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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-04-02

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

The Friendly NC Act is a comprehensive civil rights and anti-discrimination bill that would expand legal protections against discrimination in North Carolina across multiple areas including employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, insurance, education, and jury service. It also creates new protections related to reproductive rights, conversion therapy, domestic violence for same-sex couples, and establishes an environmental justice program.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill addresses gaps in North Carolina's anti-discrimination protections and would promote economic growth by making the state more welcoming to residents, businesses, and workers.
• •They contend that the bill protects vulnerable populations from discrimination in employment, housing, and public services; establishes important safeguards against conversion therapy; protects reproductive freedoms; and ensures that environmental benefits and burdens are distributed fairly across communities, particularly addressing historical inequities.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue the bill's broad definitions of discrimination could create litigation risks and compliance burdens on businesses and individuals; that some provisions related to reproductive rights conflict with certain moral or religious viewpoints; that the environmental justice provisions impose complex new compliance requirements on state agencies; and that some expansions of protected classes or prohibited conduct extend federal civil rights protections beyond what state law traditionally covered.