Epstein Truth and Accountability Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 989

Short Title: Epstein Truth and Accountability Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Batch, Bradley, and Garrett (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S989-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECORDS COMMISSION WITHIN 2
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO REVIEW AND RELEASE RECORDS RELATED 3
TO THE EPSTEIN INVES TIGATION, TO MAKE CO NFORMING CHANGES TO 4
LEGISLATIVE PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY, TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE 5
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO ASSIST THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECORDS 6
COMMISSION, TO ALLOW ISSUANCE OF EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS, 7
AND TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 8
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
10
PART I. CREATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECORDS COMMISSION TO REVIE W 11
AND RELEASE RECORDS 12
SECTION 1. Chapter 114 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 13
Article to read: 14
"Article 11. 15
"Human Trafficking Records Commission. 16
"§ 114-80. Commission established; duties. 17
(a) There is established within the Department of Justice the Human Trafficking Records 18
Commission (Commission). The Commission shall review and release records related to the 19
investigation of Jeffrey Epstein that are held by State au thorities. The Commission shall redact 20
all personally identifiable information of victims referenced in the records. 21
(b) To the extent a member or officer of the General Assembly is identified in the records 22
described in subsection (a) of this section, the common law of legislative privilege and the 23
common law of legislative immunity do not apply in matters related to the investigation of Jeffrey 24
Epstein." 25
26
PART II. MAKE CONFOR MING CHANGES TO LEGI SLATIVE PRIVILEGE AN D 27
CONFIDENTIALITY 28
SECTION 2.1. G.S. 120-137 reads as rewritten: 29
"§ 120-137. Legislative privilege. 30
Nothing in this Chapter nor in Chapter 132 of the General Statutes shall be construed as a 31
waiver of the common law of legislative privilege or legislative immunity by a legislator or 32
former legislator. A legislator or former legislator may assert the common law of legislative 33
privilege or the common law of legislative immunity in all instances.instances, subject to 34
G.S. 114-80." 35
SECTION 2.2. G.S. 132-1.4 reads as rewritten: 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 989-First Edition
"§ 132-1.4. Criminal investigations; intelligence information records; Innocence Inquiry 1
Commission records. 2
(a) Records of criminal investigations conducted by public law enforcement agencies, 3
records of criminal intelligence information compiled by public law enforcement age ncies, and 4
records of investigations conducted by the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission, are 5
not public records as defined by G.S. 132-1. Records of criminal investigations conducted by 6
public law enforcement agencies or records of criminal intelligence information may be released 7
by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. 8
… 9
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, and unless otherwise prohibited by 10
law, the following information shall be public records within the meaning of G.S. 132-1: 11
… 12
(7) The contents of records released by the Human Trafficking Records 13
Commission as described in G.S. 114-80. 14
…." 15
16
PART III. AUTHORIZE STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO ASSIST HUMAN 17
TRAFFICKING RECORDS COMMISSION 18
SECTION 3. G.S. 143B-1208.5 reads as rewritten: 19
"§ 143B-1208.5. Investigations of lynchings, election frauds, etc.; services subject to call of 20
Governor; Governor or Attorney General; witness fees and mileage for 21
employees. 22
… 23
(f1) The State Bureau of Investigation is further authorized, upon request by the Attorney 24
General, to assist the Human Trafficking Records Commission with investigations related to 25
individuals identified in the records described in G.S. 114-80. 26
…." 27
28
PART IV. ALLOW ISSUANCE OF EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS 29
SECTION 4.1. Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 30
Article to read: 31
"Article 54C. 32
"Extreme Risk Protection Orders. 33
"§ 14-415.28. Definitions; purpose. 34
(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 35
(1) Commission. – The North Carolina Human Trafficking Records Commission. 36
(2) Extreme Risk Protection Order or ERPO. – An order granted under this 37
Article. 38
(3) Firearm. – As defined in G.S. 14-409.39(2). 39
(4) Records. – Documents related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein as 40
described in G.S. 114-80. 41
(b) Purpose. – The purpose of this section is to restrict access to and remove firearms 42
from certain individuals identified in the records released by the Commission. 43
"§ 14-415.29. Issuance of ERPOs related to records released by the Commission. 44
(a) Authorization. – District court judges in this State are authorized to issue ERPOs for 45
certain individuals identified in the records released by the Commission. 46
(b) Contextual Findings Required. – A district court judge shall review the context within 47
which an individual was identified in the released records before issuing any ERPO under this 48
section. 49
(c) Hearing Required. – Upon issuance of an ERPO to an individual pursuant to this 50
Article, the issuing court shall require the individual to appear before the court. The court, at the 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 989-First Edition Page 3
hearing, shall inform the individual of the impact of the ERPO on the individual's right to access 1
firearms. The court shall require the individual to identify the presence of, ownership of, or other 2
access to firearms by the individual, as well as permits to purchase firearms or carry concealed 3
firearms. 4
(d) Required Surrender of Firearms . – After the hearing described in subse ction (c) of 5
this section, the court shall order the individual to immediately surrender to the sheriff all firearms 6
and permits to purchase firearms or carry concealed firearms that are in the care, custody, 7
possession, ownership, or control of the individual. The sheriff shall store the firearms or contract 8
with a licensed firearms dealer to provide storage." 9
SECTION 4.2. G.S. 14-269.8 reads as rewritten: 10
"§ 14-269.8. Purchase or possession of firearms by person subject to domestic violence 11
order or Extreme Risk Protection Order prohibited. 12
(a) In accordance with G.S. 50B-3.1, G.S. 50B-3.1 and G.S. 14-415.29, it is unlawful for 13
any person to possess, purchase, or receive or attempt to possess, purchase, or receive a firearm, 14
as defined in G.S. 14-409.39(2), machine gun, ammunition, or permits to purchase or carry 15
concealed firearms if ordered by the court for so long as that protective order or any successive 16
protective order entered against that person pursuant to Chapter 50B or Article 54C of Cha pter 17
14 of the General Statutes is in effect. 18
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class H felony." 19
20
PART V. PROVIDE FUNDING TO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 21
SECTION 5.1. There is appropriated from the Opportunity Scholarship Program to 22
the Department of Justice the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for 23
the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to establish and operate the Human Trafficking Records 24
Commission established by this act. 25
SECTION 5.2. There is appropriated from the Opportunity Scholarship Program to 26
the Department of Public Safety the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring 27
funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be used to support investigative activities conducted by 28
the State Bureau of Investigation under the requirements of this act. 29
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PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 31
SECTION 6. This act is effective when it becomes law. 32