Amends GS 20-175.2 (establishing a blind person’s right-of-way at crossings, intersections, and traffic control signal points so long as they use a white cane or are accompanied by a guide dog) as title indicates. Applies to offenses committed after December 1, 2023.   

Enacts new GS 160A-499.6 authorizing a city to employ and allow civilian personnel to investigate traffic crashes involving only property damage, naming these personnel civilian investigators (investigators). Details nine requirements of the city and investigators regarding the employment of investigators, including establishing minimum employment standards and compliance with specified training conditions, equipment issuance, and limits of investigator authority. Specifies that investigators cannot be issued a weapon and have no authority to arrest or issue criminal process. 

Part I.

Amends GS 14-27.32, prohibiting sexual activity with a student, by increasing the penalty from a Class I to Class G felony for a defendant who is school personnel other than a teacher, school administrator, student teacher, school safety officer, or coach, and is less than four years older than the victim and engages in vaginal intercourse or a sexual act with a student. Amends the definition of student that applies throughout the statute to now define student as a person enrolled in kindergarten, or in grade one through grade 12 in any school within six months of any violation of this statute (current law does not specify enrollment within six months of a violation). Makes organizational changes.

Amends GS 14-202.4, prohibiting taking indecent liberties with a student, by increasing the penalty from a Class I to Class G felony when (1) a defendant, who is a teacher, school administrator, student teacher, school safety officer, or coach, at any age, or who is other school personnel and is at least four years older than the victim, takes indecent liberties with a student, at any time during or after the time the defendant and victim were present together in the same school but before the victim ceases to be a student or (2) a defendant, who is school personnel other than a teacher, school administrator, student teacher, school safety officer, or coach, and who is less than four years older than the victim, takes indecent liberties with a student, as provided in (1). Amends the definition of student that applies throughout the statute to now define student as a person enrolled in kindergarten, or in grade one through grade 12 in any school within six months of any violation of this statute (current law does not specify enrollment within six months of a violation). Makes organizational changes.

Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2023.

Part II.

Adds new Part 3B, Reporting Misconduct of Licensed School Employees, in Article 22 of GS Chapter 115C, providing as follows. Requires any superintendent, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent, personnel administrator, or principal who knows or has reason to believe that an employee licensed under Article 17E of GS Chapter 115C has engaged in misconduct resulting in dismissal, disciplinary action, or resignation to report the misconduct to the State Board of Education within five days of dismissal, determination of disciplinary action, or acceptance of resignation. Makes it a Class I felony to fail to report misconduct. Prohibits school personnel from threatening, harassing, or retaliating against any other person for making a report. Defines misconduct as (1) conduct that justifies automatic revocation of a license under GS 115C-270.35(b) (which sets out 23 specified crimes that require automatic revocation) or (2) the infliction of a physical injury against a child other than by accident or in self-defense. Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2023.

Part III.

Adds to the Center for Safer Schools' duties in GS 115C-105.5, developing and producing age-appropriate videos to be shown to students in grades six through 12 that include at least the information listed in GS 115C-12(47). Requires distribution of the videos to all public school units and allows providing the videos to nonpublic schools upon request. GS 115C-12(47) requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to adopt a rule requiring information on child abuse and neglect, including age-appropriate information on sexual abuse, to be provided by public school units to students in grades six through 12. Expands upon the forms that this information must be presented in, to include the video and requires it to be shown to all students no more than five days after the first day of the school year. Makes additional conforming changes. Requires the Center for Safer Schools to produce and distribute the videos no later than June 30, 2024. Applies beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Part I.

Enacts new Article 54 to GS Chapter 1, titled the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), providing for a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss a cause of action that falls within the Article’s scope. Includes defined terms. Defines the scope of the Article to a civil cause of action against a person based on the person’s (1) communication in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other governmental proceeding; (2) the person’s communication on an issue under consideration or review in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative, or other governmental proceeding; or (3) the person’s exercise of the right of freedom of speech or of the press, the right to assembly or petition, or the right of association, guaranteed by the federal or State constitutions, on a matter of public concern. Excludes from the Article’s scope (1) a cause of action against a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a governmental unit acting or purporting to act in an official capacity; (2) a cause of action by a governmental unit or an employee or agent of a governmental unit acting in an official capacity to enforce a law to protect against an imminent threat to public health or safety; or (3) a cause of action against a person primarily engaged in the business of selling or leasing goods or services if the cause of action arises out of communication related to the person’s sale or lease of the goods or services. Defines goods or services to exclude the creation, dissemination, exhibition, or advertisement or similar promotion of a dramatic, literary, musical, political, journalistic, or artistic work.

Permits a party to file a special motion for expedited relief, no later than 60 days after a party is served with a complaint or other pleading asserting a cause of action to which the Article applies, to dismiss the cause of action or part of the cause of action. Permits filing the special motion at a later time on a showing of good cause. Specifies that the motion does not waive any other defense, objection, or motion, and a party’s failure to consolidate the motion with another motion or pleading does not waive a party’s right to file the special motion. Provides that the special motion stays all other proceedings between the parties until entry of an order ruling on the motion and expiration of the 30-day period during which the moving party may appeal such order, with proceedings stayed until conclusion of the appeal. Details limited exceptions to a stay under the Article.

Requires the court to hear the motion no later than 60 days after a party submits a calendar request for the motion unless the court orders a later hearing to allow for discovery or for other good cause. Identifies proof the court can consider on the motion, including any evidence that could be considered in ruling on a motion for summary judgment under Rule 56. Prescribes when a court must dismiss the cause of action, or part thereof, with prejudice in ruling on the motion. Requires the court to rule on the motion no later than 60 days after the hearing. Provides for an appeal from an order denying the motion. Provides for the award of attorneys’ fees related to the motion as specified. States mandate for broad construction of the Article and its uniform application.

Part II.

Amends GS 7A-27 to include the denial of a special motion for expedited relief under new Article 54, GS Chapter 1, to appeals that lie of right directly to the Court of Appeals.

Part III.

Includes a severability clause. Directs the Revisor of Statutes to print the official an explanatory comments of the UPEPA.

Applies to civil actions filed or causes of action asserted in a civil action on or after October 1, 2023.