GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 389

Short Title:  Felony Child Abuse/Increase Penalty.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Rayfield; Alexander, Allred, Arnold, Baddour, Baker, Barbee, Beall, Berry, Bowie, Brawley, Brown, Buchanan, Cansler, Capps, Carpenter, Church, Clary, Cole, Crawford, Creech, Culp, Culpepper, Davis, Decker, Dedmon, Dickson, Dockham, Eddins, Ellis, Esposito, Fox, Gardner, Goodwin, Grady, Gulley, Hall, Hardy, Hiatt, Hill, Holmes, Ives, Justus, Kiser, McComas, McCombs, Mitchell, Moore, Morris, Nichols, Nye, Owens, Preston, Ramsey, Reynolds, Sexton, Sherrill, Shubert, Starnes, Tolson, Wainwright, Watson, Weatherly, G. Wilson, and Wood.

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Referred to:  Judiciary I.

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March 4, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF FELONY CHILD ABUSE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 14-318.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-318.4.  Child abuse a felony.
(a)	A parent or any other person providing care to or supervision of a child less than 16 years of age who intentionally inflicts any serious physical injury upon or to the child or who intentionally commits an assault upon the child which results in any serious physical injury to the child is guilty of a Class D felony.
(a1)	Any parent of a child less than 16 years of age, or any other person providing care to or supervision of the child, who commits, permits, or encourages any act of prostitution with or by the juvenile is guilty of child abuse and shall be punished as a Class D  felon.
(a2)	Any parent or legal guardian of a child less than 16 years of age who commits or allows the commission of any sexual act upon a juvenile is guilty of a Class D felony.
(b)	The felony of child abuse is an offense additional to other civil and criminal provisions and is not intended to repeal or preclude any other sanctions or remedies."
Section 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 1997, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.