Bill > H470

This bill establishes the Second Amendment Protection Act, which prohibits North Carolina state and local government officials from enforcing or supporting federal firearms regulations that the bill considers to be beyond the federal government's constitutional powers. The bill asserts that the state has the right to resist federal gun control measures that it believes exceed the powers granted to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Tenth Amendment. Specifically, the act prevents public officers from enforcing any federal laws, executive orders, rules, or regulations related to firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that are made exclusively within North Carolina's borders. The bill defines key terms like "law-abiding citizen" and establishes significant penalties for law enforcement agencies that violate these provisions, including a $50,000 civil penalty per occurrence. It also provides legal standing for individuals to seek injunctive relief and potentially recover attorneys' fees if they are injured by enforcement of federal firearms regulations. The bill includes some exceptions, such as allowing cooperation with federal authorities in certain criminal investigations involving violent felonies, and emphasizes that it should be interpreted in a way that strongly protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.

Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H470