Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that increases the penalty for acts of violence that are politically motivated in North Carolina.

Highlights:

• Defines a “politically motivated act of violence” as a criminal offense in which the offender targets, threatens, or harms another person because of the victim’s real or perceived political beliefs, advocacy, affiliations, participation in public demonstrations, or public expression on political issues (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that if an individual is convicted of a felony offense that is found by a court to be a politically motivated act of violence, then the following stipulations apply (Sec. 3):

• The offender shall be sentenced one felony class higher than the principal felony for which the offender was convicted; and

• The offender shall be ineligible for any form of sentence reduction.

• Authorizes political motivation to be established by the prosecution through direct or circumstantial evidence (Sec. 3).

• Requires political motivation, as an aggravating circumstance, to be included in a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in relevant cases (Sec. 5).

• Requires the district attorney to notify the Attorney General in any case involving a politically motivated act of violence (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that this Act takes effect December 1, 2025 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text