GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2003

SESSION LAW 2003-299

HOUSE BILL 1171

AN ACT to make changes in the law prohibiting hazing.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14-35 reads as rewritten:

"§ 14-35.  Hazing; definition and punishment.

It shall be is unlawful for any student in attendance at any university, collegecollege, or school in this State to engage in what is known as hazing, or to aid or abet any other student in the commission of this offense. For the purposes of this section hazing is defined as follows: "to annoy any student by playing abusive or ridiculous tricks upon him, to frighten, scold, beat or harass him, or to subject him to personal indignity." "to subject another student to physical injury as part of an initiation, or as a prerequisite to membership, into any organized school group, including any society, athletic team, fraternity or sorority, or other similar group." Any violation of this section shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor."

SECTION 2. G.S. 14-36 is repealed.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2003, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 24^th day of June, 2003.

                                                                    s/ Marc Basnight

                                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

                                                                    s/ Richard T. Morgan

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/ Michael F. Easley

                                                                         Governor

Approved 4:44 p.m. this 4^th day of July, 2003