North CarolinaJuvenile placement orders would require written factual findings
If enacted, courts handling abused, neglected, or dependent children would have to support section 7B-903 findings with written facts for petitions filed on or after October 1, 2025.
What it does
Courts handling abused, neglected, or dependent children would have to write facts supporting placement decisions, including whether a child should remain in the home community.
For one year, covered IOLTA funds could be used only for administrative costs and not for grants or other purposes, if the measure becomes law.
Argument forWritten findings could make placement decisions easier for families and reviewing courts to understand, especially when children are moved outside their communities.
Argument againstLimiting IOLTA funds to administrative costs could reduce money available for grants during the one-year restriction period.
More detail
Juvenile courts would have to support findings and decisions under this section with written facts. This applies to courts handling abused, neglected, or dependent children, including decisions about out-of-home placement and whether a child should remain in the home community. When placing a child outside the home, the court would have to decide whether staying in the child's community is in the child's best interest and write facts supporting that decision. A placement with a relative outside North Carolina must follow the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This section would apply to petitions filed on or after October 1, 2025, if enacted.
The North Carolina IOLTA Board of Trustees could use covered funds only for administrative costs during the stated period. The restriction covers funds received from banks through interest on lawyers' general trust accounts and settlement agents' trust or escrow accounts, along with related earnings. The covered funds could not be encumbered or spent on grants during the restriction period. The funds could not be used for purposes other than administrative costs during that period. The restriction would run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026; this section would take effect when the act becomes law, if enacted.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Aug 6Conf Com AppointedLatest
- Aug 6Conf Com Appointed
- 2025
- Jun 26Special Message Sent To Senate
- Vote recorded Motion 9 To Concur. Result: fail.Upper
- Jun 26Special Message Received For Concurrence in H Com Sub
- Jun 26Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Jun 26Withdrawn From Com
- Jun 26Placed on Today's Calendar
- Jun 26Failed Concur In H Com Sub
- Jun 25Reptd FavMinor
- Vote recorded A1 Morey Second Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Jun 25Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- Jun 25Added to Calendar
- Jun 25Amend Failed A1Minor
- Jun 25Passed 2nd ReadingMinor
- Jun 25Passed 3rd ReadingPassed House
- Jun 24Withdrawn From Com
- Jun 24Re-ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- Jun 24Reptd Fav Com SubstituteMinor
- Jun 24Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- May 6Passed 1st ReadingMinor
- May 6Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- May 5Regular Message Sent To House
- May 5Regular Message Received From Senate
- May 1Passed 2nd ReadingMinor
- May 1Passed 3rd ReadingPassed Senate
- Apr 30Reptd FavMinor
- Apr 29Reptd FavMinor
- Apr 29Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Apr 14Withdrawn From Com
- Apr 14Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Mar 26Passed 1st ReadingMinor
- Mar 26Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Mar 25FiledIntroduced
- Jun 26Special Message Sent To Senate
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