Rep. Smith files juvenile justice reform bill in North Carolina House

A new bill filed by State Rep. Carson Smith in the North Carolina House seeks to reform juvenile justice processes and improve protections for victims and juveniles under supervision, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 483 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Juvenile Justice Legislative Proposals.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill seeks to amend juvenile justice procedures by extending probation and post-release supervision for youth adjudicated of certain violent offenses, with the effective date starting December 1, 2025, for some sections and August 1, 2025, for others. It aims to provide victims with rights to be notified about the termination of supervision, authorizes secure custody orders following the removal to juvenile court, and modifies criteria allowing secure custody orders in response to violations of domestic violence protective orders. It limits felony school notifications to Class A through E felonies, extends the retention period for closed complaints for prosecutor review, and introduces a new criminal offense for escaping juvenile facilities. Additionally, it includes technical corrections for the juvenile capacity to proceed process and clarifies conditions of confinement for juveniles under the Department of Adult Correction. The act specifies that prosecutions for crimes committed prior to the act’s effective dates are not impacted by these changes.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Smith proposed the most bills (19) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Smith, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 16th House district, replacing previous state representative Bob Muller.