North Carolina 2025 Session Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 8 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 789 — Mitigating Factor/Pretrial Use of Ignition Interlock Device.

Last action — Regular Message Received From House

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

This bill has passed the House. Introduced April 03, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate 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

Likely to advance 74% · high confidence

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    3 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (8 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

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

56 added · 56 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to House Bill 789 removes the requirement for defendants to have installed an ignition interlock system, which is a device that prevents a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected. This change simplifies the criteria that judges will consider when weighing mitigating factors before sentencing for impaired driving offenses. The adjustment may allow more defendants to receive lighter sentences, as it reduces the conditions they must meet before court. This matters because it reflects a shift in focus towards evaluating personal accountability and circumstances around the charge, rather than strict compliance with technology requirements.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 2 HOUSE BILL 789 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25 Short Title:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 789 Short Title:
Representatives Schietzelt, Chesser, Reeder, and Carson Smith (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
April 8, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A MITIGATING FACTOR FOR CERTAIN PERSONS CHARGED WITH IMPAIREDDRIVINGWHOVOLUNTARILYEQUIP ANDOPERATEAMOTOR VEHICLE WITH AN IGNITION INTERLOCK SYSTEM PRIOR TO TRIAL.
Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 8, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A MITIGATING FACTOR FOR CERTAIN PERSONS CHARGED WITH IMPAIREDDRIVINGWHOVOLUNTARILYEQUIP ANDOPERATEAMOTOR VEHICLE WITH AN IGNITION INTERLOCK SYSTEM PRIOR TO TRIAL.
(6b) Prior to trial, the defendant voluntarily equipped a designated motor vehicle with a functioning ignition interlock system of a type approved by the Commissioner, operated only the designated vehicle with the ignition interlock system for a minimum of six months, and produced evidence satisfactory to the judge that the defendant did not start the vehicle with an alcohol concentration greater than 0.02 or commit any other acts that would be considered violations of the interlock policies established by the Division for use of an ignition interlock system or a violation of G.S.
(6b) Prior to trial, the defendant voluntarily equipped a designated motor vehicle with a functioning ignition interlock system of a type approved by the Commissioner, regularly used the ignition interlock system for a minimum of six months, and produced evidence satisfactoryto the judge that the defendant did not start the vehicle with an alcohol concentration greater than 0.02 or commit any other acts that would be considered violations of the interlock policies established by the Division for use of an ignition interlock system or a violation of G.S.
a.
*H789-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 a.
*H789-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 b.
b.
Page 2 House Bill 789-Second Edition
Page 2 House Bill 789-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Regular Message Received From House

  2. Passed 1st Reading

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

  4. Passed 2nd Reading

  5. Passed 3rd Reading

  6. Regular Message Sent To Senate

  7. Reptd Fav

  8. Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

  9. Placed On Cal For 05/01/2025

  10. Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  11. Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  12. Passed 1st Reading

