HB 885 — Revise Suspension and Parental Notice Policies.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 885 Short Title:

885 Apr 9, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH40432-NHa-124 Short Title:

RepresentativeRepresentatives Morey.Morey, Cervania, Price, and K.

Brown (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 14, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REVISE SUSPENSION POLICIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL UNITS BY DEFINING LENGTHS OF SUSPENSION, LIMITING THE USE OF SUSPENSION, CREATING A RIGHT OF APPEAL FOR SHORT-TERM SUSPENSION, DEFINING WHAT CONSTITUTES REASONABLE PARENTAL NOTIFICATION OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS, PROHIBITING THE USE OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, ANDREQUIRINGCHILDCAREPROVIDERSTOREPORTANDREQUIRINGCHILDCAREPROVIDERSTOREPORTDISCIPLINARYACTIONS DISCIPLINARYACTIONS IN EARLY CHILD CARE SETTINGS.

Such data shall be readilyreadilyavailable available to the public.

This data shall include the race, *H885-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 gender, age, grade level, ethnicity, and disability status of each student, the duration of *DRH40432-NHa-124* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 suspension for each student, whether alternative education services were provided for each student, and whether a student had multiple suspensions in that academic year." SECTION 1.(d) G.S.

– The exclusion for more than 20, but no more than 42, cumulative school days of a student from school attendance for disciplinarydisciplinarypurposes purposes from the school to which the student was assigned at the time of the disciplinary action.

– The exclusion of a student from school attendance for disciplinary purposes for up to 10 20 cumulative school days from the school to which the student was assigned at the time of the disciplinarydisciplinaryaction. action.

Governing boards are encouraged to implement truancy and tardiness policies that focus on intervention strategies aimed at Page 2 DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 addressing the root cause of absenteeism, promoting attendance through positive reinforcement and engagement.

… (n) Governing bodies of public school units shall adopt a policypolicyfor for in-school suspension.

DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (5) In no event shall excessive force be used in the administration of corporal punishment.

115C-105.47(b)(5) and (b)(6).A student maymaybe be placed on short-term suspension for no more than 10 consecutive school days per suspension period and for no more than 20 cumulative school days per school year.

… (c) Theprincipal shall providenoticeto thestudent's parent ofanyofanyshort-termsuspension, short-termsuspension, including the reason for the suspension and a description of the alleged student conduct upon which the suspension is based.

The notice shall be given bybythe the end of the workday during which the suspension is imposed when reasonably possible, but in no event more than two days after the suspension is imposed.

(d) If English is the second language of the parent, the notice shall be provided in the parent's primarylanguage, when the appropriateforeign languageresources are readilyreadilyavailable, available, and in English, and both versions shall be in plain language and shall be easily understandable.

Further, such a Page 4 DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 only if (i) the current period of suspension the student is appealing is for three days or more and (ii) the student will have a cumulative 15 days or more of short-term suspension at the end of the suspension period being appealed.

(5) Notice that the parent is permitted to retain an attorneyattorneyto to represent the student in the hearing process.

DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (8) A reference to the governing body policy on the expungement of discipline records as required by G.S.

(c) Tooptoutofthehearing,thestudentmustaffirmativelydeclinethehearinginwriting,Tooptoutofthehearing, thestudentmustaffirmativelydeclinethehearinginwriting, and the superintendent shall follow the procedures described in G.S.

(g) Followingtheissuanceofthedecision,thesuperintendentshallFollowingtheissuance ofthedecision,thesuperintendentshall authorizethestudent's return to school or impose the suspension reflected in the decision.

115C-45(c) and policies adopted bybythe the governing bodybodyof of the public school unit.

Page 6 DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (c) If the student recommended for long-term suspension declines the opportunity for a hearing, the superintendent shall review the circumstances of the recommended long-term suspension.

The written notice shall provide at least the followingfollowinginformation: information:

(5) Notice that the parent is permitted to retain an attorneyattorneyto to represent the student in the hearing process.

DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition Page 7 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (1) If no hearing is timely requested, the superintendent shall follow the procedures described in G.S.

Page 8 DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (4) The principal or the principal's designee shall make a reasonable attempt to notify a parent or guardian of the student shall be provided with a written incident report for anyanyincident incident reported under this section within a reasonable period of time, but in no event later than 30 days after the incident.

(4a) A parent notified under subdivision (4) of this subsection shall receive a writtenincidentwritten incident reportwithinareasonableamount oftimebut in noevent later than 30 days after the incident.

The Department of Public Instruction shall analyze the data collected pursuant to this section to identifyidentifypatterns patterns and inform strategies for minimizing suspensions and expulsions, while emphasizing non-exclusionary disciplinary practices.

DRH40432-NHa-124House Bill 885-First Edition Page 9