The Protect Our Schools Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 645

Short Title: The Protect Our Schools Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Everitt, Bradley, and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S645-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANS PORTATION TO IDENTIF Y 2
SCHOOL WALK ZONES; S ETTING LOWER SPEED L IMITS IN SCHOOL WALK 3
ZONES; INCREASING CR IMINAL PENALTIES FOR INJURING A MINOR IN A 4
CROSSWALK, SCHOOL ZONE, OR SCHOOL WALK Z ONE; AND CREATING AND 5
APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENHANCEMENT FUND. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
SECTION 1.(a) This act shall be known as "The Protect Our Schools Act." 8
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 20-4.01 reads as rewritten: 9
"§ 20-4.01. Definitions. 10
Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply throughout this 11
Chapter to the defined words and phrases and their cognates: 12
… 13
(38a) School Walk Zone. – An area within a school zone , identified by the 14
Department p ursuant to G.S. 20-141.1, that is likely to sustain pedestrian 15
traffic sufficient to render the speed limits designated in G.S. 20-141 unsafe. 16
…." 17
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 20-141.1 reads as rewritten: 18
"§ 20-141.1. Speed limits in school zones.zones and school walk zones. 19
(a) Optional Lower Speed Limits. – The Board of Transportation or local authorities 20
within their respective jurisdictions may, by ordinance, set speed limits lower than those 21
designated in G.S. 20-141 for areas adjacent to or near a public, private or parochial school. 22
(b) Mandatory Lower Speed Limits. – The Department of Transportation shall annually 23
consult with the governing body of each public school unit and each nonpublic school operating 24
pursuant to Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 39 of Ch apter 115C of the General Statutes to designate 25
school walk zones. In all designated school walk zones, the Department shall (i) set speed limits 26
lower than those des ignated in G.S. 20-141 and (ii) ensure appropriate action s are taken to 27
effectuate the reduced speed limit. 28
(c) Implementation Requirements. – Limits set pursuant to this section shall become 29
effective when signs are erected giving notice of the school zone, or school walk zone , the 30
authorized speed limit, and the days and hours when the lower limit is effective, or by erecting 31
signs giving notice of the school zone, or school walk zone, the authorized speed limit and which 32
indicate the days and hours the lower limit is effective by an electronic flasher operated with a 33
time clock. Limits set pursuant to this section may be enforced only on days when school is in 34
session, and no speed limit below 20 miles per hour may be set under the authority of this section. 35
A 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 645-First Edition
(d) Penalty. – Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater 1
punishment, a person who drives who: 2
(1) Drives a motor vehicle in a school zone or school walk zone at a speed greater 3
than the speed limit set and posted under this section is responsible for an 4
infraction and is required to pay a penalty of two hundred fifty dollars 5
($250.00). 6
(2) Drives a motor vehicle in a school zone or school walk zone without due care 7
resulting in injury to a minor is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor." 8
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 20-173 reads as rewritten: 9
"§ 20-173. Pedestrians' right-of-way at crosswalks. 10
… 11
(d) Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a 12
person who drives a motor vehicle in a school zone or school walk zone at a speed greater than 13
the speed limit set and posted under this section is responsible for an infraction and is required 14
to pay a penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). If the violation results in injury to a 15
minor, the person is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor." 16
SECTION 2.(a) The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Fund is established as a special 17
fund within the Department of Transportation to be administered by the Department. The purpose 18
of this fund is to support pedestrian safety initiatives. 19
SECTION 2.(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 143C-5-2, there is appropriated from the 20
Highway Fund to the Department of Transportation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of ten 21
million dollars ($10,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to the Pedestrian Safety 22
Enhancement Fund established in Section 2(a) of this act. The Department shall allocate these 23
funds as follows: 24
(1) Five million dollars ($5,000,000) for assessing areas likely to be designated 25
school walk zones and for infrastructure improvements within those areas. 26
(2) Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for developing and implementing training 27
for school crosswalk guards. 28
(3) Three million dollars ($3,000,000) to increase public awareness regarding 29
pedestrian safety. This public awareness campaign shall (i) focus on educating 30
the public about pending school walk zones and (ii) promote community 31
engagement to raise awareness and encourage responsible driving in school 32
zones and school walk zones. 33
SECTION 2.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. 34
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective December 1, 35
2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date. 36