North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 9 R cosponsors

HB 496 — Patriotic Youth Group Access.

Last action — Reptd Fav Com Substitute

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

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

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

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 9 sponsors

    3 primary, 6 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (9 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows patriotic youth groups to present to students in public schools.

This bill requires public schools to permit youth groups recognized as patriotic societies to give presentations to students. These presentations focus on membership and civic education and should not interfere with instructional time.

What this means for you
  • Families: This means your children may engage with patriotic youth groups in school settings.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

52 added · 52 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of House Bill 496 now explicitly states that student participation in activities from patriotic youth groups, like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, should not disrupt instructional time during the school day. Additionally, it emphasizes that local boards of education must prioritize access to school facilities for these organizations. These changes are significant as they aim to encourage civic engagement among students while ensuring that classroom learning remains uninterrupted.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 2 HOUSE BILL 496 Committee Substitute Favorable 5/19/26 Short Title:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 496 Short Title:
Representatives Ross, Bell, Tyson, and Ward (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ALLOW CIVIC YOUTH GROUPS TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ALLOW CIVIC YOUTH GROUPS TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
– Schools for the deaf and blind are encouraged to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils.
– Schools for the deaf and blind are encouraged to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by any youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated *H496-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 North Carolina groups and councils.
Student participation in any activities *H496-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.shall develop policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools in accordance with the provisions of G.S.
Student participation in any activities offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day for the purposes of encouraging civic education.shall develop policies to ensure that patriotic youth groups have access to schools in accordance with the provisions of G.S.
This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Page 2 House Bill 496-Second Edition
Page 2 House Bill 496-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  2. Re-ref Com On Judiciary 1

  3. Serial Referral To Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Stricken

  4. Withdrawn From Com

  5. Re-ref to the Com on State and Local Government, if favorable, Judiciary 1, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  6. Passed 1st Reading

  7. Ref to the Com on Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  8. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 6 co-sponsors · 170 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (6)

Not signed on (170)

170 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 170 →

"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

education
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 HB 496?
HB 496 is sponsored by David Willis (Republican), Donna McDowell White (Republican), Ben T. Moss, Jr. (Republican), Celeste C. Cairns (Republican), Bill Ward (Republican), Steve Tyson (Republican), John R. Bell, IV (Republican), Stephen M. Ross (Republican), and Jake Johnson (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 496?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 496?
Track HB 496 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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