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H301 • 2025

Social Media & AI Safety.

Social Media & AI Safety.

Children Education Parental Rights Technology
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Zenger, N. Jackson, Almond, Willis, Biggs, Branson, Cairns, Echevarria, Eddins, Loftis, McNeely, Scott, Ward
Last action
2026-06-24
Official status
Conf Com Appointed
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Social Media & AI Safety.

H301-SMBE-69(e3)-v-3 (2026-04-29): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

What This Bill Does

  • H301-SMBE-69(e3)-v-3 (2026-04-29): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
  • H301-SMBE-73(CSBE-25)-v-4 (2026-06-03): Social Media & AI Safety.
  • H301-SMBE-76(e5)-v-4 (2026-06-09): Social Media & AI Safety.
  • H301-SMBE-78(e6)-v-1 (2026-06-11): Social Media & AI Safety.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
  • Committee: Senate Education/Higher Education.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Judiciary.
  • If favorable, re-refer to Rules and Operations of the Senate Date: April 29, 2026 Introduced by: Reps.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.
  • Committee: Senate Judiciary.
  • If favorable, re-refer to Rules and Operations of the Senate Date: June 2, 2026 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Zenger, N.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.
  • Committee: Senate Rules and Operations of the Senate Date: June 9, 2026 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Zenger, N.
  • Jackson, Almond, Willis Prepared by: Brian Gwyn* Staff Attorney Analysis of: Fifth Edition Kara McCraw Director *H301-SMBE-76(e5)-v-4* Legislative Analysis Division 919-733-2578 This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media & AI Safety.
  • Committee: Date: June 11, 2026 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Zenger, N.
  • Jackson, Almond, Willis Prepared by: Brian Gwyn* Staff Attorney Analysis of: Sixth Edition Kara McCraw Director *H301-SMBE-78(e6)-v-1* Legislative Analysis Division 919-733-2578 This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
  • Committee: House Judiciary 2.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Commerce and Economic Development.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 1, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
  • Committee: House Commerce and Economic Development.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 14, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Zenger, N.

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 301: Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
  • Committee: House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: May 5, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Zenger, N.
  • Jackson, Almond, Willis Prepared by: Bill Patterson* Staff Attorney Analysis of: Third Edition Kara McCraw Director *H301-SMTG-34(e3)-v-3* Legislative Analysis Division 919-733-2578 This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-24 Senate

    Conf Com Appointed

  2. 2026-06-23 House

    Conf Com Appointed

  3. 2026-06-23 House

    Failed Concur In S Com Sub

  4. 2026-06-22 House

    Placed On Cal For 06/23/2026

  5. 2026-06-22 House

    Withdrawn From Com

  6. 2026-06-15 House

    Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  7. 2026-06-11 House

    Regular Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub

  8. 2026-06-11 Senate

    Regular Message Sent To House

  9. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Engrossed

  10. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Passed 3rd Reading

  11. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Passed 2nd Reading

  12. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Amend Tabled A5

  13. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Amend Tabled A4

  14. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Amend Tabled A3

  15. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Amend Tabled A2

  16. 2026-06-10 Senate

    Amend Adopted A1

  17. 2026-06-09 Senate

    Reptd Fav

  18. 2026-06-03 Senate

    Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  19. 2026-06-03 Senate

    Com Substitute Adopted

  20. 2026-06-03 Senate

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  21. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Re-ref Com On Judiciary

  22. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Com Substitute Adopted

  23. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  24. 2026-04-27 Senate

    Re-ref to Education/Higher Education. If fav, re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate

  25. 2026-04-27 Senate

    Withdrawn From Com

  26. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  27. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Passed 1st Reading

  28. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Regular Message Received From House

