North Carolina Sen. Britt criminal and public safety reform bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. seeks to reform North Carolina’s criminal and public safety laws by updating penalties, regulating controlled substances, and enhancing protections for minors and victims, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 42 Democrats and 66 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while six Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Democrats and 29 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Britt filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on March 24 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 429, was passed on June 25 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “2025 Public Safety Act.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill proposes several changes to North Carolina’s criminal and public safety laws with varying effective dates, predominantly December 1, 2025. It limits motions for appropriate relief in noncapital cases, bans hemp-derived consumable products on school grounds, and establishes criminal offenses for exposing a child to a controlled substance with penalties escalating to a Class B1 felony if ingestion leads to death. The bill increases penalties for felons possessing firearms during a felony and revises the disclosure of autopsy information in criminal investigations. Additional measures include elevating penalties for solicitation of minors by computer, requiring certain petitions on the criminal docket, and permitting individuals outside North Carolina to file for domestic violence protection orders. The bill extends the reporting window for criminal injuries under the Crime Victims Compensation Act, revises peeping offenses, and includes religious entities in the prohibition of sexual activity by custodians. It establishes offenses for larceny involving gift cards and wrongful entry into nonpublic building areas, allows supervised law practice by unlicensed graduates, clarifies felony school notifications, and permits the transfer of biological evidence for preservation. The legislation mandates recording of specific court proceedings and increases penalties for failure to yield offenses, including to blind pedestrians. The act includes a severability clause ensuring unaffected provisions remain if parts are invalidated.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Warren Daniel (Republican-46th District), Sen. Danny Earl Britt, Jr. (Republican-24th District), and Sen. Buck Newton (Republican-4th District).

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Britt graduated from University of Oklahoma with a JD.

Britt, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 24th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Amy Galey.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.