AN ACT to provide that an offense committed against or that proximately causes serious injury to a social worker is an aggravating factor.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 15A‑1340.16(d)(6) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	Aggravating Factors. – The following are aggravating factors:
…
(6)	The offense was committed against or proximately caused serious injury to a present or former law enforcement officer, employee of the Department of Correction, jailer, fireman, emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant, social worker, justice or judge, clerk or assistant or deputy clerk of court, magistrate, prosecutor, juror, or witness against the defendant, while engaged in the performance of that person's official duties or because of the exercise of that person's official duties."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2005, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 13th day of June, 2005.

	s/	 Charlie S. Dannelly
		 Deputy President Pro Tempore of the Senate

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

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 9:17 p.m. this 21st day of June, 2005