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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
SESSION LAW 2025-81
HOUSE BILL 193
*H193-v-5*
AN ACT TO PROVIDE TH AT CERTAIN EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS AT
NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS MA Y CARRY CERTAIN WEAP ONS ON EDUCATIONAL
PROPERTY WHEN AUTHOR IZED BY THE SCHOOL B OARD OF TRUSTEES OR
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIV E DIRECTOR, TO PROVI DE THAT A PERSON MAY
CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN ON EDUCATIONAL PROPERTY THAT IS THE
LOCATION OF BOTH A SCHOOL AND A PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP WHEN
ATTENDING WORSHIP SE RVICES AND OTHER SAC ERDOTAL FUNCTIONS AT
THE PLACE OF RELIGIO US WORSHIP, TO INCRE ASE THE PUNISHMENT
IMPOSED FOR AN ASS AULT OR THREAT AGAIN ST AN EXECUTIVE OFFI CER,
LEGISLATIVE OFFICER, COURT OFFICER, OR L OCAL ELECTED OFFICER , TO
REQUIRE PRETRIAL RELEASE CONDITIONS FOR ANY PERSON CHARGED WITH
ASSAULTING OR MAKING A THREAT AGAINST AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
LEGISLATIVE OFFICER, COURT OFFICER, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICER, OR
ELECTION OFFICER TO BE DETERMINED BY A J UDGE, AND TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL PROTECTIO NS FROM RESTRICTIONS ON USE FOR RELOCATE D
LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOOTING RANGES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 14-269.2(a) is amended by adding the following new subdivisions
to read:
"(1d) School administrative director. – Any individual authorized by the school
board of trustees to act on behalf of the nonpublic school.
(1e) School board of trustees. – The governing body of any nonpublic school. For
purposes of parochial schools, the school board of trustees may be the board
of deacons, the board of elders, or any other designated board which oversees
the general affairs of the church, synagogue, temple, or other place of religious
worship that is affiliated with the nonpublic school."
SECTION 2. G.S. 14-269.2(g) is amended by adding the following new subdivision
to read:
"(8) The person is an employee or volunteer of a nonpublic school who meets all
of the following criteria:
a. The person has written authorization from the school board of trustees
or the school administrative director to possess and carry a firearm or
stun gun on the educational property that is owned, used, or operated
by the nonpublic school.
b. The weapon is a firearm or a stun gun.
c. The person has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with
Article 54B of this Chapter or is considered valid under
G.S. 14-415.24.
d. The person has successfully completed under the direct supervision of
a certified National Rifle Association instructor or the equivalent a
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minimum of eight hours of courses on, or relating to, gun safety and
the appropriate use of firearms that is in addition to the firearms
training and safety course required for a concealed handgun permit
under G.S. 14-415.12(a)(4). This is an annual training requirement.
e. The nonpublic school adopts and maintains written standard operating
procedures regarding the possession and carrying of the weapons
listed in this subdivision on the educational property and distributes to
the parents of students attending the nonpublic school copies of the
written standard operating procedures on an annual basis.
f. The person is on the premises of the educational property that is
owned, used, or operated by the nonpublic school at which the person
is an employee or volunteer."
SECTION 3. G.S. 14-269.2(k1) reads as rewritten:
"(k1) For the purposes of this subsection, property owned by a local board of education or
county commission shall not be construed as a building that is a place of religious worship as
defined in G.S. 14-54.1. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who has a
concealed handgun permit that is valid under Article 54B of this Chapter, or who is exempt from
obtaining a permit pursuant to that Article, if all of the following conditions apply:
(1) The person possesses and carries a handgun on educational property other than
an institution of higher education as defined by G.S. 116-143.1 or a nonpublic,
postsecondary educational institution.
(2) The educational property is the location of both a school and a building that is
a place of religious worship as defined in G.S. 14-54.1.
(3) The weapon is a handgun.
(4) The handgun is only possessed and carried on educational property outside in
one of the following circumstances:
a. Outside of the school operating hours.
b. At any time, in a building that is a place of religious worship while the
person is attending worship services, funeral services, wedding
ceremonies, Christenings, religious fellowships, and any other
sacerdotal functions in the building. For purposes of this subdivision,
the term "attending" includes ingress and egress between the building
and the designated parking area for the place of religious worship.
