A new bill filed by State Rep. Nasif Majeed in the North Carolina House seeks to strengthen penalties for crimes motivated by bias against specific victim traits, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 961 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Criminal Intent Sentence Enhancement.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill, titled “The Hate Crimes Prevention Act,” establishes a sentence enhancement for felony offenses committed based on certain victim characteristics. If a person is convicted of a felony and it is determined that the crime was motivated by the victim’s race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, or gender, the offender will face sentencing at a felony class level one class higher than the primary felony conviction. The state must prove this motivation beyond a reasonable doubt during the trial unless the defendant pleads guilty. Additionally, the bill amends an existing statute to include gender as a characteristic for aggravating factors in sentencing. This act will be effective Dec. 1, 2025, for offenses committed on or after that date.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Jennifer Balkcom proposed the most bills (40) 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.
Majeed graduated from the University of Florida in 1979 with an AA and again in 1968 from North Carolina A&T State University with a BS.
Majeed, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 99th House district, replacing previous state representative Rodney Moore.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nasif Majeed, Charles Smith, Jennifer Balkcom, and Ted Davis, Jr. | HB 961 | 04/10/2025 | Criminal Intent Sentence Enhancement. |
| Nasif Majeed, Carla D. Cunningham, Carolyn G. Logan, and Laura Budd | HB 903 | 04/10/2025 | Highway and Road Safety Act. |
| Nasif Majeed, Becky Carney, Julia Greenfield, and Mary Belk | HB 839 | 04/09/2025 | Advanced Teaching Roles Updates. |
| Nasif Majeed, Jordan Lopez, Mary Belk, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 706 | 04/02/2025 | Change to Needs-Based Capital Funding. |
| Nasif Majeed and Mary Belk | HB 436 | 03/18/2025 | Counties/Semiannual Assessments. |
| Nasif Majeed, Carolyn G. Logan, Julie von Haefen, and Tracy Clark | HB 366 | 03/11/2025 | Reenact & Expand Pistol Purchase Permit. |
| Nasif Majeed, Carla D. Cunningham, and Edward C. Goodwin | HB 341 | 03/10/2025 | Disabled Veterans Tax Relief Bill. |
| Nasif Majeed, Eric Ager, Marcia Morey, and Pricey Harrison | HB 278 | 03/04/2025 | Protect Military Votes. |
| Nasif Majeed, Charles Smith, Edward C. Goodwin, and Kelly E. Hastings | HB 288 | 03/04/2025 | POW/MIA Flag/State Bldgs. & Schools. |
| Nasif Majeed, Carla D. Cunningham, Carolyn G. Logan, and Edward C. Goodwin | HB 266 | 03/03/2025 | Adopt Women Veterans Day. |
| Nasif Majeed, Donnie Loftis, Edward C. Goodwin, and Renée A. Price | HB 254 | 02/27/2025 | Adopt Tuskegee Airmen Day. |
| Nasif Majeed, Charles Smith, Donnie Loftis, and Edward C. Goodwin | HB 213 | 02/25/2025 | Post NC Veterans’ Benefits. |
| Nasif Majeed, Carolyn G. Logan, Deb Butler, and Diane Wheatley | HB 90 | 02/10/2025 | State & Local Gov’t Retirees COLA. |
