Bill > H437

This bill establishes new legal provisions creating "Drug-Free Homeless Service Zones" in North Carolina, which are designated areas around facilities that provide services to homeless individuals. Under the bill, any person 21 years or older who commits a drug offense in these zones can be charged with a Class E felony if they know or should reasonably know they are in such a zone. The bill specifically defines these zones as including the interior and exterior of buildings used by facility-based services (such as shelters, transitional housing, or treatment centers), extending up to 100 feet from the building if a visible sign is posted identifying it as a drug-free zone. The bill also introduces a penalty for facility operators who intentionally allow drug offenses to occur in these zones, which would be a Class H felony. Notably, the bill includes special provisions for facilities serving domestic violence victims, allowing more discrete signage. The law defines "facility-based services" as shelters or entities receiving public funds to provide services to homeless persons, and specifies that transferring less than five grams of marijuana without payment would not constitute a deliverable offense. The bill will become effective on December 1, 2025, and will apply to offenses committed on or after that date.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H437