NC H584

Allows courts to consider posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mitigating factor when sentencing veterans who have been diagnosed with the condition resulting from military service.

Defines PTSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) or subsequent editions published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Requires defendants to provide documentary evidence of service in a U.S. Armed Forces combat zone using either certification from the Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs or a Department of Defense Form DD-214.

Requires defendants to provide documentary evidence of a PTSD diagnosis connected to their military service.

Becomes effective December 1, 2021, and applies only to offenses committed on or after that date.