Senate Bill 739 Summary

• Establishes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism adopted May 26, 2016, and its contemporary examples as standards for investigating and determining anti-Semitic discrimination across multiple state law enforcement and legal contexts.

• Applies anti-Semitism definition to criminal investigations (Chapter 14), employment discrimination complaints (Chapter 143 Article 49A and Chapter 95), housing discrimination cases (Chapter 41A), and civil rights violations (Chapter 99D).

• Requires state agencies and the University of North Carolina to include anti-Semitic bias training utilizing the IHRA definition in Equal Employment Opportunity training for newly appointed supervisors and managers within one year of appointment.

• Becomes effective October 1, 2023, for most provisions; criminal investigation provisions become effective December 1, 2023, applying only to offenses committed on or after that date.

• Includes severability clause stating the act does not diminish First Amendment rights or conflict with federal, state, or local discrimination laws.