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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
SESSION LAW 2025-59
SENATE BILL 442
*S442-v-4*
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIO US CHANGES TO LAWS A FFECTING THE CARE OF
JUVENILES AND THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a) The title of Article 1 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General
Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Article 1.
"Purposes; Definitions.Definitions; Limitation."
SECTION 1.(b) Article 1 of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes is
amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 7B-102. Limitation.
Raising a juvenile consistent with the juvenile 's biological sex, or refer ring to a juvenile
consistent with the juvenile's biological sex, shall not be a basis supporting the filing of a petition
supporting abuse or neglect under this Subchapter . This section shall not be construed to
authorize or allow any other acts or omissions prohibited by this Subchapter that would constitute
abuse or neglect, including abandonment or the creation of an injurious environment."
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 48-3-203 reads as rewritten:
"§ 48-3-203. Agency placement adoption.
(a) An agency may acquire legal and physical custody of a minor for purposes of adoptive
placement only by means of a relinquishment pursuant to Part 7 of this Article or by a court order
terminating the rights and duties of a parent or guardian of the minor.
(a1) No agency shall deny or delay (i) the opportunity to become an adoptive parent or (ii)
the placement of a child for adoption on the basis of race, any of the following:
(1) Race, color, or national origin of the person or the child involved.
(2) The adoptive parents' refusal, unwillingness, or lack of support to enabl e the
child to engage in a gender transition.
…."
SECTION 1.(d) Subsection (b) of this section is effective when it becomes law and
applies to petitions filed before, on, or after that date. Subsection (c) of this section is effective
when it becomes law and applies to petitions and placements for adoption and opport unities to
become an adoptive parent requested, filed, or submitted before, on, or after that date. The
remainder of this section is effective when it becomes law.
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 14-318.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-318.2. Child abuse a misdemeanor.
…
(d) Any parent of a child less than 18 years of age, or any other person providing care to
or supervision of the child, is not guilty of a violation of this section for raising a child consistent
with the child's biological sex, including referring to a child consistent with the child's biological
sex, and making related mental health or medical decisions based on the child 's biological sex.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or allow any other acts or omissions
Page 2 Session Law 2025-59 Senate Bill 442
that would constitute a violation under this section, including the infliction of serious physical
injury or the creation of a substantial risk of physical injury."
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 14-318.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-318.4. Child abuse a felony.
…
(c1) Any parent of a child less than 18 years of age, or any other person providing care to
or supervision of the child, is not guilty of a violation of this section for raising a child consistent
with the child's biological sex, including referring to a child consistent with the child's biological
sex, and making related mental health or medical decisions based on the child 's biological sex.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or allow any other acts or omissions
that would constitute a violation under this section, including the infliction of serious bodily
injury or serious physical injury.
(d) The following definitions apply in this section:
(1) Serious bodily injury. – Bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death
or that causes seriou s permanent disfigurement, coma, a permanent or
protracted condition that causes extreme pain, or permanent or protracted loss
or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or that results
in prolonged hospitalization.
(2) Serious physical injury. – Physical injury that causes great pain and suffering.
The term includes serious mental injury. For purposes of this subdivision, a
parent raising a child consistent with the child 's biological sex does not
constitute serious mental injury."
SECTION 2.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to offenses
committed before, on, or after that date.
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 24th day of June, 2025.
s/ Rachel Hunt
President of the Senate
s/ Destin Hall
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Josh Stein
Governor
Approved 9:22 a.m. this 3rd day of July, 2025