North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 11 D · 1 R cosponsors

HB 345 — Rights of Nature/Certain River Basins.

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 March 10, 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

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 12 sponsors

    3 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (11 D · 1 R) — 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

22 added · 21 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of House Bill 345 added a few minor details, such as specifying enforcement measures and clarifying legal terms. While most of the bill's content remained unchanged, these additions enhance the clarity of the language, making it easier for residents to understand their rights and how they can be enforced. This matters because clearer regulations help ensure that individuals and the government can work together more effectively to protect the environment and hold violators accountable.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 345 Short Title:
345 Mar 10, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH10150-MH-39 Short Title:
Representative Harrison.
Representatives Harrison, Morey, Cervania, and K.
Brown (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 RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE DAN AND HAW RIVER ECOSYSTEMS AND TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM FOR THOSE RIVERS.
Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 11, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE DAN AND HAW RIVER ECOSYSTEMS AND TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM FOR THOSE RIVERS.
They exist across the United States and aroundtheworld and havebeendescribedas aperiodofglobal environmental collapse and the sixth major extinction of life forms in the 3.8-billion-year-long history of life on Earth;
They exist across the United States and around theworld and havebeendescribedas aperiodofglobal environmental collapse and the sixth major extinction of life forms in the 3.8-billion-year-long history of life on Earth;
and *DRH10150-MH-39* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Whereas, in response, governments have responded with significant efforts to protect the environment over the last 60 years.
and *H345-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Whereas, in response, governments have responded with significant efforts to protect the environment over the last 60 years.
and sea level is rising as population growth, land development, and economic expansion continuously increase demands that humans make upon the environment;
and sea level is rising as population growth, land development, and economic expansion continuouslyincrease demands that humans make upon the environment;
Chapter 77 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
Chapter 77 of the General Statutes is amended byadding a new Article to read:
Page 2 DRH10150-MH-39 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Haw River ecosystem.
Page 2 House Bill 345-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Haw River ecosystem.
Remedy any potential or ongoing violation identified in subdivision (2) of this section to ensure all existing or proposed policies, rules, or regulations, or ongoing or proposed activities, practices, or operations, DRH10150-MH-39 Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 are made consistent with and protective of the rights and provisions of this Article.
Remedy any potential or ongoing violation identified in subdivision (2) of this section to ensure all existing or proposed policies, rules, or regulations, or ongoingor proposed activities, practices, or operations, House Bill 345-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 are made consistent with and protective of the rights and provisions of this Article.
(a) Enforcement by theState.
(a) Enforcement bytheState.
–The Attorney General is authorized to enforce anddefend these rights by the filing of an action in the courts of this State to enjoin infringements of the rights set out in this Article and collect damages for impacts to natural resources within river ecosystems protected in this Article as described in subsection (h) of this section.
–The AttorneyGeneral is authorizedto enforce anddefend these rights by the filing of an action in the courts of this State to enjoin infringements of the rights set out in this Article and collect damages for impacts to natural resources within river ecosystems protected in this Article as described in subsection (h) of this section.
– The river ecosystems protected in this Article may enforce or defend the rights secured in this act through a legal action brought in the courts of this State, brought in the name of the human-impacted river ecosystem as the real party in interest.
– The river ecosystems protected in this Article mayenforce or defend the rights secured in this act through a legal action brought in the courts of this State, brought in the name of the human-impacted river ecosystem as the real party in interest.
– Any North Carolina resident may enforce or defend the rights secured in this act through a legal action brought in any appropriate court.
– Any North Carolina resident may enforce or defend the rights secured in this act through a legal action brought in anyappropriate court.
– Any business or government entity that violates any provision of this Article shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a single occurrence, or up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per day of a continuing occurrence, with each day constituting a separate offense under this Article.
– Any business or government entity that violates any provision of this Article shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a single occurrence, or up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per dayof a continuing occurrence, with each day constituting a separate offense under this Article.
If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this Page 4 DRH10150-MH-39 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and, to this end, the provisions of this act are severable.
If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invaliditydoes not affect other provisions or applications of this Page 4 House Bill 345-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and, to this end, the provisions of this act are severable.
DRH10150-MH-39 Page 5
House Bill 345-First Edition Page 5
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 167 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (167)

167 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 167 →

"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

environment
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 345?
HB 345 is sponsored by Renée A. Price (Democratic), Zack Hawkins (Democratic), Sarah Crawford (Democratic), Gloristine Brown (Democratic), Cynthia Ball (Democratic), Kanika Brown (Democratic), Maria Cervania (Democratic), Neal Jackson (Republican), Julie von Haefen (Democratic), Marcia Morey (Democratic), Pricey Harrison (Democratic), and Cecil Brockman (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 345?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 10, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 345?
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