Bill > H452

This bill revises North Carolina's law regarding obstruction of health care facilities by modifying the existing criminal statute. The bill maintains existing prohibitions against blocking access to health care facilities and threatening or injuring people seeking, providing, or assisting with health care services. It introduces a new provision that specifically regulates close-proximity interactions near health care facility entrances, making it unlawful for a person to approach within 8 feet of another person without consent for the purpose of passing leaflets, displaying signs, or engaging in oral protest, education, or counseling within a 100-foot radius of a facility's entrance. The bill also adjusts the penalty structure for violations, reducing the escalation of criminal charges: now, a second conviction within three years would be considered a Class I felony (previously, this required a third conviction). The changes aim to balance protections for individuals accessing health care services with potential First Amendment considerations around public speech and protest. The law will become effective on December 1, 2025, and will apply to offenses committed on or after that date.

Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H452