---
type: "Bill"
title: "Human Trafficking Changes."
description: "Human Trafficking Changes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nc"
legislature: "North Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 971"
citation: "North Carolina HB 971 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ADMINISTRATION DEPT.", "AOC", "APPROPRIATIONS", "BUDGETING", "CHAPTERED", "CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER", "CHILD CUSTODY", "COMMISSIONS", "COMPUTERS", "COURTS", "CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION COMN.", "CRIMES", "DHHS", "EDUCATION", "EMPLOYMENT", "FAMILY ISSUES", "FOOD SERVICES", "FOODS & BEVERAGES", "GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES", "HOTELS & MOTELS", "HUMAN TRAFFICKING", "HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMN.", "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY", "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPT.", "JUDICIAL DEPT.", "LABOR DEPT.", "MINORS", "OBSCENITY", "PERSONNEL", "PRESENTED", "PROSTITUTION", "PUBLIC", "PUBLIC RECORDS", "RATIFIED", "RECORDS", "SMUGGLING & TRAFFICKING", "STATE EMPLOYEES", "VICTIMS RIGHTS", "VOCATIONAL EDUCATION"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Arp", "Crutchfield", "Reeder"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 37
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2024-05-01"
last_action: "2024-06-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3f6e7654-bdac-4330-b6af-932c7d7da0d4"
source_url: "https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2023/H971"
source_hash: "df3ee2b9ec24847639c2aebd84cee58f39063e4a599dee57c88d4ba181abe521"
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 HB 971 (2023) — Human Trafficking Changes.

## Version chain

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

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v0.pdf)
2. **A1: ACN-9-V-9** (committee substitute) — [source](https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/9060/0/H971-ACN-9-V-9)
3. **Edition 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v1.pdf)
4. **Edition 2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v2.pdf)
5. **Edition 3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v3.pdf)
6. **Edition 4** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v4.pdf)
7. **Edition 5** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v5.pdf)
8. **Ratified** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v6.pdf)
9. **SL 2024-26** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H971v7.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Arp — primary (person)
- Crutchfield — primary (person)
- Reeder — primary (person)
- Bradford — cosponsor (person)
- Cairns — cosponsor (person)
- Fontenot — cosponsor (person)
- Hastings — cosponsor (person)
- Johnson — cosponsor (person)
- K. Baker — cosponsor (person)
- Loftis — cosponsor (person)
- Lowery — cosponsor (person)
- McNeely — cosponsor (person)
- Paré — cosponsor (person)
- Pyrtle — cosponsor (person)
- Riddell — cosponsor (person)
- Ross — cosponsor (person)
- Sasser — cosponsor (person)
- Sossamon — cosponsor (person)
- Tyson — cosponsor (person)
- Ward — cosponsor (person)
- Warren — cosponsor (person)
- White — cosponsor (person)
- Willingham — cosponsor (person)
- Wray — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-06-28** Ch. SL 2024-26 `became-law`
- **2024-06-28** Signed by Gov. 6/28/2024 `executive-signature`
- **2024-06-27** Pres. To Gov. 6/27/2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-06-27** Ratified
- **2024-06-26** Ordered Enrolled
- **2024-06-26** Concurred In S Com Sub `amendment-passage`
- **2024-06-25** Placed On Cal For 06/26/2024
- **2024-06-25** Withdrawn From Com
- **2024-06-24** Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2024-06-20** Special Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
- **2024-06-20** Special Message Sent To House
- **2024-06-20** Engrossed
- **2024-06-20** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-06-20** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-06-20** Amend Adopted A1 `amendment-passage`
- **2024-06-20** Placed on Today's Calendar
- **2024-06-20** Withdrawn From Cal
- **2024-06-20** Reptd Fav `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-06-19** Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2024-06-19** Com Substitute Adopted
- **2024-06-19** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-06-17** Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2024-06-17** Withdrawn From Com
- **2024-06-13** Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate `referral-committee`
- **2024-06-13** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2024-06-13** Special Message Received From House
- **2024-06-12** Special Message Sent To Senate
- **2024-06-12** Passed 3rd Reading `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-06-12** Passed 2nd Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-06-12** Added to Calendar
- **2024-06-12** Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- **2024-06-12** Reptd Fav Com Sub 2 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-22** Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2024-05-22** Reptd Fav Com Substitute `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-06** Ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House `referral-committee`
- **2024-05-06** Passed 1st Reading `reading-1`
- **2024-05-01** Filed `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3f6e7654-bdac-4330-b6af-932c7d7da0d4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Carolina legislature records).