Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes. Makes conforming changes to the act’s long title and effective date.

Removes the exemption to the offense of possessing weapons on campus or other educational property (GS 14-269.2) for a person on private school grounds who has a concealed handgun permit valid under GS Chapter 14, Article 54B, or who is exempt from obtaining a permit pursuant to that Article, if all of the following conditions apply: (1) the property in question is owned, used, or operated by a private school; (2) the weapon is a handgun; (3) there’s no conspicuous notice barring carrying concealed handguns on the property; and (4) the person(s) having legal possession or control of the property has provided signed, written permission authorizing the person to possess and carry a handgun on the property. Removes changes to GS 14-415.11. Makes organizational changes. 

Adds the following new content.

Adds and defines the terms school administrative director and school board of trustees to the definitions pertaining to GS 14-269.2 (barring weapons on campus or other educational property, subject to certain exemptions). Increases the exemptions to GS 14-269.2(g) by including employees or volunteers of a nonpublic school meeting six specified criteria, including that the person has written authorization from the school’s administration (as specified) to possess or carry a firearm or stun gun on the school’s property, the person has successfully completed under the direct supervision of a certified National Rifle Association instructor or the equivalent a minimum of eight hours of courses, as specified, and the person has a concealed handgun permit. Modifies the exemption for a person who has a concealed handgun permit that is valid under Article 54B of GS 14, or who is exempt from obtaining a permit pursuant to that Article by allowing the person to possess and carry the handgun on the educational property if they are attending sacerdotal functions in any of the buildings that are places of religious worship on the property at any time. (Currently, can only carry such weapons outside of school operating hours.) Specifies that “attending” includes ingress and egress between the building and designated parking area for the place of religious worship.

Expands the definitions under GS 14-16.10 (definitions provision pertaining to criminal offenses against the State) to include local elected officer (an elected officer of a political subdivision of this State).

Amends GS 14-16.6 by expanding upon the statute's scope to also prohibit assault on local elected officers, or assault on another person as retaliation against a local elected officer, in addition to the already included assault on a legislative officer, executive officer, or court officer. Increases the punishment for assault on these classes of individuals from a Class I felony to a Class H felony; from a Class F felony to a Class E felony when the offense includes the use of a deadly weapon; and from a Class E felony to a Class D felony when the person inflicts serious bodily injury to a legislative, executive, court, or local elected officer.

Expands liability under GS 14-16.7 (Class I felony for threats against executive, legislative, or court officers) to include local elected officers. Increases the penalties for violating the statute from a Class I felony to a Class H felony. Makes conforming change to GS 14-16.8 (no requirement for receipt of threat for liability under GS 14-16.8).

Expands liability under GS 163-275(11) (intimidation of certain election officials by threats, menacing or attempts thereof) to include intimidating acts done because of the official’s voter registration duties or in conducting elections (currently, only includes those done to intimidate the officer in the discharge of those duties).

Adds new GS 15A-534.9 requiring a judicial official who determines conditions of pretrial release for a person charged under GS 14-16.7, GS 14-16.6, or GS 163-275(11) to be a judge. Requires the judge to direct a law enforcement officer or district attorney to provide the defendant's criminal history report and to consider that criminal history when setting conditions of release. Prohibits a judge from unreasonably delaying the determination of conditions of pretrial release for the purpose of reviewing the criminal history report. Allows a judge, if they decide that the defendant's immediate release will pose a danger of injury to persons and that executing an appearance bond will not assure that the injury will not occur, to keep the defendant in custody for a reasonable period of time while determining the conditions of pretrial release. Specifies four conditions that a judge may impose on pretrial release, which may be imposed in addition to requiring the defendant to execute a secured appearance bond. Specifies that the provisions of Article 5 (Procedure for Admission and Discharge of Clients) of GS Chapter 122C apply if the defendant is mentally ill and dangerous to himself or others or a substance abuser and dangerous to himself or others. Allows keeping a defendant in custody no more than 48 hours from the time of arrest with the judge making a determination under this statute; if a judge has not acted within those 48 hours, requires the magistrate to take action under the statute. 

Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.

Senate amendment to the 3rd edition makes the following changes. Makes organizational changes. Makes conforming changes to act's long title. 

Adds the following content. 

Part X.

Amends GS 30-3.3A (valuation of partial and contingent interests in property passing to a surviving spouse) as follows. Requires the terms of a trust to substantially meet the listed requirements in form and content (currently, just requires the trust terms to meet the listed requirements). Expands the types of trustees that control the trust during the surviving spouse’s lifetime. Allows the trust to authorize or require the trustee to also take assets (currently, just income and other means of support) into account. Specifies required language that the trust must contain pertaining to distribution of the income and principal. Makes clarifying and technical changes.

