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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget2026-04-23

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill expands North Carolina's hate crime laws by increasing penalties for crimes motivated by a victim's race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation. It also requires the State Bureau of Investigation to track hate crime statistics, mandates law enforcement training on identifying and reporting hate crimes, and requires prosecutor training on prosecuting hate crimes.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill provides stronger legal protections for vulnerable groups by increasing criminal penalties for bias-motivated offenses and creating civil remedies for victims.
• •They contend that the required training and statistics database will help law enforcement better identify, respond to, and prosecute hate crimes, while restorative justice options may promote healing and accountability.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue that the expanded definitions and increased penalties raise concerns about due process and how subjective factors like 'actual or perceived' characteristics are proven in court.
• •Some may question whether the bill's broad categories and significant funding requirements ($1.89 million plus recurring costs) are proportionate, and whether existing laws already address these offenses adequately.