S.L. 1969-1187

1969 SESSION

CHAPTER 1187

HOUSE BILL 674

AN ACT TO PROTECT THE WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM PERSONS CARRYING FIREARMS AND OTHER WEAPONS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess, or carry, whether concealed or not, any gun, rifle, pistol, shotgun, pump- gun, Bowie knife, dirk, dagger, switch-blade knife, blackjack, metallic knucks or other weapon of like character or kind in any Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public school building or on any Winston- Salem/Forsyth County public school campus or grounds, and Winston- Salem/Forsyth County public school recreation area, athletic field or other property owned, used or operated by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County board of education for the administration of the Winston- Salem/Forsyth County school system. For the purpose of this Section, a self-opening or switch-blade knife is defined as a knife containing a blade or blades which open automatically by the release of a spring or similar contrivance. This Section shall not apply to the following persons: officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States when in discharge of their official duties as such and acting under orders requiring them to carry arms or weapons, civil officers of the United States while in the discharge of their official duties, officers and soldiers of the militia and the National Guard when called into actual service, officers of the State, or of any county, city, town or township, charged with the execution of the laws of the State, when acting in the discharge of their official duties, any pupils who are members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps and who are required to carry arms or weapons in the discharge of their official class duties and any other person who has requested and received permission from the principal of the school to carry arms or weapons onto and upon Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public school property.

Sec. 2. Any person violating the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, plea of guilty, or plea of nolo contendere shall be punished by not less than a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) or imprisonment for thirty days or by both such fine and imprisonment or not more than a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for six months or by both such fine or imprisonment.

Sec. 3. The provisions of this Act shall apply to Forsyth County only.

Sec. 4. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 5. This Act shall become effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1969.