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H354 • 2025

Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Pyrtle, Miller, B. Jones, Greene, Johnson, McNeely, Pickett, Ward
Last action
2025-04-10
Official status
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

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

Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

H354-SMRN-24(CSRN-6)-v-5 (2025-04-01): Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

What This Bill Does

  • H354-SMRN-24(CSRN-6)-v-5 (2025-04-01): Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.
  • H354-SMRN-25(e2)-v-3 (2025-04-02): Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

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.

Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 354: Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 354: Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.
  • Committee: House Judiciary 1.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 1, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Pyrtle, Miller, B.
Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 354: Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 354: Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.
  • Committee: House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: April 2, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.
  • Pyrtle, Miller, B.
  • Jones, Greene Prepared by: Brad Krehely Staff Attorney Analysis of: Second Edition Kara McCraw Director *H354-SMRN-25(e2)-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. 2025-04-10 Senate

    Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  2. 2025-04-10 Senate

    Passed 1st Reading

  3. 2025-04-10 Senate

    Regular Message Received From House

  4. 2025-04-10 House

    Regular Message Sent To Senate

  5. 2025-04-09 House

    Ordered Engrossed

  6. 2025-04-09 House

    Passed 3rd Reading

  7. 2025-04-09 House

    Passed 2nd Reading

  8. 2025-04-09 House

    Amend Adopted A1

  9. 2025-04-03 House

    Placed On Cal For 04/09/2025

  10. 2025-04-03 House

    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

  11. 2025-04-03 House

    Reptd Fav

  12. 2025-04-01 House

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

  13. 2025-04-01 House

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  14. 2025-03-12 House

    Ref to the Com on Judiciary 1, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  15. 2025-03-12 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  16. 2025-03-10 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

H354-SMRN-24(CSRN-6)-v-5
(2025-04-01): Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.
H354-SMRN-25(e2)-v-3
(2025-04-02): Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 354
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/1/25
Third Edition Engrossed 4/9/25

Short Title: Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 12, 2025
*H354-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT AMENDING RULE 17 OF THE NORTH CAR OLINA RULES OF CIVIL 2
PROCEDURE TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF GATEKEEPER ORDERS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 1A-1, Rule 17 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, is amended by 5
adding a new subsection to read: 6
"(f) Gatekeeper Order. – A person who has been adjudicated incompetent and has been 7
prohibited from filing pleadings in court may file a pleading with the court only through the 8
person's guardian or counsel. If a person has been identified by the Administrative Office of the 9
Courts as having been so adjudicated, then the court shall strike any pleading filed by the person 10
during the person's adjudicated incompetency and not filed by the person 's guardian or counsel 11
and issue a gatekeeper order to prevent the person from executing filings in violation of this 12
subsection. A gatekeeper order entered under this subsection shall be served on the person 's 13
guardian and counsel. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person who has been adjudicated 14
incompetent from filing any pleading without the assistance of that person's guardian or counsel 15
in any of the following: (i) an action against that person's guardian or counsel , (ii) an action 16
appealing the determination of being adjudicated incompetent , (iii) an action petitioning for 17
modification of guardianship, (iv) an action to restore the person's competency, and (v) an action 18
in which the person who has been adjudicated incompetent is sued. The court shall withdraw the 19
gatekeeper order and allow the person to file pleadings with a court if the person's competency 20
has been restored." 21
SECTION 2. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop a functional 22
database of all persons currently adjudicated as incompetent by a North Carolina court as 23
described in Section 1 of this act. The database must be updated when a person has been 24
adjudicated incompetent, when a guardianship has been mo dified, and when a person's 25
competency has been restored. The database must be readily accessible to judges and the clerks 26
of superior court. 27
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to actions 28
and proceedings brought or pending on or after that date. 29