GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 401

Short Title:      Allow Lottery Winners to be Confidential.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representatives Logan, Harrison, Hawkins, and F. Jackson (Primary Sponsors). For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to:	Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

March 17, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to allow a lottery winner to choose to treat as confidential their identifying information.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 18C‑132 reads as rewritten:

"§ 18C‑132.  Procedures for drawings and claiming prizes; payment of prizes; protection of information concerning certain prize winners.

…

(h)        The right of any person to a prize shall not be assignable. Payment of any prize may be paid to a person designated pursuant to a court order. Any prize or portion of a prize remaining unpaid at the death of a prize winner shall be paid to the estate of the deceased prize winner or to the trustee of a trust established by the prize winner or as designated in the deceased prize winner's will, living trust, or other prepared legal instrument if a copy of the trust document or instrument has been filed with the Director, and no written notice of revocation has been received by the Director prior to the prize winner's death.

(i)         No ticket or share in a lottery game shall be purchased by, and no prize shall be paid to, a member of the Commission, the Director, or employee of the Commission, or to any spouse, parent, or child living in the same household as a person disqualified by this subsection.

(j)         No prize shall be paid to a person under the age of 18.

(j1)       If requested by the prize winner, the identity identifying information of a prize winner of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) or more shall be treated as confidential information under G.S. 132‑1.2(8) until 90 days after the winner has claimed the prize.except to the extent required to do the following:

(1) Notify the North Carolina Department of Revenue to comply with subsection (l) of this section.

(2) Notify the Internal Revenue Service.

(3) Notify the tax authorities of the state of residence of the prize winner.

(4) Comply with the debt set‑off program under G.S. 18C‑134 and Chapter 105A of the General Statutes.

(5) Comply with Article 31 of Chapter 1 of the General Statutes concerning supplemental proceedings against a judgment debtor.

(6) Comply with a court order.

(k) If a prize winner submits to the Commission a copy of a protective order without attachments, if any, issued to that person under G.S. 50B‑3 or a lawful order of any court of competent jurisdiction restricting the access or contact of one or more persons with that prize winner or a current and valid Address Confidentiality Program authorization card issued pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 15C of the General Statutes, that prize winner's identifying information shall be treated as confidential information under G.S. 132‑1.2 as long as the protective order remains in effect or the prize winner remains a certified program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program. That prize winner's identifying information shall be available for inspection by a law enforcement agency or by a person identified in a court order if inspection of the address by that person is directed by that court order.

(l)         All prizes are subject to the State income tax.

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(n) The name and address of a prize winner is confidential except in one or more of the following circumstances:

(1) The prize winner consents to the release.

(2) To the extent required to do the following:

a. Notify the North Carolina Department of Revenue to comply with subsection (l) of this section.

b. Notify the Internal Revenue Service.

c. Notify the tax authorities of the state of residence of the prize winner.

d. Comply with the debt set‑off program under G.S. 18C‑134 and Chapter 105A of the General Statutes.

e. Comply with Article 31 of Chapter 1 of the General Statutes concerning supplemental proceedings against a judgment debtor."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.