House Bill 312: Hate Crimes Prevention Act

• Expands hate crime offenses to include crimes motivated by victim's race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation, with enhanced penalties ranging from Class 1 misdemeanor to Class E felony depending on offense severity.

• Creates new felony offense of "felonious assault as a hate crime" (Class F felony, or Class E if death results or involves kidnapping or sexual offenses) and allows victims and immediate family members to pursue civil lawsuits for actual damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and litigation costs including emotional distress damages.

• Requires State Bureau of Investigation to establish and maintain a hate crimes statistics database, with law enforcement agencies reporting offenses monthly and SBI submitting annual reports to General Assembly by January 15 each year, effective January 1, 2021.

• Mandates North Carolina Justice Academy develop and provide training to law enforcement officers on identifying, responding to, and reporting hate crimes as entry-level, in-service, and continuing education requirement.

• Requires Conference of District Attorneys of North Carolina to develop and provide training to prosecutors on prosecuting hate crimes, effective July 1, 2020.