NC H1226

Creates a nine-member bipartisan legislative working group to recommend a streamlined, comprehensive criminal code consolidating all statutory, common law, regulatory, and ordinance crimes by 2021.

Working group composition includes four legislative members (two majority, two minority from each chamber) plus one chair with six years of assembly experience, appointed by leadership.

Appropriates $338,771 in nonrecurring funds to the Criminal Justice Innovation Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill to conduct research and draft legislation supporting the working group's recodification efforts.

Directs the working group to establish principles for criminal code reform including consistent terminology, specified mental states, elimination of redundant crimes, simplified numbering, and consistent offense grading.

Requires the Criminal Justice Innovation Lab to create databases of statutory crimes, local ordinance crimes, and administrative regulatory crimes, then report policy options and draft legislation to the working group by August 15, 2021 termination date.