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

  14. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on · 7 voted No

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 169 →

"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

Votes

Second Reading

Passed 100 Yea · 7 Nay · 13 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 33605
U 2000
Unaffiliated 6000
Republican 59108
Total 1007013
% of votes cast 83%6%0%11%
How each member voted (120)
Member Party Vote
CharlesSmith — Yea
vonHaefen — Yea
Campbell — Yea
Reeder — Yea
C. Smith — Yea
F. Jackson — Yea
Abe Jones Democratic Yea
Aisha O. Dew Democratic Yea
Allen Buansi Democratic Yea
Allison A. Dahle Democratic Nay
Amber M. Baker Democratic Yea
Amos L. Quick, III Democratic Yea
B. Ray Jeffers Democratic Not Voting
Becky Carney Democratic Yea
Beth Helfrich Democratic Yea
Brandon Lofton Democratic Nay
Brian Turner Democratic Yea
Bryan Cohn Democratic Yea
Carolyn G. Logan Democratic Yea
Cecil Brockman Democratic Yea
Cynthia Ball Democratic Yea
Dante Pittman Democratic Yea
Deb Butler Democratic Not Voting
Eric Ager Democratic Nay
Garland E. Pierce Democratic Not Voting
Gloristine Brown Democratic Yea
James Roberson Democratic Yea
Jordan Lopez Democratic Not Voting
Julia Greenfield Democratic Yea
Kanika Brown Democratic Not Voting
Laura Budd Democratic Yea
Lindsey Prather Democratic Yea
Marcia Morey Democratic Nay
Maria Cervania Democratic Yea
Mary Belk Democratic Yea
Mike Colvin Democratic Yea
Monika Johnson-Hostler Democratic Yea
Phil Rubin Democratic Yea
Pricey Harrison Democratic Nay
Renée A. Price Democratic Yea
Robert T. Reives, II Democratic Yea
Rodney D. Pierce Democratic Yea
Sarah Crawford Democratic Yea
Shelly Willingham Democratic Yea
Terry M. Brown Jr. Democratic Yea
Tim Longest Democratic Nay
Tracy Clark Democratic Yea
Vernetta Alston Democratic Yea
Ya Liu Democratic Yea
Zack Hawkins Democratic Yea
A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. Republican Yea
Allen Chesser Republican Yea
Ben T. Moss, Jr. Republican Yea
Bill Ward Republican Yea
Blair Eddins Republican Yea
Brenden H. Jones Republican Yea
Brian Biggs Republican Yea
Brian Echevarria Republican Yea
Celeste C. Cairns Republican Yea
Charles W. Miller Republican Yea
Chris Humphrey Republican Yea
Cody Huneycutt Republican Yea
David Willis Republican Yea
Dean Arp Republican Yea
Dennis Riddell Republican Yea
Destin Hall Republican Not Voting
Diane Wheatley Republican Yea
Donna McDowell White Republican Yea
Donnie Loftis Republican Yea
Donny Lambeth Republican Yea
Dudley Greene Republican Yea
Edward C. Goodwin Republican Yea
Erin Paré Republican Yea
Frank Iler Republican Yea
Harry Warren Republican Yea
Heather H. Rhyne Republican Yea
Howard Penny, Jr. Republican Yea
Hugh Blackwell Republican Yea
Jarrod Lowery Republican Yea
Jay Adams Republican Yea
Jeff Zenger Republican Yea
Jeffrey C. McNeely Republican Yea
Jennifer Balkcom Republican Yea
Jerry "Alan" Branson Republican Yea
Jimmy Dixon Republican Yea
John A. Torbett Republican Yea
John M. Blust Republican Yea
John R. Bell, IV Republican Yea
John Sauls Republican Not Voting
Jonathan L. Almond Republican Yea
Joseph Pike Republican Yea
Julia C. Howard Republican Yea
Karl E. Gillespie Republican Not Voting
Keith Kidwell Republican Yea
Kelly E. Hastings Republican Yea
Kyle Hall Republican Yea
Larry C. Strickland Republican Yea
Larry W. Potts Republican Yea
Mark Brody Republican Yea
Mark Pless Republican Yea
Matthew Winslow Republican Yea
Mike Clampitt Republican Nay
Mike Schietzelt Republican Yea
Mitchell S. Setzer Republican Yea
Neal Jackson Republican Not Voting
Paul Scott Republican Yea
Phil Shepard Republican Yea
Ray Pickett Republican Yea
Sam Watford Republican Not Voting
Sarah Stevens Republican Yea
Stephen M. Ross Republican Not Voting
Steve Tyson Republican Yea
Ted Davis, Jr. Republican Yea
Todd Carver Republican Yea
Todd Johnson Republican Yea
Tricia Ann Cotham Republican Not Voting
William D. Brisson Republican Yea
Wyatt Gable Republican Not Voting
Carla D. Cunningham U Yea
Nasif Majeed U Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety
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 789?
HB 789 is sponsored by Shelly Willingham (Democratic), Bill Ward (Republican), Paul Scott (Republican), A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. (Republican), Jeffrey C. McNeely (Republican), Donnie Loftis (Republican), Reeder, Allen Chesser (Republican), Mike Schietzelt (Republican), and Carson Smith (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 789?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced April 03, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 789?
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