On May 4, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly passed S.B. 20, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, which outlaws abortion in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Governor Cooper vetoed the bill, and on May 16, the General Assembly overrode the veto. S.B. 20 is now law in North Carolina.
Videos of the override sessions, including floor debate and votes, are available here:
On May 4, 2023, the North Carolina Senate debated and passed S.B. 20, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act, which outlaws abortion in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Video of the May 4 Senate session is available here.
The House of Representatives voted on this bill the day before, May 3. Audio of that session is available here.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson case, many observers wondered whether non-surgical abortions–i.e., abortions caused by certain medications–would become illegal.
There are now two competing court decisions about this issue.
This Texas-based decision, issued on April 7, ordered the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
On the same day, another federal court ordered the FDA not to withdraw mifepristone approval in the following states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
The Texas decision is currently stayed (i.e., not in effect) for seven days to allow for appeals.
Because two federal courts have disagreed, it is likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a ruling to settle the matter. When such a ruling might happen is unknown.
Do you need committee minutes? Old North Carolina statutes? Study reports?
These sorts of documents and more are available on our Legislative Publications page. Here are the highlights:
- Constitutions – Copies of the 1776, 1868, and 1971 North Carolina Constitutions. Also links to a list of all amendments to the 1971 Constitution, which the Legislative Library maintains.
- Superseded statutes – Scanned images of North Carolina statutes from 1821-1983. This is a work in progress, courtesy of the State Library of North Carolina.
- Committee meeting minutes – Scanned full text of standing (1997-2016) and non-standing (1963-1987, 1997-2017) committee minutes.
- Agency reports – Full text of reports submitted to the General Assembly by North Carolina administrative agencies. Most are from 2010 forward.
Looking for something that you can’t find on our website? Contact the Legislative Library at 919-733-9390 or library@ncleg.gov.
Paralegals are professionals who assist attorneys with research, document drafting, case management, trial preparation–pretty much every aspect of legal practice.
Some paralegal programs result in a two-year associate’s degree. Others last only a few months and are intended for people who already have a four-year degree.
Below are some helpful resources.
- Paralegal schools in North Carolina – This list doesn’t include Wake Technical Community College, which launched its paralegal program in 2022.
- Certification – Paralegals can be certified by the North Carolina State Bar.
- North Carolina Paralegal Association
- National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
Homeowner associations (HOAs) are organizations that oversee and enforce the rules for living in certain houses, condominiums, or other homes. You join an HOA and agree to its terms and fees when you buy a home in a community governed by one.
In North Carolina, HOAs are governed by a few statutes:
- North Carolina Planned Community Act
- North Carolina Condominium Act
- North Carolina Unit Ownership Act
- North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act (because every HOA must be incorporated as a nonprofit)
HOAs are not regulated by any state or federal government office, so if you have a dispute with your HOA, the best thing to do is consult with an attorney.
If you simply want more information about how HOAs operate, here are some resources that may help:
- Homeowners Protection Bureau – A nonprofit organization that answers HOA questions
- NC Real Estate Commission
- North Carolina chapter of the Community Associations Institute
- HOA FAQs – An extensive list of HOA-related questions and answers
Finally, according to the North Carolina Secretary of State, “sometimes there are local government ordinances that may apply to HOAs.” Thus, you could try contacting your mayor and/or city or county commissioner to discuss your concern.
We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.
That’s the preamble to the North Carolina Constitution, which, in its current form, was written in 1971. North Carolina, of course, has had a constitution much longer than that.
When was the first one written?
What did it include?
How many times has it been amended?
You can find these and more answers in our new North Carolina Constitution infographic!
We have other guides and infographics on different topics, such as how to do a legislative history and how to request committee audio from the library. Check out all our guides here!
How about a legislative Throwback Thursday? Check out this 1963 effort of the short-lived North Carolina Film Board.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge William Osteen ruled that, in light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina’s statute forbidding abortions after 20 weeks (N.C.G.S. 14-45.1) is not unconstitutional. In other words, the 20-week ban can be enforced.
Judge Osteen’s ruling is available here.
Responses by Governor Cooper, House Speaker Tim Moore, and other elected officials are here.
Curious about other states’ abortion laws? We have a blog entry on that topic.
Looking for legal help on this or any other subject? Check out this list of free or low-cost resources.
A frequent request we get at the Legislative Library is for a certified copy of a statute, session law, or other document. This means a document whose contents can be relied upon as truly and genuinely created by a North Carolina agency.
Some documents we can certify, and some we can’t. Here are the best contacts for document certification.
GENERAL STATUTES
The General Assembly passes bills into law. These are called session laws. The session laws that are public laws–i.e., they apply to everyone in North Carolina–are then integrated into the General Statutes, which consist of the general and permanent laws enacted by the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a statute (not a session law) should contact the Legislative Drafting Division of the General Assembly at 919-733-6660.
SESSION LAWS OR RATIFIED BILLS
After a bill is ratified–i.e., the General Assembly passes it and the Governor signs it–that bill becomes a session law. These original signed documents are then transmitted to the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a ratified bill or session law (not a statute) should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION
The Secretary of State is also the statutory custodian of the North Carolina Constitution.
Anyone needing a certified copy of the Constitution should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
COMMITTEE MINUTES
The official record of a legislative committee meeting is that meeting’s written minutes. The minutes from 1997 forward can be found here. Older minutes (back to the early 1970s) are available on microfilm in the Legislative Library.
Anyone who comes to the library to locate minutes on microfilm can ask for a certification of those minutes from a librarian.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
These are orders issued by the Governor of North Carolina. They do not come from the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of an executive order should contact the Governor’s office at 919-814-2000.