  29. 2025-05-07 House

    Regular Message Sent To Senate

  30. 2025-05-06 House

    Passed 3rd Reading

  31. 2025-05-06 House

    Passed 2nd Reading

  32. 2025-05-05 House

    Placed On Cal For 05/06/2025

  33. 2025-05-05 House

    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

  34. 2025-05-05 House

    Reptd Fav

  35. 2025-04-15 House

    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  36. 2025-04-15 House

    Reptd Fav Com Sub 2

  37. 2025-04-01 House

    Re-ref Com On Commerce and Economic Development

  38. 2025-04-01 House

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  39. 2025-03-06 House

    Ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Commerce and Economic Development, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  40. 2025-03-06 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  41. 2025-03-05 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

H301-SMBE-69(e3)-v-3
(2026-04-29): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
H301-SMBE-73(CSBE-25)-v-4
(2026-06-03): Social Media & AI Safety.
H301-SMBE-76(e5)-v-4
(2026-06-09): Social Media & AI Safety.
H301-SMBE-78(e6)-v-1
(2026-06-11): Social Media & AI Safety.
H301-SMSA-18(CSSA-11)-v-3
(2025-04-01): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
H301-SMTG-27(CSTG-13)-v-5
(2025-04-15): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.
H301-SMTG-34(e3)-v-3
(2025-05-05): Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 6
HOUSE BILL 301
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/1/25
Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 4/15/25
Senate Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 4/29/26
Senate Judiciary Committee Substitute Adopted 6/3/26
Sixth Edition Engrossed 6/10/26