(5) The person or persons in legal possession or control of the premises have not
posted a conspicuous notice prohibiting the carrying of a concealed handgun
on the premises in accordance with G.S. 14-415.11(c)."
SECTION 4. Article 5A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Article 5A.
"Endangering Executive, Legislative, and Court Court, and Local Elected Officers.
"§ 14-16.6. Assault on executive, legislative, or court officer.court, or local elected officers.
(a) Any person who assaults any legislative officer, executive officer, or court officer, or
local elected officer, or assaults another person as retaliation against any legislative officer,
executive officer, or court officer officer, or local elected officer because of the exercise of that
officer's duties, or any person who makes a violent attack upon the residence, office, temporary
accommodation or means of transport of any one of those officers or persons in a manner likely
to endanger the officer or person, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished as a Class I
Class H felon.
(b) Any person who commits an offense under subsection (a) and uses a deadly weapon
in the commission of that offense shall be punished as a Class F Class E felon.
House Bill 193 Session Law 2025-81 Page 3
(c) Any person who commits an offense under subsection (a) and inflicts serious bodily
injury to any legislative officer, executive officer, or court officer, or local elected officer shall
be punished as a Class E Class D felon.
"§ 14-16.7. Threats against executive, legislative, or court court, or local elected officers.
(a) Any person who knowingly and willfully makes any threat to inflict serious bodily
injury upon or to kill any legislative officer, executive officer, or court officer, or local elected
officer, or who knowingly and willfully makes any threat to inflict serious bodily injury upon or
kill any other person as retaliation against any legislative officer, executive officer, or court
officer officer, or local elected officer because of the exercise of that officer's duties, shall be
guilty of a felony and shall be punished as a Class I Class H felon.
(b) Any person who knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail any
letter, writing, or other document containing a threat to commit an offense described in subsection
(a) of this section shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished as a Class I Class H felon.
"§ 14-16.8. No requirement of receipt of the threat.
In prosecutions under G.S. 14-16.7 of this Article it shall not be necessary to prove that any
legislative officer, executive officer, or court officer officer, or local elected officer actually
received the threatening communication or actually believed the threat.
…
"§ 14-16.10. Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1) Court officer. – Magistrate, clerk of superior court, acting clerk, assistant or
deputy clerk, judge, or justice of the General Court of Justice; district attorney,
assistant district attorney, or any other attorney designated by the district
attorney to act for the State or on behalf of the district attorney; public
defender or assistant defender; court reporter; juvenile court counselor as
defined in G.S. 7B-1501(18a); any attorney or other individual employed by,
contracted by, or acting on behalf of a county department of social services,
as defined in G.S. 108A-24; any attorney or other individual appointed
pursuant to G.S. 7B-601 or G.S. 7B-1108 or employed by the Guardian ad
Litem Services Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts.
(2) Executive officer. – A person named in G.S. 147-3(c).
(3) Legislative officer. – A person named in G.S. 147-2(1), (2), or (3).
(4) Local elected officer. – An elected officer of a politi cal subdivision of this
State."
SECTION 5. G.S. 163-275(11) reads as rewritten:
"(11) For any person, by threats, menaces or in any other manner, to intimidate or
attempt to intimidate any chief judge, judge of election or other election
officer in the discharge of of, or because of, duties in the registration of voters
or in conducting any primary or election."
SECTION 6. Article 26 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes is amended by
adding a new section to read:
"§ 15A-534.9. Threats against public officers; bail and pretrial release.
(a) In all cases in which the defendant is charged with a violation of G.S. 14-16.6,
14-16.7, or 163-275(11), except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the judicial official
who determines the conditions of pretri al release shall be a judge. The judge shall direct a law
enforcement officer or a district attorney to provide a criminal history report for the defendant
and shall consider the criminal history when setting conditions of release. After setting conditions
of release, the judge shall return the report to the providing agency or department. No judge shall
unreasonably delay the determination of conditions of pretrial release for the purpose of
reviewing the defendant 's criminal history report. The following provisions shall apply in
addition to the provisions of G.S. 15A-534:
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(1) Upon a determination by the judge that the immediate release of the defendant
will pose a danger of injury to persons and upon a determination that the
execution of an appearance bond as required by G.S. 15A-534 will not
reasonably assure that such injury will not occur, a judge may retain the
defendant in custody for a reasonable period of time while determining the
conditions of pretrial release.
