HB 345 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Rights of Nature/Certain River Basins.

HB 345 recognizes legal rights for the Dan and Haw River ecosystems in North Carolina, granting them the right to exist, flourish, and maintain natural functions like clean water and biodiversity. It directly affects these specific river watersheds - including all species, tributaries, and dependent ecosystems - and requires state environmental agencies (DEQ, DNR, Wildlife Commission) to protect these rights. The bill establishes that the rivers possess inherent rights to natural water flow, restoration, and freedom from pollution, shifting legal focus from merely regulating human activity to upholding the rivers' ecological health as a legal priority.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Mar 11, 2025

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What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted and updated with new sponsor information and a revised bill identifier. The substantive content of the bill remains unchanged, with only minor formatting adjustments and the addition of additional sponsors to the official record.

TECHNICAL

Added additional sponsors (Representatives Morey, Cervania, and K. Brown) to the bill header and updated the bill identifier from DRH10150-MH-39 to H345-v-1.

Reformatted the header section with updated session information and removed the original filing date while adding a new reference date.

Removed the original filing date (Mar 10, 2025) and replaced it with a new reference date (March 11, 2025) in the header section.

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Full legislative history

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Key actions

Committee

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 9 co-sponsors