Short Title: Social Media & AI Safety. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 6, 2025
*H301-v-6*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE SO CIAL MEDIA PROTECTIO NS FOR CHILDREN UNDE R 2
SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE , TO REQUIRE THE STA TE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO 3
UPDATE COMPUTER SCIE NCE STANDARDS TO INC LUDE INSTRUCTION ON 4
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGE NCE (AI), TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC 5
INSTRUCTION TO ADOPT A MODEL AI POLICY, TO REQUIRE GOVERNING 6
BODIES OF PUBLIC SCH OOL UNITS TO ADOPT P OLICIES ON AI USE, T O 7
REQUIRE THE DEPARTME NT OF PUBLIC INSTRUC TION TO ESTABLISH A 8
FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUA TING GENERATIVE AI -POWERED EDUCA TIONAL 9
TOOLS USED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND TO REQ UIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF 10
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION T O PARTNER WITH THE F RIDAY INSTITUTE TO 11
DEVELOP EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING ON THE USE OF AI. 12
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 13
14
PART I. SOCIAL MEDIA PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN 15
SECTION 1.(a) The General Statutes are amended by adding a new Chapter to read: 16
"Chapter 114B. 17
"Social Media Protections for Children. 18
"§ 114B-1. Title; definitions. 19
(a) Title. – This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Social Media Protection 20
for Children Act." 21
(b) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this Chapter: 22
(1) Account holder. – A person who opens an account or creates a profile or is 23
identified by the addictive social media platform by a unique identifier while 24
using or accessing an addictive platform when the addictive platform knows 25
or has reason to believe the person is a resident of this State. 26
(2) Addictive social media platform or addictive platform. – An online forum, 27
website, or application that satisfies all of the following criteria: 28
a. Has as its primary purpose or function to provide a forum for users to 29
upload content or view uploaded content of other users. 30
b. Had t en percent (10%) or more of its daily active users who are 31
younger than 16 years of age spend on average at least two hours per 32
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 301-Sixth Edition
day on the online forum, website, or application on the days when 1
using the online forum, website, or application during the previous 12 2
months or, if the online forum, website, or application did not exist 3
during the previous 12 months, during the previous month. 4
c. Employs algorithms that analyze user data or information on users to 5
select content for users. 6
d. Has any of the following addictive features: 7
1. Infinite scrolling, which means either (i) continuously loading 8
content or content that loads as the user scrolls down the page 9
without the need to open a separate page or ( ii) seamless 10
content or the use of pages with no visible or apparent end or 11
page breaks. 12
2. Push notifications or alerts sent by the online forum, website, 13
or application to inform a user about specific activities or 14
events related to the user's account that cannot be disabled. 15
3. Displays personal interactive metrics that indicate the number 16
of times other users have clicked a button to indicate their 17
reaction to content or have shared or reposted the content. 18
4. Auto-play video or video that begins to play without the user 19
first clicking on the video or on a play button for that video. 20
5. Live-streaming or a function that allows a user or advertiser to 21
broadcast live video content in real time. 22
e. Is not an online service, website, or application where the exclusive 23
function is email , audio communication, or direct messaging 24
consisting of text, photographs, pictures, images, audio, or videos 25
shared only between the sender and the recipients, without displaying 26
or posting publicly or to other users not specif ically identified as the 27
recipients by the sender. 28
(3) Anonymous age verification. – A commercially reasonable method used by a 29
government agency or a business for the purpose of age verification that meets 30
all of the following: 31
a. Is conducted by a nongovernmental, independent third party organized 32
under the laws of a state of the United States that meets all of the 33
following criteria: 34
1. Has its principal place of business in a state of the United 35
States. 36
2. Is not owned or controlled by an entity formed in a foreign 37
country or by a government of a foreign country, unless the 38
entity meets at least one of the following criteria: 39
I. The entity has received a determination from the 40
Committee of Foreign Investment in the United S tates 41
(CFIUS) that there are no unresolved national security 42
concerns with respect to the entity in connection to a 43
matter submitted to CFIUS and which CFIUS 44
concluded all action pursuant to Section 721 of the 45
Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended. 46
II. The entity has a national security agreement with 47
CFIUS and maintains the validity of the national 48
security agreement. 49
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 301-Sixth Edition Page 3
III. The entity is a United States domiciled subsidiary of an 1
entity that meets the criteria of sub-sub-subdivisions I. 2
or II. of this sub-sub-subdivision. 3
b. Does not do any of the following: 4
1. Retain personal identifying information used to verify age once 5
the age of an account holder or a person seeking an account has 6
been verified. 7
2. Use personal identifying information used to verify age for any 8
other purpose. 9
c. Does all of the following: 10
