Firearm & Conflict De-escalation Training Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1210

Short Title: Firearm & Conflict De-escalation Training Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Budd.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
May 5, 2026
*H1210-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE PROVISION OF FIREARM SAFETY AND DE-ESCALATION 2
INSTRUCTION TO CERTA IN STUDENTS IN PUBLI C SCHOOL; TO REQUIRE 3
CLERKS OF COURT TO CONDUCT A STATEWIDE SEARCH OF MENTAL HEALTH 4
RECORDS WHEN PRESENT ED WITH A RELEASE FORM SIGNED BY AN 5
APPLICANT FOR A CONC EALED HANDGUN PERMIT ; TO MODIFY THE 6
AUTHORITY OF MAGISTR ATES AND JUDGES TO I SSUE ORDERS OF 7
INVOLUNTARY COMMITME NT; AND TO APPROPRIA TE FUNDS FOR A PILOT 8
PROGRAM FOR A CO-RESPONDER PROGRAM. 9
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 10
11
FIREARM SAFETY INSTRUCTION 12
SECTION 1.(a) Subsection (c) of G.S. 143B-1209.100 is amended by adding two 13
new subdivisions to read: 14
"(12) Develop, in consultation with any local or State entity the Center for Safer 15
Schools deems necessary to consult with, firearm safety instruction for 16
students that meets all of the following requirements: 17
a. The instruction shall teach students all of the following: 18
1. Safe storage and handling of firearms, including instruction on 19
(i) loading and unloading a firearm, (ii) using the safety on a 20
firearm, and (iii) determining if a firearm is loaded or 21
unloaded. 22
2. How to avoid injury if the student finds a firearm. 23
3. To never touch a found firearm. 24
4. To immediately notify an adult of the location of a found 25
firearm. 26
5. How to provide basic first aid and how to contact emergency 27
services. 28
b. The instruction shall be viewpoint neutral on political topics, such as 29
firearm rights, firearm violence, and the Second Amendment to the 30
United States Constitution. 31
c. The instruction shall not include the use or presence of live 32
ammunition, live fire, or live firearms. 33
d. The instruction shall be age- and grade-appropriate. 34
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e. The instruction required under this subdivision shall be provided in a 1
classroom setting by a live instructor who is an active or retired law 2
enforcement officer or is certified by the North Carolina Criminal 3
Justice Education and Training Standards Co mmission, the United 4
States Concealed Carry Association, or the National Rifle Association. 5
(13) Develop, in consultation with any local or State entity the Center for Safer 6
Schools deems necessary to consult with, instruction for students on 7
de-escalation techniques for conflict or other stressful situations. The 8
instruction shall meet all of the following requirements: 9
a. The instruction shall be viewpoint neutral on political topics. 10
b. The instruction shall be age- and grade-appropriate. 11
c. The instruction required under this subdivision shall be provided in a 12
classroom setting by a live instructor who is a behavioral or mental 13
health professional who has training or experience working with 14
adolescents and children." 15
SECTION 1.(b) Article 8C of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 16
adding a new section to read: 17
"§ 115C-105.50. Firearm safety and de-escalation instruction. 18
(a) Requirement. – Each public school unit shall require each school under its control to 19
provide annually to its students the firearm safety and de-escalation instruction developed under 20
subdivisions (12) and (13) of subsection (c) of G.S. 143B-1209.100. The instruction required 21
under this section shall begin in kindergarten. 22
(b) Opt out. – The parent or legal guardian of a student subject to instruction under this 23
section shall be allowed to opt out of either or both the firearm safety and de -escalation 24
instruction on behalf of the student. A request to opt out only applies to the school year in which 25
the request is made and the parent or legal guardian must renew the request for each school year 26
the parent or legal guardian wants the student to opt out of either or both the firearm safety and 27
de-escalation instruction. The State Board of Education shall establish the process for submitting 28
a request to opt out of the instruction required under this section." 29
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-76.25(a) is amended by adding a new subdivision to 30
read: 31
"(13) The right to opt out of either or both the firearm safety and de -escalation 32
instruction for their child pursuant to G.S. 115C-105.50(b)." 33
SECTION 1.(d) The Center for Safer Schools and the State Board of Education may 34
