Sen. Britt files bill in North Carolina Senate to amend criminal and public safety laws

A new bill filed by Sen. Britt seeks to revise North Carolina’s criminal and public safety laws to enhance protections and update legal procedures, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 429 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, 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.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Warren Daniel and Britt proposed the most bills (24) during the 2025 regular session.

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.