Stein vetoes homeless-service zones and public camping bill
House Bill 437 would have increased penalties for certain drug offenses near homeless services and restricted unauthorized camping on state and local government property.
RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed legislation that would have established drug-free zones around homeless-service facilities and required state and local governments to restrict unauthorized camping or sleeping on public property.
House Bill 437, titled “Drug-Free Zones/Unauthorized Public Camping,” was vetoed July 8 and returned to the North Carolina House for reconsideration, according to the General Assembly’s bill record.
The bill would have created enhanced criminal penalties for certain controlled-substance offenses committed within designated areas around facilities providing services to people experiencing homelessness. It also included provisions addressing camping or sleeping without authorization on property owned or controlled by state and local governments.
In his veto message, Stein said the legislation would make it more difficult to help people experiencing homelessness obtain housing and treatment. He also argued that the measure would impose costs on local governments without providing sufficient state funding.
“This poorly constructed bill makes that goal harder and creates another significant unfunded mandate for local governments,” Stein wrote.
The governor also objected to provisions he said could discourage people with substance-use disorders from seeking assistance and create legal risks for organizations providing services.
“If government threatens criminal liability against those who seek treatment and against the people, organizations, and churches trying to help them, government stands in the way of services that promote health and safety,” Stein wrote.
Stein said the state should instead invest in drug-trafficking enforcement, behavioral-health services and affordable housing.
The House originally approved the bill 76-36 in April 2025. The Senate later approved an amended version 26-16 on June 24. The House voted 73-40 on June 30 to agree to the Senate changes.
The measure was ratified July 1 and presented to Stein on July 2. It was vetoed July 8.
Because the legislation has been vetoed, it will not become law unless the General Assembly overrides the governor. An override requires three-fifths approval from members present and voting in each chamber.
The House’s June 30 vote fell short of three-fifths of the full chamber, but the outcome of any override attempt would depend on attendance and the number of members voting.
The General Assembly’s public calendar does not currently list an immediate House or Senate session. Both chambers are scheduled to reconvene July 27.
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.
