FILED SENATE
May 26, 2020
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 840
SESSION 2019 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS45460-NDa-155
Short Title: Allow Clerks to Hear Traffic Cases Virtually. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Garrett and Robinson (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO TEMPORARILY ALLOW CLERKS OF COURT TO HEAR MINOR TRAFFIC
3 OFFENSES BY VIRTUAL HEARING DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
4 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
5 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the
6 Administrative Office of the Courts, in consultation with the North Carolina Conference of
7 Clerks of Superior Court, shall (i) identify traffic offenses over which clerks of superior court
8 may be given authority to preside, (ii) grant authority to clerks of superior court to hold in-person
9 and remote hearings involving the identified traffic offenses, and (iii) provide software, laptops,
10 and any other technological need to clerks of superior court to preside over remote proceedings
11 in a manner that ensures the validity and integrity of the proceedings.
12 SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Administrative
13 Office of the Courts the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the
14 2020-2021 fiscal year to be used to implement the requirements of Section 1 of this act.
15 SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2020, and expires March 1, 2021.
*DRS45460-NDa-155*