CERTAIN 3
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS AND AUTHORIZE THE 4
USE OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION AS PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF 5
RESPONSIBILITY, AND TO EXPAND THE OPERATIONAL HOURS OF THE NORTH 6
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION METROLINA 7
TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT CENTER IN CHARLOTTE. 8
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
10
INCREASE TROOPERS IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY 11
SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Highway 12
Patrol the sum of nine hundred ninety-nine thousand four hundred dollars ($999,400) in recurring 13
funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and one million eighty-eight thousand five hundred 14
ninety-two dollars ($1,088,592) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be used 15
to fund 12 full-time State Trooper positions. 16
SECTION 1.(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 20-192 and any rules and regulations created 17
pursuant to that statute, the State Trooper positions funded in this act shall result in an increase 18
of at least 12 State Troopers assigned to State Highway Patrol District H5 of Troop H. 19
SECTION 1.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. 20
21
INCREASE MAGISTRATES IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY 22
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 7A-133(c) reads as rewritten: 23
"(c) Each county shall have the numbers of magistrates and additional seats of district 24
court, as set forth in the following table: 25
Magistrates Additional 26
County Min. Seats of Court 27
... 28
Mecklenburg 38.543.5 29
...." 30
SECTION 2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Administrative 31
Office of the Courts the sum of four hundred two thousand seventy dollars ($402,070) in 32
recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and fifteen thousand one hundred forty dollars 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 903-First Edition
($15,140) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be used to hire five additional 1
magistrates to serve in Mecklenburg County pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 2
SECTION 2.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. 3
4
INCREASE OF FINES FOR FAILURE TO STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS AND 5
EXPANSION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE IN THOSE 6
CASES 7
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 20-217 reads as rewritten: 8
"§ 20-217. Motor vehicles to stop for properly marked and designated school buses in 9
certain instances; evidence of identity of driver. 10
... 11
(e) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, any person violating this section 12
shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and shall pay a minimum fine of five hundred dollars 13
($500.00). one thousand dollars ($1,000). A person who violates subsection (a) of this section 14
shall not receive a prayer for judgment continued under any circumstances. 15
... 16
(g) Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) of this section and strikes any person 17
shall be guilty of a Class I felony and shall pay a minimum fine of one thousand two hundred 18
fifty dollars ($1,250). four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500). Any person who willfully 19
violates subsection (a) of this section and strikes any person, resulting in the death of that person, 20
shall be guilty of a Class H felony and shall pay a minimum fine of two thousand five hundred 21
dollars ($2,500).seven thousand dollars ($7,000). 22
... 23
(i) Whenever evidence is presented in any court or administrative hearing of the fact that 24
a vehicle was operated in violation of this section, it shall be prima facie evidence that the vehicle 25
was operated by the person in whose name the vehicle was registered at the time of the violation 26
according to the Division's records. If the vehicle is rented, then proof of that rental shall be prima 27
facie evidence that the vehicle was operated by the renter of the vehicle at the time of the 28
violation." 29
SECTION 3.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to 30
offenses committed on or after that date. 31
32
PROVISIONS REGARDING THE RECORDING, STORAGE, AND DISCLOSURE OF 33
VIDEO FROM DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY CAMERAS 34
SECTION 4.(a) G.S. 132-1.1 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 35
"(i) Highway camera video records stored by the Department of Transportation may not 36
be disclosed except as provided in G.S. 132-1.7B." 37
SECTION 4.(b) Chapter 132 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 38
section to read: