GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 1999

SESSION LAW 1999-105
SENATE BILL 637

AN ACT TO EXPAND THE LAW OF ASSAULT TO PROTECT SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1. G.S. 14-33 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-33.  Misdemeanor assaults, batteries, and affrays, simple and aggravated; punishments.
(a)	Any person who commits a simple assault or a simple assault and battery or participates in a simple affray is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(b)	Unless his conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who commits any assault, assault and battery, or affray is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if, in the course of the assault, assault and battery, or affray, he:
(1)	through (3) Repealed by Session Laws 1995, c. 507, s. 19.5(b);
(4)	through (7) Repealed by Session Laws 1991, c. 525, s. 1;
(8)	Repealed by Session Laws 1995, c. 507, s. 19.5(b);
(9)	Commits an assault and battery against a sports official when the sports official is discharging or attempting to discharge official duties at a sports event, or immediately after the sports event at which the sports official discharged official duties. A "sports official" is a person at a sports event who enforces the rules of the event, such as an umpire or referee, or a person who supervises the participants, such as a coach. A "sports event" includes any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity in a primary, middle, junior high, or high school, college, or university, any organized athletic activity sponsored by a community, business, or nonprofit organization, any athletic activity that is a professional or semiprofessional event, and any other organized athletic activity in the State.
(c)	Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who commits any assault, assault and battery, or affray is guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor if, in the course of the assault, assault and battery, or affray, he or she:
(1)	Inflicts serious injury upon another person or uses a deadly weapon;
(2)	Assaults a female, he being a male person at least 18 years of age;
(3)	Assaults a child under the age of 12 years;
(4)	Assaults an officer or employee of the State or any political subdivision of the State, when the officer or employee is discharging or attempting to discharge his official duties; or
	
(6)	Assaults a school employee or school volunteer when the employee or volunteer is discharging or attempting to discharge his or her duties as an employee or volunteer, or assaults a school employee or school volunteer as a result of the discharge or attempt to discharge that individual's duties as a school employee or school volunteer.  For purposes of this subdivision, the following definitions shall apply:
a.	"Duties" means:
1.	All activities on school property;
2.	All activities, wherever occurring, during a school authorized event or the accompanying of students to or from that event; and
3.	All activities relating to the operation of school transportation.
b.	"Employee" or "volunteer" means:
1.	An employee of a local board of education; or a charter school authorized under G.S. 115C-238.29D, or a nonpublic school which has filed intent to operate under Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes;
2.	An independent contractor or an employee of an independent contractor of a local board of education, charter school authorized under G.S. 115C-238.29D, or a nonpublic school which has filed intent to operate under Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes, if the independent contractor carries out duties customarily performed by employees of the school; and
3.	An adult who volunteers his or her services or presence at any school activity and is under the supervision of an individual listed in sub-sub-subdivision 1. or 2. of this sub-subdivision."
Section 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 1999, and applies to offenses on or after that date.  Prosecutions for offenses committed before the effective date of this act are not abated or affected by this act, and the statutes that would be applicable but for this act remain applicable to those prosecutions.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17th day of May, 1999. 

s/	Marc Basnight
President Pro Tempore of the Senate

s/	James B. Black
Speaker of the House of Representatives

s/	James B. Hunt, Jr.
Governor

Approved 2:00 p.m. this 27th day of May, 1999