Broad North Carolina court changes bill ordered enrolled

House Bill 377 includes changes affecting court administration, judges, clerks, fees, records and related legal procedures.

RALEIGH — A broad North Carolina courts bill was ordered enrolled Wednesday after the House adopted a conference report, moving the measure through one of the final steps in the legislative process.

House Bill 377, titled “2026 Court Changes,” cleared its latest House vote 62-45 on Aug. 5, according to the North Carolina General Assembly bill record. The Senate adopted the conference report July 29 on a 26-11 vote.

The legislation spans a wide range of court administration and legal procedure. The bill page lists affected subjects including courts, judges, district court, superior court, court clerks, magistrates, juries, criminal procedure, civil procedure, court costs and fees, records, juvenile code, estates, guardianship, adoption, housing and indigent defense.

A legislative summary says one section would modify state law to allow suspension of trial judges while misconduct investigations are pending. The bill defines “trial judge” to include judges serving in Superior Court or District Court, including certain recalled retired judges.

The measure has moved through both chambers over more than a year. The House first passed the bill in April 2025, and the Senate passed an amended version in June 2026. The House did not concur with the Senate changes, sending the bill to conference. The conference report was approved by the Senate in late July and by the House this week.

Because the bill touches many parts of the court system, its practical effects will depend on the final enrolled text, effective dates and implementation by the Judicial Branch and affected agencies.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.