H 1242

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
  SESSION 2025
 H  1
  HOUSE BILL 1242
 Short Title:   Modernize Law of the Land Clause.  (Public)
 Sponsors:      Representatives Cook and Greenfield (Primary Sponsors).
  For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
 Referred to:   Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  July 1, 2026
1A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE I, SECTION 19, OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
3     CONSTITUTION TO MODERNIZE THE LANGUAGE OF THE LAW OF THE LAND
4     CLAUSE.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6SECTION 1.(a) Article I, Section 19, of the North Carolina Constitution reads as
7 rewritten:
8 "Sec. 19. Law of the land; equal protection of the laws.
9     No person shall be taken, imprisoned, or disseized of his freehold, liberties, or privileges, or
10 outlawed, or exiled, or in any manner deprived of his life, liberty, or property, but by the law of
11 the land. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws; nor shall any person be
12 subjected to discrimination by the State because of race, color, religion, or national origin."
13SECTION 1.(b) The amendment set out in Section 1(a) of this act shall be submitted
14 to the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on November 3,
15 2026, which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing elections at that
16 time. The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be:
17"[ ] FOR        [ ] AGAINST
18Constitutional amendment to modernize the language of the law of the land clause in
19 Article I, Section 19, of the North Carolina Constitution."
20SECTION 1.(c) The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the
21 referendum conducted under Section 1(b) of this act. If a majority of votes cast on the question
22 are in favor of the amendment set out in Section 1(a) of this act, the Secretary of State shall enroll
23 the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of votes cast on the
24 question are against the amendment set out in Section 1(a) of this act, the amendment shall have
25 no effect.
26SECTION 1.(d) If the certification from the State Board of Elections under Section
27 1(c) of this act reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment
28 set out in Section 1(a) of this act, the amendment set out in Section 1(a) of this act is effective
29 upon certification.
30SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.
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