GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-41

HOUSE BILL 295

AN ACT to permit The Division of Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety to determine whether it is appropriate to release certain information about an escaped delinquent juvenile.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 7B‑3102(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)       Notwithstanding G.S. 7B‑2102(d) or any other law to the contrary, within 24 hours of the time a juvenile escapes from custody the Division shall release to the public the juvenile's first name, last initial, and photograph; the name and location of the institution from which the juvenile escaped, or if the juvenile's escape was not from an institution, the circumstances and location of the escape; and if deemed appropriate a statement, based on the juvenile's record, of the level of concern of the Division as to the juvenile's threat to self or to others, if the juvenile escapes from a detention facility, secure custody, or a youth development center and the juvenile has been adjudicated delinquent. The determination of the level of threat posed by a juvenile who escapes from custody shall be made by the Deputy Commissioner of Juvenile Justice or the Deputy Commissioner's designee."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 21^st day of May, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 5:30 p.m. this 29^th day of May, 2015