Wide-ranging NC crime bill signed into law limits public access to autopsy records
Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. I’m Ronni Butts with your update on North Carolina politics.
First up, Gov. Josh Stein took action on the dozen bills that remained on his desk on Wednesday, signing nine into law and vetoing three. Avi Bajpai reports that one of them would restrict access to public records.
LIMITING PUBLIC ACCESS TO AUTOPSY RECORDS
Stein signed Senate Bill 429, the 2025 Public Safety Act, Wednesday morning at an event at the Executive Mansion. He was flanked by lawmakers, a group of sheriffs and other law enforcement officials.
The omnibus crime bill, like the other bills Stein signed on Wednesday, was approved by the General Assembly by overwhelmingly bipartisan margins. It contains a bevy of changes and revisions to the state’s criminal laws.
Provisions include a new offense for exposing a child to a controlled substance, an increase in the punishment for soliciting minors on a computer, a new felony offense for habitual domestic violence, and another shielding 911 calls made by minors from becoming public records.
Stein praised the bill for a provision that makes it easier for victims of domestic violence who live outside the state to obtain a protective order, and another that targets drug dealers and traffickers by increasing criminal penalties for the sale of fentanyl, though he expressed concern about increased penalties for possession applying to people suffering from addiction.
Another, more controversial provision in the bill would limit public access to certain autopsy records, including autopsies in deaths that are under criminal investigation, or in minors’ deaths. A similar proposal by GOP lawmakers was floated last year before it ultimately stalled.
Under the bill, autopsies could be released to representatives of the deceased’s estate, certain family members, or other professionals who are assisting with the medical examiner’s investigation. The records could also be released to address public health or safety concerns.
The bill would allow members of the media and the public to petition a Superior Court judge for release of autopsy records if certain conditions are met.
The proposed changes raised concerns about the possibility that it could be much harder for media organizations to report details about controversial deaths, especially in cases that involve law enforcement, The News & Observer previously reported.
Asked about the autopsy records changes on Wednesday, Stein said: “There are more provisions that are good that I didn’t mention, and more provisions that are problematic that I didn’t mention, and that would be under the problematic category.”
— Avi Bajpai
MORE VETOES AND SIGNATURES FROM STEIN
In all, Stein signed nine bills Wednesday, increasing his total number of signed bills to 67.
Avi Bajpai and Luciana Perez Uribe Guianassi reported on some of those new laws, including regulations that could affect prescription drug pricing. To learn more, read their story.
Stein also vetoed a bill that would have allowed private school teachers and volunteers to carry and conceal firearms, if their schools agree. Read Avi Bajpai’s story.
Here are some of the other bills that Stein signed:
- House Bill 850: Makes changes to the process that cities and towns must go through to request the transfer of large quantities of water between river basins.
- House Bill 694: This bill tackles improvements to wastewater research, including by the UNC School of Government’s Environmental Finance Center.
- House 1003: Adjusts requirements for funeral and cremation providers.
- House Bill 992: This bill alters the process for a father to establish paternity of a child born out of wedlock, among other changes.
- Senate Bill 311: Called “The Law and Order Act,” SB 311 creates or increases penalties for several crimes like assault, larceny and reckless driving.
STEIN SIGNS HARRISON’S LAW
Also on Wednesday, Stein signed Senate Bill 375 into law. The bill includes a provision called “Harrison’s Law,” which cracks down on hazing punishments. Hazing by students will become a Class A1 misdemeanor. School personnel will face a Class I felony.
Current law punishes students with a Class 2 misdemeanor.
The definition of hazing now includes psychological injury, in addition to physical injury.
The law’s origins date back to the 2008 death of Harrison Kowiak, a student at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. Kowiak, who was a freshman, suffered severe head trauma while being tackled as a part of a fraternity initiation, according to the Gordie Center.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
▪ U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis gave a wide-ranging interview to CNN’s Jake Tapper that aired Wednesday evening. Tillis recounts what he told President Donald Trump about his opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; his concerns about who is advising the president and who should run to succeed him. Danielle Battaglia recaps the interview here.
▪ After Trump nominated Neil Jacobs Jr., a Durham resident, to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a Senate committee held a confirmation hearing Wednesday. Danielle Battaglia reports on what lawmakers wanted to know and what Jacobs said.
Today’s newsletter was by Ronni Butts and Avi Bajpai Check your inbox Thursday for more #ncpol.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Wide-ranging NC crime bill signed into law limits public access to autopsy records."
