PROBATION MODIFICATIONS/SHERIFF AUTHORITY. (NEW)

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View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 87 (Public) Filed Thursday, February 9, 2023
AN ACT TO ALLOW DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO FILE PROBATION MODIFICATION PETITIONS, TO ALLOW PROBATION OFFICERS TO REDUCE A TERM OF SUPERVISED PROBATION IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, AND TO EXEMPT SHERIFF'S OFFICES FROM CERTAIN STATE CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS WHEN CONTRACTING FOR FOOD AND FOOD SERVICES AT DETENTION FACILITIES.
Intro. by N. Jackson, Stevens, Carson Smith, Biggs.

Status: Ch. SL 2023-45 (Jun 16 2023)

SOG comments (1):

Long title change

Committee substitute to the 2nd edition changed the long title. Previous long title was AN ACT TO ALLOW A DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO FILE A PROBATION MODIFICATION PETITION.

Bill History:

H 87/S.L. 2023-45

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Jun 19 2023 - View Summary

    AN ACT TO ALLOW DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO FILE PROBATION MODIFICATION PETITIONS, TO ALLOW PROBATION OFFICERS TO REDUCE A TERM OF SUPERVISED PROBATION IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, AND TO EXEMPT SHERIFF'S OFFICES FROM CERTAIN STATE CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS WHEN CONTRACTING FOR FOOD AND FOOD SERVICES AT DETENTION FACILITIES. SL 2023-45. Enacted June 16, 2023. Effective June 16, 2023, except as otherwise provided.


  • Summary date: May 23 2023 - View Summary

    Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

    Amends new GS 15A-1344(b2) that allows a District Attorney of the prosecutorial district where the probation was imposed to file a petition to reduce, terminate, extend, modify, or revoke probation in the district court district or superior court district or set of districts, as the case may be, where probation was imposed, based on a violation of a condition of probation, by adding that if a motion to extend is filed, then an indigent probationer is entitled to services of counsel. Makes conforming changes to GS 7A-451.

    Adds the following content.

    Enacts new GS 15A-1344.2 (pertaining to delegation of authority to reduce a term of supervised probation) as follows. Permits the court to delegate, by written order filed with the clerk of superior court, the court’s authority to reduce a term of supervised probation when a probation officer finds that an offender (1) is currently in compliance with the terms of the offender's probation and (2) has made diligent progress regarding the offender's probation, in any instances where the court may reduce a term of supervised probation. Allows the delegation of the court's authority to be revoked by the court at any time by a written order filed with the clerk of superior court as soon as practicable following the revocation. Specifies notice requirements if the delegation is revoked. Specifies that any order must require that no term of supervision be reduced unless all restitution ordered as part of the sentence has been paid in full.  

    Directs that proof of any one or more of the following three things, demonstrated to the satisfaction of the probation officer, constitutes diligent progress: (1) the successful completion of a validated drug or mental health treatment program, evidenced-based program, or any other vocational or life skills program; (2) the successful completion of at least six months of active enrollment in an education program in which the offender is seeking a trade certification, high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED) degree, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree; or (3) the successful completion of at least six months of employment, demonstrated by proof of wages.

    Provides that a reduction of a term of supervision does not become effective until all of the following occur: (1) the probation officer files a written affidavit with the clerk of superior court seeking a final order of the court confirming the probation officer's decision to reduce the offender's term; (2) notification is given to the district attorney and the victim and, if requested by either the district attorney or the victim, a hearing and an opportunity to be heard is granted; and (3) the court approves the reduction.

    Specifies that a probation officer may not reduce an offender's term of supervised probation pursuant to this statute by more than one-fourth the amount of time the offender was originally required to serve on supervised probation. If a probation officer reduces an offender's term of supervised probation pursuant to this section on more than one occasion, the total reduction of the offender's term of supervised probation may not exceed one-fourth the amount of time the offender was originally required to serve on supervised probation.

    Effective December 1, 2023, and applies to delegations of court authority entered on or after that date.

    Amends GS 143-131.1 (exemption of certain county sheriff’s offices from the requirements of state public contract law) to  exempt all county sheriff’s offices from the procedures related to the procedure of letting of public contracts and bidding requirements of GS 143-131(a) when purchasing food and supplies for county detention facilities. (Currently, only Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Caswell, Catawba, Cherokee, Chowan, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jones, Lincoln, Madison, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Randolph, Rockingham, Sampson, Stanly, Transylvania, Wake, Washington, and Yancey county sheriff’s offices are exempted).

    Makes conforming changes to the act's titles.


  • Summary date: Mar 8 2023 - View Summary

    House amendment to 1st edition inserts introductory clause to GS 15A-1344 (b2) to limit instances in which a district attorney may file a petition to reduce, terminate, extend, modify, or revoke probation to when the petition is based on the violation of a condition of probation.   


  • Summary date: Feb 9 2023 - View Summary

    Amends GS 15A-1344 (governing the response to violations of probation including alteration or revocation of probation) to enact new subsection authorizing a district attorney (DA) to file a petition to reduce, terminate, extend, modify, or revoke a probation under the following conditions. The DA must be of the prosecutorial district where probation was imposed. The DA may only file a petition in the district court district, superior court district, or set of districts, as the case may be, where probation was imposed. Requires the supervising probation officer to serve a copy of a filed petition on the probationer.