1. Keep anonymous any personal identifying information used to 11
verify age. The information may not be shared or otherwise 12
communicated to any person. 13
2. Protect personal identifying information used to verify age 14
from unauthorized or illegal access, destruction, use, 15
modification, or disclosure through reasonable security 16
procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the 17
personal information. 18
(4) Child. – A person who is under 16 years of age. 19
(5) Daily active users. – The number of unique users in the United States who 20
used the online forum, website, or application at least eighty percent (80%) of 21
the days during the previous 12 months or , if the online forum, website, or 22
application did not exist during the previous 12 months, the number of unique 23
users in the United States who used the online forum, website, or application 24
at least eighty percent (80%) of the days during the previous month. 25
(6) Resident. – A person who lives in this State for more than six months of the 26
year. 27
(7) Standard age verification. – Any commercially reasonable method of age 28
verification approved by the addictive social media platform. 29
(8) User data. – Any data collected by an addictive social media platform about 30
an account holder. 31
"§ 114B-2. Social media protections for children. 32
(a) Addictive Social Media Platform Contract. – For the purposes of this section, i f an 33
addictive social media platform allows an account holder to use the addictive platform, the parties 34
have entered into a contract. 35
(b) Children Under 14 Years of Age. – An addictive social media platform shall prohibit 36
a child who is younger than 14 years of age from entering into a contract with the addictive 37
platform to become an account holder and shall do all of the following: 38
(1) Terminate an account held by a child under 14 years of age after providing the 39
account holder 30 days to dispute the termination. 40
(2) Permanently delete all personal information held by the addictive platform 41
relating to the terminated account, unless there are legal requirements to 42
maintain the information. 43
(c) Children 14 or 15 Years of Age. – An addictive social media platform shall prohibit 44
a child who is 14 or 15 years of age from entering into a contract with the addictive platform to 45
become an account holder unless the child's parent or guardian provides consent for the child to 46
become an account holder and shall do all of the following: 47
(1) Terminate an account held by an account holder who is 14 or 15 years of age 48
and who does not have a parent or guardian 's consent after providing the 49
account holder 30 days to dispute the termination. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 House Bill 301-Sixth Edition
(2) Allow the parent or guardian of an account holder who is 14 or 15 years of 1
age to request that the child's account be terminated. Termination must be 2
effective within 10 business days after the request. 3
(3) Permanently delete all personal information held by the addictive platform 4
relating to the terminated account unless there are legal requirements to 5
maintain the information. 6
(d) Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice. – A violation of this section is an unfair and 7
deceptive trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is enforceable under Chapter 75 of the General 8
Statutes, subject to all of the following: 9
(1) The action may solely be brought by the Attorney General against an addictive 10
social media platform. 11
(2) In addition to the civil penalty under G.S. 75-15.2, the Attorney General may 12
collect a civil penalty of up to fifty thousand dollars ( $50,000) per violation 13
and reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. 14
(3) If an addictive social media platform's failure to comply with this section is a 15
consistent pattern of knowing or reckless conduct, the court may assess 16
punitive damages against the addictive platform. 17
(e) Private Right of Action. – An addictive social media platform that knowingly or 18
recklessly violates this section is liable to the child account holder, including court costs and 19
reasonable attorneys' fees. Claimants may be awarded up to ten thousand dollars ( $10,000) in 20
damages. Any action brought under this subsection may only be brought on behalf of a child 21
account holder. A civil action for a claim under this subsection must be brought within one year 22
from the date the complainant knew, or reasonably should have known, of the alleged violation. 23
(f) Civil Penalties. – The clear proceeds of civil penalties provided for in this section 24
shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2. 25
(g) Jurisdiction. – For purposes of bringing an action under this section, an addictive 26
social media platform that allows a child to create an account on the addictive platform is 27
considered to be both engaged in substantial and not isolated activities within this State and 28
operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on a bus iness and doing business in this State, 29
and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State. 30
(h) Nonexclusive Remedies. – This section does not preclude any other available remedy 31
at law or in equity. 32
"§ 114B-3. Age verification for addictive social media platforms. 33
(a) Age Verification Requirement. – An addictive social media platform shall use either 34
anonymous age verification or standard age verification to verify that an account holder is 16 35
years of age or older and , except as provided in G.S. 114B-2(c), prevent creation of an account 36
by a person younger than 1 6 years of age. The addictive platform shall offer anonymous age 37
verification and standard age verification, and a person attempting to create an account may select 38
