North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 9 R · 1 I cosponsors

HB 716 — Bail Bond Omnibus.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  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 April 02, 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.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

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

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    3 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (9 R · 1 I) — cross-party backing.

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

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

164 added · 163 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of House Bill 716, several clarifications and rephrasing changes were made regarding when an obligor's bond obligation can be terminated. For instance, the revised bill emphasizes that a judge can release an obligor from their bond and specifies instances for bond terminations, which aids in understanding the legal processes involved. These adjustments are important because they help ensure that the roles of the court and other parties in bond situations are clearly defined, potentially leading to fairer outcomes in legal proceedings involving bail bonds.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 716 Short Title:
716 Apr 2, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH20002-ND-37F Short Title:
Representative Humphrey.
Representatives Humphrey, Balkcom, Carson Smith, and Johnson (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO MODIFY LAWS AFFECTING BAIL BONDS.
Insurance, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 3, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO MODIFY LAWS AFFECTING BAIL BONDS.
SECTION 1.(a) Article26ofChapter15AoftheGeneral Statutes reads as rewritten:
SECTION1.(a) Article26ofChapter15AoftheGeneral Statutesreads as rewritten:
At any time within 30 days prior to the date the bond is set to expire, or if the district attorney receives notification after the bond has expired, the surety is released from the bond.
At any time within 30 days prior to the date the bond is set to expire, or if the district attorney receives *H716-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 notification after the bond has expired, the surety is released from the bond.
*DRH20002-ND-37F* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (1) A judge authorized to do so releases the obligor from his bond;
(1) A judge authorized to do so releases the obligor from his bond;
The defendant has been served with an Order for Arrest for the Failure to Appear on the criminal charge in the case in question as evidenced by a copy of an official court record, including an electronic record,records.
The defendant has been served with an Order for Arrest for the Failure to Appear on the criminal charge in the case in question as evidenced bya copyof an official court record, including an electronic record,records.
(vii) theg.
Page 2 House Bill 716-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (vii) theg.
The defendant was incarcerated in a local, state, or federal detention center, jail, or prison located anywhere within the borders of Page 2 DRH20002-ND-37F General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 the United States at the time of the failure to appear, or between the failure to appear and the final judgment date, and the district attorney for the county in which the charges are pending was notified of the defendant's incarceration while the defendant was still incarcerated and the defendant remains incarcerated for a period of 10 days following the district attorney's receipt of notice, as evidenced by a copy of the written notice served on the district attorney via hand deliverydelivery, electronic delivery using a court's electronic filing or case management system, or certified mail and written documentation of date upon which the defendant was released from incarceration, if thedefendant was releasedpriorto thetimethe motion to set asidewas filed,filed.
The defendant was incarcerated in a local, state, or federal detention center, jail, or prison located anywhere within the borders of the United States at the time of the failure to appear, or between the failure to appear and the final judgment date, and the district attorney for the county in which the charges are pending was notified of the defendant's incarceration while the defendant was still incarcerated and the defendant remains incarcerated for a period of 10 days following the district attorney's receipt of notice, as evidenced by a copy of the written notice served on the district attorney via hand deliverydelivery, electronic deliveryusing a court's electronic filing or case management system, or certified mail and written documentation of date upon which the defendant was released from incarceration, if thedefendant was releasedpriorto thetimethe motion to set asidewas filed,filed.
The forfeiture will not be set aside for any other reason.
The forfeiture will not be set aside for anyother reason.
If this forfeiture is not set aside on or before the final judgment date shown above, and if no motion to set it asideis pending onthatdate,theforfeiturewill become a final judgment on that date.
If this forfeiture is not set aside on or before the final judgment date shown above, and if no motion to set it asideis pendingonthatdate,theforfeiturewill become a final judgment on that date.
The final judgment will be enforceable by executionagainst the defendant and any accommodation bondsman and professional bondsman on the bond.
The final judgment will be enforceable byexecutionagainst the defendant and anyaccommodation bondsman and professional bondsman on the bond.
… (2) The motion shall be filed in the office of the clerk of superior court of the county in which the forfeiture was entered.
… House Bill 716-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) The motion shall be filed in the office of the clerk of superior court of the county in which the forfeiture was entered.
1A-1, Rule 5, serve a copy of the motion on the district attorney for that DRH20002-ND-37F Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 county and on the attorney for the county board of education.
1A-1, Rule 5, serve a copy of the motion on the district attorney for that county and on the attorney for the countyboard of education.
… (6) If at the hearing the court allows the motion,motion based upon one of the reasons set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the court shall enter an order setting asidethe forfeiture.forfeiture andthe surety shall be relieved ofthe bail bond obligation and no other forfeitures shall be issued for that bail bond.
… (6) If at the hearing the court allows the motion,motion based upon one of the reasons set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the court shall enter an order settingaside the forfeiture.forfeiture andthe suretyshall be relieved ofthe bail bond obligation and no other forfeitures shall be issued for that bail bond.
ForpurposesoftheeffectiveimplementationofthisArticle,eachdistrictattorneyshallensure thattheinformationofacriminaldefendantthatfailstoappearin courtisprovidedtotheNational Crime Information Center within 10 days of the failure to appear in court so that this information may be available nationwide." SECTION 1.(b) For purposes of electronic filing pursuant to Article 26 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes, the district attorney for each county and the attorney for each county board of education shall be listed in the county's electronic filing or case management system as parties and shall each have the burden of maintaining current contact information in that electronic filing or case management system.
ForpurposesoftheeffectiveimplementationofthisArticle,eachdistrictattorneyshallensure thattheinformationofacriminaldefendantthatfailstoappearin courtisprovidedtotheNational Crime Information Center within 10 days of the failure to appear in court so that this information may be available nationwide." SECTION 1.(b) For purposes of electronic filing pursuant to Article 26 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes, the district attorneyfor each county and the attorneyfor each county board of education shall be listed in the county's electronic filing or case management system as parties and shall each have the burden of maintaining current contact information in that electronic filing or case management system.
"(a) In order to assist licensed sureties and their agents in evaluating potential and current clients for the purposes of bail, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide any individual with a current license to act as professional bondsman, surety bondsman, or runner with access to search criminal records in the Administrative Office of the Courts' real-time criminal and civil information systems.systems, including its Odyssey systems." Page 4 DRH20002-ND-37F General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 3.
"(a) In order to assist licensed sureties and their agents in evaluating potential and current clients for the purposes of bail, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide any Page 4 House Bill 716-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 individual with a current license to act as professional bondsman, surety bondsman, or runner with access to search criminal records in the Administrative Office of the Courts' real-time criminal and civil information systems.systems, including its Odyssey systems." SECTION 3.
DRH20002-ND-37F Page 5
House Bill 716-First Edition Page 5
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref to the Com on Insurance, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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.

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Subjects

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 716?
HB 716 is sponsored by Bill Ward (Republican), Ray Pickett (Republican), Ben T. Moss, Jr. (Republican), Jeffrey C. McNeely (Republican), Nasif Majeed (U), Neal Jackson (Republican), Jennifer Balkcom (Republican), Chris Humphrey (Republican), Carson Smith (Republican), and Jake Johnson (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 716?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced April 02, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
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