SB 794 establishes the North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Act to create a special fund and competitive grant program that provides financial support to organizations serving crime victims. The bill defines victims as individuals who suffer physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm from a crime and allows grants of up to $1 million to public agencies or nonprofits that offer services such as emotional support, life stabilization, and assistance navigating the criminal justice system. Funding for these grants will come from state appropriations, existing state laws, and donations, with the Governor's Crime Commission responsible for administering the program and requiring grantees to submit detailed reports on how the funds are used and the number of victims assisted. Additionally, the bill increases criminal court costs for convicted defendants to help finance this new assistance fund.
HB 400, "Bentley's Law," requires defendants convicted of certain felony death-by-vehicle offenses (specifically violations of G.S. 20-141.4 subsections (a1), (a5), or (a6)) to pay child support as restitution to the minor children of the deceased victim. The court must order payments until each child turns 18 and graduates high school, considering the child’s needs, living standards, and custody arrangements. Payments are made to the clerk of court for distribution to the surviving parent or guardian within 10 days, with enforcement treated as a civil judgment. This law directly affects children of victims in these specific vehicular homicide cases and mandates financial support through the criminal sentencing process.
HB 367 requires North Carolina's State Crime Laboratory to provide sexual assault victims with updates on the status of their examination kits. Victims will be notified if their kit cannot be tested, if testing is declined for reasons other than untestability, or if the kit is scheduled for destruction. The law mandates that the lab develop procedures for these notifications but specifies victims must provide and maintain current contact information. This law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all kits submitted before, on, or after that date.
HB 505, "Kayla's Act: Protecting Domestic Violence Victims," allows domestic violence victim witnesses in North Carolina criminal cases to testify remotely (via video or similar technology) instead of in person during trials. This directly affects victims, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courts in domestic violence cases involving crimes like assault or stalking under Chapter 14 of state law. The bill requires prosecutors to notify defendants 15 business days in advance of remote testimony, with defendants having 5 days to object in writing; if no objection is filed, remote testimony is permitted. If a defendant objects, a judge may still allow remote testimony only if the victim would suffer serious emotional distress from testifying in the defendant's presence or if their ability to communicate with the court would be impaired, with strict court oversight to ensure fair cross-examination.
SB 676, the North Carolina Survivors' Act, allows courts to consider a defendant's history of domestic violence, physical, sexual, or psychological abuse as a factor that may lead to a reduced sentence. It applies to people convicted of certain crimes who were survivors of abuse by intimate partners, family members, household members, traffickers, or those who exploited them financially. To qualify, defendants must provide documented evidence (like court records, medical reports, or witness statements) showing the abuse was a substantial factor in causing the offense. The bill reduces specific sentence ranges (e.g., life without parole to 30 years or less) but excludes cases involving sex offenses, crimes against children, or offenses requiring sex offender registration.
SB 719 creates the North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance (NC VOCA) Fund and a competitive grant program to support victim services. It establishes a fund within the Department of Public Safety, administered by the Governor’s Crime Commission, to award grants (up to $1 million per organization annually) to public agencies or nonprofits providing direct assistance to crime victims. The grants must address victims’ emotional, physical, financial, or safety needs, with recipients required to report on fund usage and victims served. This program is funded partly by increased criminal court fees ($147.50 in district court, $154.50 in superior court), with $0.95 from each fee directed to the fund, directly benefiting victims of crime across North Carolina through eligible service providers.
HB 483 proposes several changes to juvenile justice procedures. The bill extends the maximum terms of probation and post-release supervision for youth adjudicated of certain violent offenses (Class A, B1, or B2 felonies) to up to three years. It clarifies a victim's right to be notified and heard regarding the termination of a juvenile's probation or post-release supervision. Additionally, the bill modifies criteria for secure custody, allowing a superior court judge to issue such an order after a case is moved to juvenile court and authorizing it for juveniles who violate domestic violence protective orders.
HB 307, "Iryna's Law," modifies North Carolina's pretrial release rules for defendants charged with specific violent offenses, including murder, rape, and certain sexual offenses against children. It requires police to inform judicial officials about defendant behavior observed during arrest that suggests danger to self/others, and restricts pretrial release for those charged with the listed violent crimes. The bill also extends probation terms for youth convicted of violent offenses, mandates victim notification when probation ends, and appropriates funds for additional legal staff in Judicial District 26. These changes directly affect defendants facing violent crime charges, victims, and court resources in the specified district.