Amends GS 30-3.4 (procedure for determining the elective share), as follows. Removes the requirement that surviving spouse must mail or deliver a copy of the petition to the estate as a requirement for asserting a claim for elective share. Requires petition to be verified.  Directs that an elective share proceeding is an estate proceeding to be conducted in line with Article 2 of GS Chapter 28A, except as modified or supplemented as described.

Applies to claims for elective share filed on or after January 1, 2026.

Part XI.

Amends GS 36C-6-604 (limitation on action contesting validity of revocable trust, distribution of trust property), as follows. Makes technical changes. Directs trustee to not distribute trust property to any beneficiary in contravention of the rights of any person who may be affected by the outcome of a pending or possible judicial proceeding if, at the time the distribution is made: (1) the trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding pertaining to the validity of the trust or contesting he identity of beneficiaries, or (2) a potential contestant has notified the trustee in writing of a possible judicial proceeding to contest the validity of terms of the trust or to contest the identity of the beneficiaries eligible to receive distribution therefrom, and a judicial proceeding is commenced within 60 days after the contestant sent the notification. Expands those matters that prevent the trustee from distributing trust property to judicial proceedings or contestants challenging the identity of the beneficiaries eligible to receive distributions from the trust. Specifies that the trustee’s failure to comply with the above constitutes breach of trust. Provides for distribution of assets to beneficiaries upon motion, with notice to the interested parties upon court order. Expands the conditions upon which a beneficiary must return trust property to include when their interest in a trust has been determined to be invalid (currently, just when the trust has been determined to be invalid).  Specifies that if the beneficiary refuses to return the distribution after being ordered by the court, the beneficiary is liable for all costs incurred for recovery of the distribution, including attorneys' fees. Applies to settlors dying on or after January 1, 2026. 

Part XII.

Amends GS 30-15 (spousal allowances) as follows. Creates an exception for when the spousal allowance takes priority over a child’s allowance that occurs if a surviving spouse entitled to an allowance fails to file a petition for an allowance within six months after the date of death of the decedent and an eligible person files a petition for a child's allowance before the spouse files a petition for an allowance. Specifies that a proceeding for a spouse’s allowance will be an estate proceeding governed by Article 2 of GS Chapter 28A. Makes conforming changes.

Amends GS 30-17 (child’s allowance) by amending the order of priority for the person entitled to file a petition on behalf of the child for a child's allowance, so that first priority is given to the child, if the child is at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor at the time the petition is filed. Specifies that a proceeding for a child’s allowance will be an estate proceeding governed by Article 2 of GS Chapter 28A. Removes the clerk’s discretion under GS 30-20(c) to on its own motion, determine that a hearing is necessary to determine whether a year’s allowance should be awarded to the children of an estate under GS 30-20 (procedure for assignment). 

Removes references to “GS 30-20(c)” and replaces those references with references to “contested case proceedings commenced by the petitioner or by order of the clerk joining respondents to the proceeding” in standing provisions in GS 30-23.1 (contested case proceedings regarding allowance).  Makes conforming and clarifying changes.

Applies to petitions filed on or after January 1, 2026.

Amends GS 28A-25-6 (payment to clerk of money owed decedent) as follows. Provides in (f) that if no administrator has been appointed, the clerk of superior court must upon motion of the clerk or application of an interested party, disburse the money received under this statute for the following purposes and in the following order: (1) to pay the surviving spouse's year's allowance and children's year's allowance assigned in accordance with law, except that if (1) it has been greater than six months since the date of death of the decedent and (2) there has been no petition filed and assignment of a spouse's or child's year's allowance, the clerk may disburse the money in accordance with the other provisions of (f) (which requires all other claims to be disbursed according to the order set out in GS 28A-19-6). Clarifies that after the death of a the decedent (currently, spouse who died intestate) and after the disbursements have been made, the balance in the clerk's hands belonging to the estate of the decedent will be paid to the surviving spouse, and if there is no surviving spouse, the clerk will pay it to the heirs or beneficiaries (currently, just heirs) in proportion to their respective interests. Makes technical changes. 

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

Removes changes to GS 95-110.5 and GS 95-111.4 concerning the waiver and amending of standards related to the qualifications of inspectors. 

Makes conforming organizational changes and changes the heading of Part III (now Part II). 

Senate amendment to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

Specifies that the changes to GS 115C-111.2 (contracts with private service providers) are repealed if S 77, School Contracted Health Services, becomes law.

Specifies that the changes to: (1) GS 115C-270.1 and GS 115C-270.20, allowing certain nonpublic schools to request residence licenses for teachers and (2) Section 7.36 of SL 2023-134, extending the reversion date for school safety grant funds, are repealed if S 125, Various Education Changes, becomes law.

Specifies that the changes to GS 115C-320 (publication and inspection of certain records for central office employees) and conforming changes, are repealed if S 449, Fiscal Responsibility and K-12 Technology Plan and Central Office Salaries, becomes law.