NC H645

Expands hate crime laws by broadening protected characteristics beyond race, color, religion, nationality, and country of origin to include any "personally identifying characteristic" protected under international human rights standards, with enhanced penalties upgrading misdemeanors to felonies and allowing civil remedies including actual damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees

Establishes comprehensive anti-discrimination protections across housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, insurance, education, and jury service, with complaints filed through the NC Human Relations Commission and enforcement through existing fair housing procedures

Appropriates $1.89 million in nonrecurring funds and $530,000 in recurring funds to the State Bureau of Investigation to establish a hate crimes statistics database, with mandatory monthly reporting by law enforcement agencies and annual public reports beginning January 2027

Codifies reproductive rights by prohibiting undue burdens on abortion access before fetal viability, protecting the right to contraception, and ensuring access to assisted reproductive technology including IVF, while clarifying that fertilized eggs or embryos outside the uterus are not considered human beings under state law

Creates environmental justice requirements directing state agencies to consider cumulative environmental burdens on communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities, with a goal of proportionate investment in environmental justice communities and mandatory reporting beginning 2026