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Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina makes assaulting utility and communications workers a Class A1 misdemeanor
Last action · June 22, 2026: Ch. SL 2026-13Sponsors: Kyle Hall and 61 others
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What This Bill Would Do
North Carolina increases criminal penalties for assaulting a readily identifiable utility or communications worker while they are performing their duties, making the offense a starting December 1, 2025.
Utility and internet field personnel gain enhanced legal protection under criminal sentencing guidelines, elevating attacks against them to the same penalty tier as assaults involving deadly weapons or serious injuries.
- North Carolina criminal law establishes tiered misdemeanor and felony classifications that provide enhanced punishments for assaults directed at specific public servants and vulnerable individuals. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Utility and Communications Workers
Workers receive enhanced criminal legal protections against assaults while performing their job duties when wearing identifiable company apparel.
Individuals Committing Assaults
Offenders who attack identifiable utility or communications workers face enhanced criminal penalties under Class A1 misdemeanor classifications.
Key Facts
- Assaulting a utility or communications worker is classified as a Class A1 misdemeanor when the worker is readily identifiable and discharging or attempting to discharge official duties.
- A utility or communications worker includes employees, agents, or contractors of public, private, municipal, county, or cooperative organizations providing electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, or internet access.
- Workers are considered readily identifiable if they wear a uniform, hat, or other outerwear bearing the company logo at the time of the assault.
- Prosecutions for offenses committed before December 1, 2025, are not affected and remain under prior statutes.
Show all 5 facts
- The act becomes effective on December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level of crime is an assault against a utility worker under this act?
Who qualifies as a utility or communications worker under the law?
When does this new penalty take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
32 actions- Jun 16, 2026HouseOrdered Enrolled
- Jun 16, 2026HouseConcurred In S Com Sub
- Jun 15, 2026HousePlaced On Cal For 06/16/2026
- Jun 15, 2026HouseCal Pursuant 36(b)
- Jun 11, 2026HouseRegular Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
- Jun 11, 2026SenateRegular Message Sent To House
Show 26 earlier actions
- Jun 9, 2026SenatePassed 3rd Reading
- Jun 9, 2026SenatePassed 2nd Reading
- Jun 8, 2026SenateReptd Fav
- Jun 3, 2026SenateRe-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Jun 3, 2026SenateCom Substitute Adopted
- Jun 3, 2026SenateReptd Fav Com Substitute
- May 28, 2026SenateRe-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate
- May 28, 2026SenateWithdrawn From Com
- Apr 10, 2025SenateRef To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Apr 10, 2025SenatePassed 1st Reading
- Apr 10, 2025SenateRegular Message Received From House
- Apr 10, 2025HouseRegular Message Sent To Senate
- Apr 9, 2025HouseOrdered Engrossed
- Apr 9, 2025HousePassed 3rd Reading
- Apr 9, 2025HousePassed 2nd Reading
- Apr 9, 2025HouseAmend Adopted A1
- Apr 3, 2025HousePlaced On Cal For 04/09/2025
- Apr 3, 2025HouseCal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- Apr 3, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 1, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 1, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Mar 19, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Judiciary 2
- Mar 19, 2025HouseReptd Fav Com Substitute
- Mar 4, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Energy and Public Utilities, if favorable, Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Mar 4, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 3, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 57 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Special Assault Protections
The bill extends specialized assault protections—previously reserved for emergency personnel, pregnant women, and transportation network drivers—to utility and communications workers.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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