use the procedure set forth in G.S. 150B-21.1 to adopt or amend any rules necessary to implement 35
the provisions of this act. 36
SECTION 1.(e) The instruction required under G.S. 115C-105.50, as enacted by 37
Section 2 of this act, shall be provided beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. 38
SECTION 1.(f) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Center for Safer 39
Schools the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 40
2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to cover any costs associated with developing the instruction in 41
accordance with subdivisions (12) and (13) of subsection (c) of G.S. 143B-1209.100, as enacted 42
by Section 1 of this act. 43
SECTION 1.(g) Subsection (f) of this section becomes effective July 1, 2026. The 44
remainder of this section is effective when it becomes law. 45
46
CONCEALED HANDGUN PE RMIT/ALLOW STATEWIDE SEARCH OF 47
INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT RECORDS 48
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 14-415.14(c) reads as rewritten: 49
"(c) Any person or entity who is presented by the applicant or by the sheriff with an 50
original or photocopied release form as described in G.S. 14-415.13(a)(5) shall promptly disclose 51
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to the sheriff any records concerning the mental health or capacity of the applicant who signed 1
the form and authorized the release of the records. A clerk of court w ho is presented with an 2
original or photocopied release form as described in G.S. 14-415.13(a)(5) shall conduct a n 3
electronic Statewide search for, and promptly disclose to the sheriff, any records concerning the 4
mental health or capacity of the applicant who signed the form and authorized the release of the 5
records." 6
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 122C-54(d) reads as rewritten: 7
"(d) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any individual seek ing confidential 8
information contained in the court files or the court records of a proceeding made pursuant to 9
Article 5 of this Chapter may file a written motion in the cause setting out why the information 10
is needed. A district court judge may issue an order to disclose the confidential information 11
sought if he finds the order is appropriate under the circumstances and if he finds that it is in the 12
best interest of the individual admitted or committed or of the public to have the information 13
disclosed. 14
Counsel for the respondent and counsel for the State in the commitment hearing may receive 15
access to the court file without filing a motion or obtaining a court order. A judge presiding over 16
a criminal case that initiated the Article 5 proceeding may have access to the file without filing a 17
motion. 18
Judicial officials determining whether a criminal defendant may be released before trial 19
pursuant to G.S. 15A-533 may have access to the defendant's records of proceedings made 20
pursuant to Article 5 of this Chapter for the purposes of determining whether a criminal defendant 21
has been involuntarily committed within the previous three years. 22
An applicant for a concealed handgun permit, or a sheriff, who presents an original or 23
photocopied release form as described in G.S. 14-415.13(a)(5) may have access to the applicant's 24
records of proceedings made pursuant to Article 5 of this Chapter for the purpose of determining 25
the mental health or capacity of the applicant." 26
SECTION 2.(c) No later than the effective date of subsections (a) and (b) of this 27
section, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop and implement a process or system 28
that allows for an electronic Statewide search described in G.S. 14-415.14(c), as amended by 29
subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the 30
Administrative Office of the Courts may use any funds available for the implementation or 31
maintenance of eCourts to cover any costs incurred from developing and implementing a process 32
or system in accordance with this subsection. 33
SECTION 2.(d) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section become effective December 34
1, 2026, and apply to applications on or after that date. The remainder of this section is effective 35
when it becomes law. 36
37
MODIFY AUTHORITY OF MAGISTRATES AND JUDG ES TO ISSUE ORDER FO R 38
INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT 39
SECTION 3.(a) Article 18 of Chapter 7A of the General Statutes is amended by 40
adding a new section to read: 41
"§ 7A-201. Involuntary commitments. 42
(a) Authority. – Except as otherwise provided by law, if a magistrate or presiding judge 43
over a civil or criminal matter has reasonable grounds to believe a party to a proceeding before 44
