Enhanced Penalty/Dom. Violence Strangulation.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 791

Short Title: Enhanced Penalty/Dom. Violence Strangulation. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Bradley (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 22, 2026
*S791-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE T HE PUNISHMENT FOR CO MMITTING ASSAULT BY 2
STRANGULATION. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 14-32.4 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 14-32.4. Assault inflicting serious bodily injury; strangulation; penalties. 6
(a) Offense Involving Serious Bodily Injury. – Unless the conduct is covered under some 7
other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who assaults another person and 8
inflicts serious bodily injury is guilty of a Class F E felony. "Serious bodily injury" is defined as 9
bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death, or that causes serious permanent 10
disfigurement, coma, a permanent or protracted condition that causes extreme pain, or permanent 11
or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or that results in 12
prolonged hospitalization. 13
(b) Offense Involving Physical Injury. – Unless the conduct is covered under some other 14
provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who assaults another person and 15
inflicts physical injury by strangulation is guilty of a Class H G felony. 16
(c) Offense Generally. – Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of 17
law providing greater punishment, any person who assaults another person by strangulation is 18
guilty of a Class H felony. 19
(d) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 20
(1) Serious bodily injury. – Bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death, 21
or that causes serious permanent disfigurement, coma, a permanent or 22
protracted condition that causes extreme pain, or permanent or protracted loss 23
or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or that results 24
in prolonged hospitalization. 25
(2) Strangulation. – Impeding the normal breathing or circulation of blood of 26
another person by applying pressure to the throat or neck of the person or by 27
obstructing the nose and mouth of the person." 28
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 29
Justice th e sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 30
2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to establish a public awareness campaign regarding the 31
increased punishments under this act. 32
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2026, and applies to offenses 33
committed on or after that date. 34