Senate Bill 352 Summary

• Codifies United States citizenship as a requirement to serve as a juror in North Carolina, changing the statute from "State" to "United States" citizenship.

• Allows chief district court judges to delegate authority to hear jury excusal applications to clerks of superior court or judicial support staff, with forms to specify disqualification reasons including lack of citizenship.

• Requires clerks of superior court to report quarterly to the State Board of Elections the names and personal information of individuals disqualified from jury duty due to non-citizenship status.

• Directs the State Board of Elections to review citizenship status within 30 days and report flagged individuals to county boards of elections, which must send 30-day removal notices; county boards may remove voters from registration if no objection is filed.

• Takes effect January 1, 2024, and authorizes the Administrative Office of the Courts to implement recordkeeping procedures for the new citizenship-based jury disqualification reporting system.