A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT making the county where a defendant resides or does business the venue for a civil action seeking punitive damages.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 7 of Chapter 1 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 1‑77.1.  Venue when punitive damages in prayer for relief.
In any action in which punitive damages are prayed for in the prayer for relief, the action shall be tried in the county where the party from whom punitive damages are sought resides or has its principal office; except that the action shall be tried in the county where the cause of action arose if punitive damages are sought:
(1)	From more than one party and those parties' residences or principal office or offices are in more than one county; or
(2)	By both plaintiff and defendant."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2019, and applies to actions commenced on or after that date.