Session Law 2023-128: House Bill 142 Summary

• Changes sexual activity with a student (G.S. 14-27.32) to a Class G felony for teachers, administrators, student teachers, school safety officers, and coaches at any age, and Class I G felony for other school personnel less than four years older than the victim, effective December 1, 2023.

• Makes failure to report misconduct by licensed school employees to the State Board of Education within five days of dismissal, disciplinary action, or resignation a Class I felony; school administrators must report conduct justifying automatic license revocation or physical injury to children, effective December 1, 2023.

• Requires the Center for Safer Schools to produce age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention videos for grades 6-12 to be shown to all students within five days of the school year start, distributed to all public schools by June 30, 2024, effective 2024-2025 school year.

• Defines "conduct directly related to the office or employment" for retirement benefit forfeiture purposes to include felony convictions for offenses requiring license revocation or offenses committed while employed in public schools, effective July 1, 2023.

• Requires Buncombe County Board of Education to establish six electoral districts by June 30, 2024, and mandates joint feasibility study with Asheville City Board of Education on merging their school administrative units with report due February 15, 2025.