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H497 • 2025

Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dahle, Alston, Ball, Belk, Brockman, K. Brown, Butler, Carney, Dew, Greenfield, Harrison, Hawkins, Logan, Longest, Morey, Prather, Price, Roberson, Rubin, von Haefen
Last action
2025-03-26
Official status
Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
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.

Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

What This Bill Does

  • Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

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.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-26 House

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

  2. 2025-03-26 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  3. 2025-03-24 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 497

Short Title: Ban on Gay & Trans Panic Defense. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Dahle and Alston (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 26, 2025
*H497-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT A DEFENSE TO HOMICIDE OR ASSAULT BASED ON THE 2
DISCOVERY OF, PERCEPTION OF, OR BELIEF ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON'S SEX, 3
GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Article 6 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 6
a new section to read: 7
"§ 14-18.3. Prohibited defense. 8
(a) Prohibition. – Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the discovery of, 9
perception of, or belief abo ut another person's actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity, 10
or sexual orientation, whether or not accurate, is not a defense to a prosecution under this Article 11
and is not provocation negating malice as an element of murder. 12
(b) Construction. – Nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding the admission 13
of evidence of a victim 's or witness 's conduct, behavior, or statements that is relevant and 14
otherwise admissible." 15
SECTION 2. Article 8 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 16
a new section to read: 17
"§ 14-34.11. Prohibited defense. 18
(a) Prohibition. – Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the discovery of, 19
perception of, or belief about anothe r person's actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity, 20
or sexual orientation, whether or not accurate, is not a defense to a prosecution under this Article. 21
(b) Construction. – Nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding the admission 22
of evidence of a victim 's or witness 's conduct, behavior, or statements that is relevant and 23
otherwise admissible." 24
SECTION 3. Prosecutions for offenses committed before the effective date of this 25
act are not abated or affected by this act, and the statutes that would be applicable but for this act 26
remain applicable to those prosecutions. 27
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses 28
committed on or after that date. 29