A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to modify the right to appeal in termination of parental rights cases.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7A‑27 reads as rewritten:
"§ 7A‑27.  Appeals of right from the courts of the trial divisions.
(a)	Appeal lies of right directly to the Supreme Court in any of the following cases:
…
	
…."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 7B‑1001 reads as rewritten:
"§ 7B‑1001.  Right to appeal.
(a)	In a juvenile matter under this Subchapter, only the following final orders may be appealed directly to the Court of Appeals:
…
(6a)	Any order that terminates parental rights or denies a petition or motion to terminate parental rights.

	

	

(a2)	In an appeal filed pursuant to subdivision (a)(5) of this section, the Court of Appeals shall review the order eliminating reunification together with an appeal of the order terminating parental rights. If the order eliminating reunification is vacated or reversed, the order terminating parental rights shall be vacated.
…."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2021, and applies to appeals filed on or after that date.