---
type: "Bill"
title: "Prison Reform Act of 2019."
description: "Prison Reform Act of 2019."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nc"
legislature: "North Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2019"
identifier: "SB 579"
citation: "North Carolina SB 579 (2019)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["APPROPRIATIONS", "BUDGETING", "COMMISSIONS", "COMMITTEES", "CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS", "COUNCILS", "GENERAL ASSEMBLY", "JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS", "LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE", "MANAGEMENT", "MINORS", "PAROLE COMN.", "PAROLE & PROBATION", "PRESENTED", "INMATES", "PUBLIC", "RATIFIED", "SENTENCING", "STUDIES", "CHAPTERED", "PROGRAM EVALUATION COMM.", "PROGRAM EVALUATION DIVISION", "PUBLIC SAFETY DEPT.", "JUSTICE REINVESTMENT COUNCIL"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["McKissick", "Steinburg"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 36
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-04-03"
last_action: "2019-11-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f407fc66-f943-4b42-8c64-e5a7cc64da8e"
source_url: "http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2019&BillID=S579&votesToView=all"
source_hash: "e9cb47fb987deabf649b3c1300f05acea98811787d3e55a2ccaa417b2ccf06b5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nc"]
---

# North Carolina SB 579 (2019) — Prison Reform Act of 2019.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v0.pdf)
2. **Edition 1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v1.pdf)
3. **Edition 2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v2.pdf)
4. **Edition 3** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v3.pdf)
5. **Ratified** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v4.pdf)
6. **SL 2019-236** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2019/Bills/Senate/PDF/S579v5.pdf)

## Votes

- Second Reading — **110–0** (pass) · lower
- Motion 9 To Concur — **49–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- McKissick — primary (person)
- Steinburg — primary (person)
- Britt — cosponsor (person)
- Burgin — cosponsor (person)
- Daniel — cosponsor (person)
- Sanderson — cosponsor (person)
- Smith — cosponsor (person)
- T. Alexander — cosponsor (person)
- Waddell — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-11-01** Ch. SL 2019-236 `became-law`
- **2019-11-01** Signed by Gov. 11/1/2019 `executive-signature`
- **2019-10-25** Pres. To Gov. 10/25/2019 `executive-receipt`
- **2019-10-24** Ratified
- **2019-10-23** Ordered Enrolled
- **2019-10-23** Concurred In H Com Sub `amendment-passage`
- **2019-10-22** Placed On Cal For 10/23/2019
- **2019-10-22** Withdrawn From Com
- **2019-10-17** Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2019-10-17** Regular Message Received For Concurrence in H Com Sub
- **2019-10-10** Regular Message Sent To Senate
- **2019-10-09** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-10-09** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2019-10-09** Added to Calendar
- **2019-10-09** Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- **2019-10-09** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-10-07** Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2019-10-07** Withdrawn From Com
- **2019-08-20** Re-ref to the Com on State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2019-08-20** Withdrawn From Com
- **2019-07-04** Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2019-07-04** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-07-02** Regular Message Received From Senate
- **2019-07-02** Regular Message Sent To House
- **2019-07-01** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-07-01** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2019-06-28** Reptd Fav `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-06-26** Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2019-06-26** Com Substitute Adopted
- **2019-06-26** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-06-26** Sequential Referral To Appropriations/Base Budget Stricken
- **2019-04-25** Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Appropriations/Base Budget. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-25** Withdrawn From Com
- **2019-04-04** Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-04** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-04-03** Filed `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f407fc66-f943-4b42-8c64-e5a7cc64da8e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Carolina legislature records).