House Bill 312 Summary

• Sheriff candidates and appointees must disclose all felony convictions, including expunged convictions, by filing a valid disclosure statement prepared by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission.

• Any felony conviction disqualifies a person from serving as sheriff, regardless of whether rights of citizenship were restored or the conviction was expunged, with an exception only for unconditional pardons of innocence.

• Candidates who fail to file the required disclosure statement by the filing deadline or within 48 hours of notice will have their name removed from the ballot and votes will not be counted.

• The North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission must conduct criminal history checks of state and national databases and contact the Administrative Office of the Courts to verify whether applicants have received expunctions.

• The act becomes effective October 1, 2021, and applies to all sheriff elections and appointments on or after that date.