(2) A judge may impose the following conditions on pretrial release:
a. That the defendant stay away from the home, school, business, or place
of employment of the alleged victim.
b. That the defendant refrain from assaulting or threatening the alleged
victim.
c. That the defendant stay away from specific locations or property
where the offense occurred.
d. That the defendant stay away from other specified locations or
property.
The conditions set forth in this subdivision may be imposed in addition to
requiring that the defendant execute a secured appearance bond.
(3) Should the defendant be mentally ill and dang erous to himself or herself or
others or a substance abuser and dangerous to himself or herself or others, the
provisions of Article 5 of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes shall apply.
(b) A defendant may be retained in custody not more than 48 hours from the time of arrest
without a determination being made under this section by a judge. If a judge has not acted
pursuant to this section within 48 hours of arrest, the magistrate shall act under the provisions of
this section."
SECTION 7. Article 53C of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Article 53C.
"Sport Shooting Range Protection Act of 1997.
"§ 14-409.45. Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1) Law enforcement organization. – A State or national orga nization whose
membership is composed of sworn law enforcement officers , including a
regional or local chapter of such a State or national organization.
(2) Law enforcement shooting range. – A sport shooting range owned or operated
by a State, federal, or local law enforcement agency, or by a law enforcement
organization.
(1)(3) Person. – An individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, club, or
other legal entity.
(2)(4) Sport shooting range or range. – An area designed and operated for the use of
rifles, shotguns, pistols, silhouettes, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other
similar sport shooting.
(3)(5) Substantial change in use. – The current primary use of the range no longer
represents the activity previously engaged in at the range.
"§ 14-409.46. Sport shooting range protection.
(a) Notwithstanding Except as otherwise provided in this Article, notwithstanding any
other provision of law, a person who owns, operates, or uses a sport shooting range in this State
shall not be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter relating to noise or
noise pollution resulting from the operation or use of the range if the range is in compliance with
any noise control laws or ordinances that applied to the range and its operation at th e time the
range began operation.
(b) A person who owns, operates, or uses a sport shooting range is not subject to an action
for nuisance on the basis of noise or noise pollution, and a State court shall not enjoin the use or
House Bill 193 Session Law 2025-81 Page 5
operation of a range on the b asis of noise or noise pollution, if the range is in compliance with
any noise control laws or ordinances that applied to the range and its operation at the time the
range began operation.
(c) Rules adopted by any State department or agency for limiting levels of noise in terms
of decibel level that may occur in the outdoor atmosphere shall not apply to a sport shooting
range that was in operation prior to the adoption of the rule.
(d) A person who acquires title to real property adversely affected by the use of property
with a permanently located and improved sport shooting range constructed and initially operated
prior to the time the person acquires title shall not maintain a nuisance action on the basis of noise
or noise pollution against the person who owns the range to restrain, enjoin, or impede the use of
the range. If there is a substantial change in use of the range after the person acquires title, the
person may maintain a nuisance action if the action is brought within one year of the date of a
substantial change in use. This section does not prohibit actions for negligence or recklessness in
the operation of the range or by a person using the range.
(e) A sport shooting range that is operated and is not in violation of existing law at the
time of the enactment of an ordinance shall be permitted to continue in operation even if the
operation of the sport shooting range at a later date does not conform to the new ordinance or an
amendment to an existing ordinance, provided there has been no substantial change in use.
"§ 14-409.46A. Additional protection for relocated law enforcement shooting range.
Notwithstanding any provision of law or any other provision of this Article, for any law
enforcement shooting range that operates in the same location for at least 25 years, relocates to a
new location within the same county , and has no substantial change in use , the following shall
apply:
(1) The provisions of this Article shall be applied to the law enforcement shooting
range based on the date the range began operation in the original location.
(2) A local government may not prohibit the law enforcement shooting range
from conducting night operations for law enforcement training purposes if the
range provides at least 48 hours' written notice to the local government of the
date and time the night operations will be conducted.
(3) A local government may not require the law enforcement shooting range to
comply with a setback line of more than 100 feet.
…."
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SECTION 8. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this act become effective December 1,
2025, and apply to offenses committed on or after that date. The remainder of this act is effective
when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 30th day of June, 2025.
s/ Phil Berger
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
s/ Donna McDowell White
Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives
VETO Josh Stein
Governor
Became law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor at 11:14 a.m. this 29 th
day of July, 2025.
s/ Ms. Sarah Holland
Senate Principal Clerk