A new bill filed by State Sen. Alexander seeks to establish penalties for unauthorized entry and damage to temporary housing during declared emergencies in affected counties, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 365 on March 20 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill specifies penalties for unauthorized entry and damage to temporary housing during a state of emergency within affected counties in North Carolina. It amends current statutes to categorize such offenses as a Class F felony if, without legal justification, an individual enters another’s property in an emergency area and exerts control over, damages, or destroys temporary housing. Temporary housing includes tents, trailers, mobile homes, or any structure used as shelter and designed for transport. The bill also allows those injured by such violations to sue for treble damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees. The act becomes effective Dec. 1, 2025, applying to offenses committed from that date onward.
A related bill, SB 164, was also filed in the North Carolina Senate, introduced by Sen. W. Ted Alexander (and two others) on Feb. 25, 2025.
Alexander proposed another 15 bills during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Alexander graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA.
Alexander, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 44th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Vickie Sawyer.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| W. Ted Alexander | SB 365 | 03/20/2025 | Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 359 | 03/20/2025 | Retirement Death Benefits Rewrite.-AB |
| W. Ted Alexander, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and Jim Burgin | SB 361 | 03/20/2025 | Protecting First Responders Act. |
| W. Ted Alexander | SB 362 | 03/20/2025 | Strengthen Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 363 | 03/20/2025 | DST Technical Corrections/Admin. Changes 2025.-AB |
| W. Ted Alexander and Todd Johnson | SB 364 | 03/20/2025 | Shorter Separation for Retired ADAs and APDs. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Amy S. Galey, and Carl Ford | SB 344 | 03/19/2025 | Pooled Trust Transfers/Public Benefits Elig. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Brad Overcash, and Mark Hollo | SB 329 | 03/18/2025 | Recognizing South Fork Passage State Trail. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Amy S. Galey, and Warren Daniel | SB 249 | 03/06/2025 | Exempt./Campaign Sales/Other Political Groups. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Eddie D. Settle, and Timothy D. Moffitt | SB 164 | 02/25/2025 | Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 135 | 02/24/2025 | Expand Homestead Exclusion Inc. Elig. Limit. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Carl Ford, and Eddie D. Settle | SB 123 | 02/21/2025 | Flags at Every School. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 91 | 02/12/2025 | Newborn Safety Devices. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 92 | 02/12/2025 | Released Time Education Act. |
| W. Ted Alexander | SB 79 | 02/11/2025 | Boiling Springs Charter Revisions. |
| W. Ted Alexander | SB 46 | 02/04/2025 | Lincoln/Catawba Common Boundary Line. |
