A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to require juries to receive written instructions from the judge in medical malpractice suits and to encourage each senior resident superior court judge to designate a specific superior court judge to hear all aspects of a medical malpractice case.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 1A‑1, Rule 51 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(d)	Final instructions to the jury. – In civil cases subject to Rule 9(j) of the Rules of Civil Procedure, the court shall reduce the oral instructions given to the jury to writing. Upon the jury retiring for deliberation, the court shall provide the jury a written copy of the oral instructions for the jury to take into the jury room during deliberation."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 7A‑47.3 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(e)	The Senior Resident Superior Court Judge, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts, is encouraged to and may designate a specific resident judge or a specific judge assigned to hold court in the District to preside over all proceedings in a case subject to Rule 9(j) of the Rules of Civil Procedure."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2019. Section 1 applies to actions filed on or after that date.