North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 11 D cosponsors

SB 431 — Protect Whistleblower LEOs from Retaliation.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    2 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (11 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

12 added · 13 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the updated version of Senate Bill 431, the text has been clarified by making minor adjustments to punctuation, ensuring that the language is more precise. This change does not alter the bill's intent or the allocated funding of $50,000 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year; instead, it serves to enhance readability. Clearer language can help stakeholders better understand the provisions of the bill and its implications.

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Latest
FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Mar 24, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 431 Short Title:
431 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS35065-NDa-40 Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PROTECTING FROM RETALIATION LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT REPORT THE USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE OR OTHER IMPROPER OR UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
Rules and Operations of the Senate March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PROTECTING FROM RETALIATION LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT REPORT THE USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE OR OTHER IMPROPER OR UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
*DRS35065-NDa-40* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Fraud.
*S431-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Fraud.
(b) A justice officer that observes conduct the justice officer reasonably believes to be conduct specified in subdivisions (1) through (5) of subsection (a) of this section shall, within a reasonable period of time not to exceed 72 hours after the conduct occurred, report the conduct to an immediate supervisor, department head, or appropriate authority, even if the justice officer did not have a reasonable opportunity to intervene.
(b) A justice officer that observes conduct the justice officer reasonably believes to be conduct specified in subdivisions (1) through (5) of subsection (a) of this section shall, within a reasonable period of time not to exceed 72 hours after the conduct occurred, report the conduct to an immediate supervisor, department head, or appropriate authority, even if the justice officer did not have a reasonable opportunityto intervene.
Ifthe immediatesupervisor,department head, or appropriate authority was involved in or present during the observed conduct, the justice officer shall make the report to the highest ranking supervisor, department head, or appropriate authority of the justice officer's agency that was not involved in or present during the conduct.
If the immediatesupervisor,department head, or appropriate authority was involved in or present during the observed conduct, the justice officer shall make the report to the highest ranking supervisor, department head, or appropriate authority of the justice officer's agency that was not involved in or present during the conduct.
(e) Making a knowingly false report under this section shall be a Class 2 misdemeanor." Page 2 DRS35065-NDa-40 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 3.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission to be used to train criminal justice officers regarding the statutory changes made in this act.
(e) Making a knowingly false report under this section shall be a Class 2 misdemeanor." Page 2 Senate Bill 431-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 3.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice the sum of fiftythousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission to be used to train criminal justice officers regarding the statutory changes made in this act.
SECTION 3.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission to be used to train justice officers regarding the statutory changes made in this act.
SECTION 3.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice the sum of fiftythousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated to the Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission to be used to train justice officers regarding the statutory changes made in this act.
DRS35065-NDa-40 Page 3
Senate Bill 431-First Edition Page 3
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How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

Compared against the N.C. General Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds protections for law enforcement officers who report excessive use of force or other unlawful activities, and establishes a duty to intervene in such situations.

  • G.S. 15A-401(d1)

    Making a knowingly false report under this subsection shall be a Class 2 misdemeanor.

    Adds a penalty for making false reports regarding excessive use of force.

  • G.S. 15A-401

    Protection from Retaliation. – The observing officer reporting an alleged unauthorized use of force pursuant to subsection (d1) of this section shall not be terminated, disciplined, or otherwise retaliated against for making that report, provided that nothing in this subsection shall prohibit councils, supervisors, department heads, or other appropriate authorities from taking disciplinary action against the observing officer for conduct that occurred prior to making the report.

    Provides legal protection against retaliation for officers who report excessive use of force.

Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 168 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (168)

168 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 168 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 431?
SB 431 is sponsored by Joyce Waddell (Democratic), Caleb Theodros (Democratic), DeAndrea Salvador (Democratic), Mujtaba A. Mohammed (Democratic), Julie Mayfield (Democratic), Michael Garrett (Democratic), Val Applewhite (Democratic), Woodson Bradley (Democratic), Lisa Grafstein (Democratic), Terence Everitt (Democratic), and Kandie D. Smith (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 431?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 431?
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