North Carolina legislation · 2025-2026 Session
North Carolina S1053: Child Care Licensing Penalty Reform.
Status: Introduced, May 6, 2026
What the bill says
An act to reduce the severity of the felony level and grant prosecutorial discretion in child care licensing violations.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF THE FELONY LEVEL AND GRANT PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION IN CHILD CARE LICENSING VIOLATIONS. Whereas, the current Class I felony classification under G.S. 110-103(b) for child care facility licensing violations may create disproportionate consequences relative to the underlying conduct when no injury to children has occurred; and Whereas, providing prosecutors and courts with discretion to impose penalties proportionate to the nature and severity of a violation will ensure more just and flexible enforcement while preserving deterrence; and Whereas, reducing the felony grade to a Class A1 misdemeanor for base violations, while retaining felony exposure for willful and repeated violations involving multiple children, strikes an appropriate balance between public safety and proportionate punishment; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: SECTION 1. G.S. 110-103 reads as rewritten: "§ 110-103. Criminal penalty. ... (b) It shall be a Class I felony for anyAny person who operates a child care facility to: (1) Willfully violateand (i) willfully violates the provisions of G.S. 110-99(a), or (2) Willfully violate(ii) willfully violates the provisions of this Article while providing child care for three or more children, for more than four hours per day on two consecutive days.days, shall be subject to the following criminal penalties: (1) For a first offense under this subsection, the …
Sponsors
- Chaudhuri, Jay J. (D, 15) · primary sponsor
- Burgin, Jim (R, 12) · primary sponsor
- Chitlik, Sophia (D, 22)
- Robinson, Gladys A. (D, 28)
- Smith, Kandie D. (D, 5)
- Waddell, Joyce (D, 40)
Latest actions
- : Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget
- : Withdrawn From Com
- : Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- : Passed 1st Reading
- : Filed
Subjects: BUDGETING, SENTENCING, JUDICIAL DEPT., DHHS, FINES & PENALTIES, COURTS, AOC, MINORS
Common questions
- What is S1053?
- S1053 is a bill in the North Carolina Legislature (2025-2026 Session): Child Care Licensing Penalty Reform.
- What does S1053 do?
- In its own words: An act to reduce the severity of the felony level and grant prosecutorial discretion in child care licensing violations.
- What is the status of S1053?
- Introduced as of May 6, 2026. Latest action: Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget (May 6, 2026).
- Who sponsored S1053?
- Chaudhuri, Jay J. (D, 15), with 5 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S1053?
- On the North Carolina Legislature website: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S1053
Source: official North Carolina record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.