which method will be used to verify the person's age. 39
(b) Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice. – Any violation of subsection (a) of this section 40
is an unfair and deceptive trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is enforceable under Chapter 75 41
of the General Statutes, subject to all of the following: 42
(1) The action may solely be brought by the Attorney General on behalf of a 43
resident child against an addictive social media platform. 44
(2) In addition to the civil penalty under G.S. 75-15.2, the Attorney General may 45
collect a civil penalty of up to fifty thousand dollars ( $50,000) per violation 46
and reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. 47
(3) If an addictive social media platform's failure to comply with this section is a 48
consistent pattern of knowing or reckless conduct, the court may assess 49
punitive damages against the addictive platform. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 301-Sixth Edition Page 5
(c) Civil Penalties. – The clear proceeds of civil penalties provided for in this section 1
shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2. 2
(d) Jurisdiction. – For purposes of bringing an action under this section, a n addictive 3
social media platform that allows a child to create an account on the addictive platform is 4
considered to be both engaged in substantial and not isolated activities within this State and 5
operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on a business and doing business in this State, 6
and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State. 7
(e) Nonexclusive Remedies. – This section does not preclude any other available remedy 8
at law or in equity. 9
"§ 114B-3.5. Prohibit use or sale of user data. 10
(a) Prohibited Uses of a Child 's User Data. – An addictive social media platform shall 11
not do any of the following with a child's user data: 12
(1) Use the user data to inform content recommendations to the child. This 13
requirement is not intended to prevent content recommendations from being 14
shown as a direct result of explicit actions, such as showing posts fro m 15
accounts a child follows in a chronological feed, but it is intended to prevent 16
any data, including follows, from being used in an algorithm to generate 17
algorithmic recommendations. 18
(2) Use the user data to inform what commercial advertisements or promot ions 19
are shown to the child. This requirement is not intended to prevent the 20
showing of advertisements or promotions that are shown to the child based 21
upon explicit actions, such as being based on the results of a search initiated 22
by the user on the platform. 23
(3) Sell the child's user data to a third party. 24
(b) Exceptions. – This section does not apply to any of the following: 25
(1) An addictive social media platform engaging in any actions identified in 26
subsection (a) of this section in reliance on the user's age verification pursuant 27
to G.S. 114B-3. 28
(2) An addictive social media platform's use of a child's user data to block access 29
to inappropriate or harmful content to the child. 30
(c) Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice. – Any violation of subsection (a) of this section 31
is an unfair and deceptive trade practice under G.S. 75-1.1 and is enforceable under Chapter 75 32
of the General Statutes, subject to all of the following: 33
(1) The action may solely be brought by the Attorney General on behalf of a 34
resident child against an addictive social media platform. 35
(2) In addition to the civil penalty under G.S. 75-15.2, the Attorney General may 36
collect a civil penalty of up to fifty thousand dollar s ($50,000) per violation 37
and reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. 38
(3) If an addictive social media platform's failure to comply with this section is a 39
consistent pattern of knowing or reckless conduct, the court may assess 40
punitive damages against the addictive platform. 41
(d) Civil Penalties. – The clear proceeds of civil penalties provided for in this section 42
shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2. 43
(e) Jurisdiction. – For purposes of bringing an action under this section, an addictive 44
social media platform that allows a child to create an account on the addictive platform is 45
considered to be both engaged in substantial and not isolated activities within this State and 46
operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on a business and doing business in this State, 47
and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State. 48
(f) Nonexclusive Remedies. – This section does not preclude any other available remedy 49
at law or in equity. 50
"§ 114B-4. Rules; construction; severability. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 6 House Bill 301-Sixth Edition
(a) The Attorney General may adopt rules to implement this Chapter. 1
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that this Chapter be liberally construed for the 2
protection of children. 3
(c) An internet service provider or its affiliates or subsidiaries, a search engine, a cloud 4
service provider, a connected-device manufacturer or seller, or an operating-system developer or 5
provider, does not violate this Chapter solely for manufacturing, selling, configuring, preloading, 6
updating, securing, or providing access or connection to or from a n addictive social media 7
platform not under the provider 's control, including transmission, downloading, intermediate 8
storage, or access software, to the extent the provider is not otherwise an addictive social media 9
platform. 10
(d) If any provision of this Chapter or its application to any person or circumstances is 11
held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this Chapter which 12
can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and, to this end, the provisions of 13
