Taking effect on July 1: NC laws on abortion, guns and sharks. We’ve got the rundown.

In recent months, the North Carolina legislature has passed several new laws, many of which are set to take effect on July 1, 2023.

These laws include new abortion restrictions, a repeal of certain gun laws and more. Here’s the full list.

SENATE BILL 20: ‘Care for Women, Children, and Families Act’

Prohibits abortions after 12 weeks, with exceptions: up to 20 weeks for rape and incest, up to 24 weeks for “life-limiting” fetal anomalies, and without limit if a physician determines that the mother’s life is in danger due to a medical emergency.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill after it passed along party lines, but the Republican-dominated legislature overrode his veto.

On Saturday, the repeal of the current law, which allows abortions until 20 weeks of gestation, and the enactment of the new time limits go into effect. Also going into effect are new informed consent requirements for medical abortions and new reporting requirements for physicians, among other provisions.

The exact provisions going into effect were murky following a lawsuit filed in early June against the new abortion law by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a physician who performs abortion. The lawsuit sought a temporary block on the enforcement of portions of the law, including the 12-week ban, as well as clarification on whether the ban on medication abortions was set at 10 or 12 weeks. The legislature went on to pass a package of changes and clarifications, including getting rid of the discrepancy on medication abortions and clarifying they are legal after 12 weeks.

On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the 12-week abortion ban can go into effect but blocked one part of the law from being enforced for the next two weeks. That portion is on requirements physicians prescribing medication abortions need to follow.

House Bill 190: ‘Department of Health and Human Services Revisions’

This is the law that made the clarifying corrections to the abortion law. It also makes various changes to health laws.

The last-minute changes to the abortion law were added via this bill to the Senate’s calendar on June 22, passing with bipartisan support. The House also approved these additions and Cooper on Thursday signed them into law.

The changes follow the lawsuit against the 12-week abortion ban. The federal judge on Friday, in her ruling allowing the abortion law to take effect in July, said that many of the points of confusion and contradiction raised in the lawsuit had been clarified by the last minute GOP corrections, as previously reported by The News & Observer.

HB 190 clarified that the medication ban was set at 12 weeks.

SENATE BILL 41: ‘Guarantee 2nd Amendment Freedom and Protections’

This Republican-sponsored law, which passed along partisan lines, repeals the state’s requirement to obtain a pistol purchase permit prior to the purchase or transfer of a handgun. This became law upon passage of the bill in March.

The law also allows people who have a concealed handgun permit, or who are exempt from obtaining that permit, to carry a handgun into a place of religious worship that is also an educational facility. This becomes effective in December.

Becoming effective in July is a separate provision that allows concealed carry for certain law enforcement facility employees, as well as a two-year statewide initiative promoting awareness of safe gun storage.

This law was vetoed by Cooper, but Republicans overrode the veto.

Absent from the veto override vote in March were three House Democrats: Reps. Cecil Brockman of Guilford County, Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County and Michael Wray of Halifax County. This meant that Republicans only needed 71 votes to override the veto, not 72, The N&O reported. Cotham has since switched party affiliation to Republican.

Senate Bill 582: ‘North Carolina Farm Act of 2023’

This 28-page law makes various changes to agriculture and wastewater policies.

Chief among the changes is a provision that requires North Carolina’s definition of protected wetlands to be consistent with the federal government’s definition without going any farther, The N&O reported.

The state’s Department of Environmental Quality estimates that following this change as many as 2.5 million acres could lose protection, equaling more than half of the state’s wetlands. This provision is already law.

Taking effect in July are a provision that requires income from the sale of honey to be included in gross income for tax purposes and a provision requiring the state’s Veterinary Medical Board to adopt rules to establish minimum standards for boarding kennels, among other changes.

While this bill drew bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly, Cooper vetoed the bill. Shortly afterward, the legislature overrode that veto.

House Bill 116: ‘Modify Laws Affecting District Attorneys’

This law allows district attorneys to recuse themselves from a case due to a conflict of interest or other “good cause.”

It also specifies that the Conference of District Attorneys, a statewide advocacy group for prosecutors, can provide legal counsel and advice to the district attorneys and their staff and that the advice is not subject to the state’s public records laws. Also becoming confidential under this law are copies of criminal records received by a DA or their staff.

The law renames the position of executive secretary of the Conference of District Attorneys to executive director and requires this state employee to be a licensed attorney with an active law license in the state.

These parts of the law are already effective. Starting on Saturday are provisions that allow DAs to appoint at least one special investigator in cases.

HOUSE BILL 44: ‘Limited Shark Fishing Tournament Moratorium’

Effective Saturday, it is unlawful for people between May 1 and Oct. 31 to catch sharks as part of a recreational fishing tournament in a number of popular tourist spots: Carolina Beach, Caswell Beach, Holden Beach, Kure Beach, Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, or Bald Head Island.

House Bill 103: ‘GSC Technical Corrections 2023’

Makes technical corrections to various state laws, such as removal of obsolete references, recodifying statutes and more.

Senate Bill 729: ‘Contribution-Based Benefit Cap Working Group Changes’

Allows public schools not to pay an additional contribution for the retirement of a public school employee if they meet certain requirements.

For example, to qualify, schools must certify the greatest local supplement, or money applied on top of the state’s salary to attract teachers, paid to the retiree did not exceed 20% of their salary paid from state funds.