A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR COMMUNICATING A THREAT TO A CHILD.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑277.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14‑277.1.  Communicating threats.
(a)	A person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if without lawful authority:
(1)	He willfully threatens to physically injure the person or that person's child, sibling, spouse, or dependent or willfully threatens to damage the property of another;
(2)	The threat is communicated to the other person, orally, in writing, or by any other means;
(3)	The threat is made in a manner and under circumstances which would cause a reasonable person to believe that the threat is likely to be carried out; and
(4)	The person threatened believes that the threat will be carried out.
(b)	A violation of subsection (a) of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(c)	A person is guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor if:
(1)	The person violates subsection (a) of this section;
(2)	The victim is a child under the age of 13 years; and
(3)	The person committing the offense is age 18 years or older."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2004, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.