this Chapter are severable." 14
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective January 1, 2027, and applies to 15
causes of action arising on or after that date. 16
17
PART II. MODIFY COMPUTER SCIENCE STANDARDS 18
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-81.90 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 19
"(a1) Instruction on Artificial Intelligence Literacy. – The State Board shall adopt 20
age-appropriate standards for instruction on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy for grades 21
kindergarten through 12. All courses offered pursuant to this section shall include instruction on 22
AI literacy aligned with the standards adopted by the State Board. Notwithstanding the regular 23
review of content standards required by G.S. 115C-12(9c), the State Board shall review and 24
update these standards every two years to keep up with advancements in AI. The standards shall 25
include at least the following: 26
(1) Responsible and ethical use of AI. 27
(2) Limitations of AI tools. 28
(3) Evaluation and verification of outputs provided by AI tools. 29
(4) Data and privacy concerns related to AI tools. 30
(5) Best practices and safety when interacting with AI or AI chatbots." 31
SECTION 2.(b) Notwithstanding the regular review of content standards pursuant 32
to G.S. 115C-12(9c), the State Board of Education shall revise the standard course of study for 33
computer science for grades kindergarten through 12 to include artificial intelligence l iteracy in 34
accordance with G.S. 115C-81.90(a1), as enacted by this section. The State Board shall adopt the 35
revised standards for implementation beginning with the 2028-2029 school year. 36
SECTION 2.(c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department 37
of Public Instruction, shall update the lists of approved courses required by G.S. 115C-81.90(b) 38
and (c) to reflect course alignment with the revised computer science standards adopted pursuant 39
to subsection (b) of this section. The State Board shall update the lists for use beginning with the 40
2028-2029 school year. 41
SECTION 2.(d) The Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint 42
Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15, 2028, on the following related to 43
the adoption of revised computer science standards in accordance with subsection (b) of this 44
section: 45
(1) Adoption and implementation of the revised standards. 46
(2) Alignment of courses on the approved courses lists as updated pursuant to 47
subsection (c) of this section. 48
(3) Any difficulties with the implementation of the revised standards. 49
50
PART III. PUBLIC SCHOOL UNIT AI POLICIES 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 301-Sixth Edition Page 7
SECTION 3.(a) Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 1
amended by adding a new section to read: 2
"§ 115C-102.13. Artificial intelligence policies. 3
The Department of Public Instruction shall develop a model artificial intelligence (AI) policy 4
to serve as guidance to public school units when developing their AI policies. At a minimum, the 5
model policy shall include the following: 6
(1) A definition of AI, generative AI, and AI tools. 7
(2) Guidance on how to develop the AI literacy of students and school staff. AI 8
literacy shall include education about nonconsensual intimate imagery. 9
(3) Data privacy and security measures to protect students and staff, including 10
protecting personally identifiable information, when using AI. 11
(4) Standards of ethical and acceptable use of AI and AI chatbots in an 12
educational setting, including standards of academic integrity when using AI." 13
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 14
"(73) To adopt an AI use policy. – Local boards of education shall adopt a policy 15
on the use of artificial intelligence by students and staff for educational 16
purposes after review of the model policy developed by the Department of 17
Public Instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-102.13." 18
SECTION 3.(c) G.S. 115C-150.12C is amended by adding a new subdivision to 19
read: 20
"(39) To adopt an AI use policy. – The board of trustees shall adopt a policy on the 21
use of artificial intelligence by students and staff for educational purposes 22
after review of the model policy developed by the Department of Public 23
Instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-102.13." 24
SECTION 3.(d) G.S. 115C-218.33 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 25
"(c) A charter school shall adopt a policy on the use of artificial intelligence by students 26
and staff for educational purposes after review of the model policy developed by the Department 27
of Public Instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-102.13." 28
SECTION 3.(e) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 29
"(18c) To adopt an AI use policy. – The board of directors shall adopt a policy on the 30
use of artificial intelligence by students and staff for educational purposes 31
after review of the model policy developed by the Department of Public 32
Instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-102.13." 33
SECTION 3.(f) G.S. 116-239.8 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 34
"(21c) To adopt an AI use policy. – The chancellor shall adopt a policy regarding the 35
use of artificial intelligence by students and staff for educational purpos es 36
after review of the model policy developed by the Department of Public 37
Instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-102.13." 38
SECTION 3.(g) This section is effective when it becomes law. The Department of 39
Public Instruction shall develop the model policy required by G.S. 115C-102.13, as enacted by 40
this section, no later than December 31, 2026. The Superintendent shall ensure that all public 41