the magistrate or judge meets the criteria for involuntary commitment under Part 7 of Article 5 45
of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes, the magistrate or judge shall be vested with the authority 46
sua sponte to make findings of fact and issue a custody order in the same manner, upon the same 47
grounds, and with the same effect as an order issued by a clerk or magistrate pursuant to 48
G.S. 122C-261. Proceedings thereafter are in accordance with Part 7 of Article 5 of Chapter 122C 49
of the General Statutes. 50
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(b) Recusal. – A magistrate or judge who issues an order pursuant to subsection (a) of 1
this section is disqualified from presiding over any other hearing pursuant to Part 7 of Article 5 2
of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes for a respondent who was the subject of the order issued 3
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 4
(c) Construction. – Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, nothing 5
in this section shall be construed as amending or otherwise altering the duties of a magistrate or 6
judge set forth in Part 7 of Article 5 of the General Statutes." 7
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 122C-261(e) reads as rewritten: 8
"(e) Except as provided in subdivision (5) of subsection (d) of this section, upon receipt 9
of the custody order of the clerk or magistrate ormagistrate, a custody order issued by the court 10
pursuant to G.S. 15A-1003, or a custody order issued pursuant to G.S. 7A-201, a law 11
enforcement officer, person designated under G.S. 122C-251(g), or other person identified in the 12
order shall take the respondent into custody within 24 hours after the order is signed, and proceed 13
according to G.S. 122C-263. The custody order is valid throughout the State. 14
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, in no event shall an individual known or 15
reasonably believed to have an intellectual disability be admitted to a State psychiatric hospital, 16
except the following: 17
(1) Persons described in G.S. 122C-266(b). 18
(2) Persons admitted pursuant to G.S. 15A-1321. 19
(3) Respondents who are so extremely dangerous as to pose a serious threat to the 20
community and to other patients committed to non -State hospital psychiatric 21
inpatient units, as determined by the Director of the Division of Mental 22
Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services or the 23
Director's designee. 24
(4) Respondents who are so gravely disabled by both multiple disorders and 25
medical fragility or multiple disorders and deafness that alternative care is 26
inappropriate, as determined by the Director of the Division of Mental Health, 27
Developmental Disabilities, a nd Substance Use Services or the Director's 28
designee. 29
Individuals transported to a State facility for individuals with mental illnesses who are not 30
admitted by the facility may be transported by appropriate law enforcement officers or designated 31
staff of the State facility in State-owned vehicles to an appropriate 24-hour facility that provides 32
psychiatric inpatient care. 33
No later than 24 hours after the transfer, the responsible professional at the original facility 34
shall notify the petitioner, the clerk of court, and, if consent is granted by the respondent, the next 35
of kin, that the transfer has been completed." 36
SECTION 3.(c) This section becomes effective October 1, 2026, and applies to 37
proceedings on or after that date. 38
39
PILOT CO-RESPONDER POLICE PROGRAM 40
SECTION 4.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 41
Public Safety for each year of the 2025 -2027 fiscal biennium the nonrecurring sum of four 42
hundred seventy-four thousand six hundred eighty dollars ($474,680) to allocate to each county 43
in this State in equal amounts to use to fund pilot program co -responder models designed to 44
integrate mental health professionals with law enforcement responding to mental health related 45
calls by people in distress needing assistance. The funds shall be used to hire and integrate within 46
the law enforcement agency of each locality identified below one full -time mental health 47
professional to be paired with law enforcement, either on a dedicated team or as part of a 48
specialized unit, in responding to calls and incidences identified as involving mental health crises 49
or persons with mental health issues. 50
SECTION 4.(b) This section is effective retroactive to July 1, 2025. 51
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1
EFFECTIVE DATE 2
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effectiv e when it becomes 3
law. 4