school units have access to the model policy developed by the Department by no later than 42
January 15, 2027. Governing bodies o f public school units shall adopt the policies required by 43
subsections (b) through (f) of this section by no later than June 30, 2027. 44
45
PART IV. AI TOOL EVALUATION FRAMEWORK 46
SECTION 4.(a) Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 47
amended by adding a new section to read: 48
"§ 115C-102.14. Department responsibilities regarding artificial intelligence tools. 49
(a) The Department of Public Instruction shall establish and maintain an evaluation 50
framework that provides criteria and guiding considerations for evaluating generative artificial 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 8 House Bill 301-Sixth Edition
intelligence-powered educational tools (AI tools). The Department shall review and update the 1
framework at least every two years and update the criteria to reflect changes in technology, 2
evidence, or educational practice. The framework shall address at least the following: 3
(1) Student data privacy, security, and transparency. 4
(2) Alignment with the standard course of study. 5
(3) Accessibility for all students. 6
(b) The Department shall maintain a publicly available list of AI tools that have been 7
reviewed under the framework established in accordance with subsection (a) of this section. 8
(c) The Departme nt shall establish procurement guidance, qualified vendor lists, and 9
other mechanisms to support and incentivize the adoption of AI tools that have been reviewed 10
under the framework established in accordance with subsection (a) of this section. 11
(d) The Department shall maintain a publicly available list of all AI tools being used in 12
public school units." 13
SECTION 4.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 14
15
PART V. EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING ON THE USE OF AI 16
SECTION 5.(a) The Department of Public Instruction shall partner with the Friday 17
Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University (Friday Institute) to 18
design, produce, and support implementation of a suite of tool-agnostic online training modules 19
and related training resources. Modules and resources shall address at least the following: 20
(1) AI fundamentals for educators, including the following: 21
a. What AI is and is not. 22
b. The basics of generative AI. 23
c. Strengths and limitations of AI as a learning tool. 24
d. AI "hallucinations," or when AI tools reference information that is 25
inaccurate or nonexistent. 26
(2) Responsible instructional use of AI, such as the following: 27
a. Lesson planning. 28
b. Differentiated instruction. 29
c. Student feedback. 30
d. Productivity workflows and how AI can improve productivity. 31
e. Appropriate boundaries for AI usage. 32
(3) Verification and quality control, including the following: 33
a. Fact-checking information provided by an AI program. 34
b. Evaluation of sources provided by an AI program. 35
c. Documenting prompts and outputs from an AI program. 36
d. Educator accountability for decisions based on input from an AI 37
program. 38
(4) Academic integrity and assessment redesign to account for greater student 39
access to AI tools. 40
(5) Data privacy and security regarding AI tools. 41
(6) Bias in AI systems, including the following: 42
a. How bias enters into AI systems. 43
b. The effect of those biases on disparately impacted communities. 44
c. How to mitigate the effects of bias when using AI tools. 45
d. Inclusive classroom use. 46
(7) Accessible usage with special populations, including supports and 47
differentiation for the following populations: 48
a. Students with disabilities. 49
b. Limited English proficient students. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 301-Sixth Edition Page 9
(8) Ethical use and professional responsibility for educators, including the 1
following: 2
a. Transparency with students and families about the use of AI tools. 3
b. Appropriate decision making in the classroom regarding the use of AI 4
tools. 5
c. Avoiding overreliance on AI tools. 6
SECTION 5.(b) The Friday Institute shall produce at least the following: 7
(1) A suite of self-paced modules that require a minimum of 10 hours of seat time 8
to complete. 9
(2) A facilitator guide to be provided to administrators in each public school unit 10
to help facilitate the professional learning developed pursuant to subsection 11
(a) of this section. 12
(3) Model classroom resources to be provided to teachers. 13
(4) A package to be provided to public school unit professional learning staff to 14
develop a "train-the-trainer" model within public school units. 15
SECTION 5.(c) All resources developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section 16
shall be made available to public school units by June 30, 2027, using professional development 17
platforms and structures currently in use by the Department of Public Instruction. 18
SECTION 5.(d) All teachers employed by local school administrative units, charter 19
schools, or laboratory schools shall complete the professional development provided pursuant to 20
this section by June 30, 2028. 21
SECTION 5.(e) The Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint 22
Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15, 2028, on the following: 23
(1) The number of modules delivered by the Friday Institute and implemented in 24
public school units. 25
(2) Educator p articipation in modules, based on metrics available to the 26
Department. 27
(3) Any recommended updates to the professional learning provided pursuant to 28
this section. 29
(4) Any additional supports needed for continuing implementation. 30
31
PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 32
SECTION 6. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 33
law. 34