A new bill filed by State Sen. Alexander seeks to enhance protections for emergency responders by increasing penalties for assaults and harmful exposures during their duties, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 361 on March 20 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Protecting First Responders Act.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill, known as the Protecting First Responders Act, seeks to enhance penalties for assaulting certain emergency responders by classifying such acts as a Class I felony and addresses exposure to fentanyl or other harmful agents. It criminalizes exposing emergency responders to these agents as a Class H felony, with escalated charges to a Class G felony if exposure causes serious bodily injury. Additionally, it introduces a Class I felony for failing to notify responders of the presence of harmful substances. Effective Dec. 1, 2025, these provisions aim to increase responder safety. Furthermore, the bill appropriates $10.35 million in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-26 fiscal year to support first responders through grants for bulletproof vests and backpack plates, with funds available until July 1, 2028. This section becomes effective July 1, 2025.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Jim Burgin proposed the most bills (26) 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, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and Jim Burgin | SB 361 | 03/20/2025 | Protecting First Responders Act. |
| W. Ted Alexander, Bobby Hanig, and Carl Ford | SB 359 | 03/20/2025 | Retirement Death Benefits Rewrite.-AB |
| 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 | SB 365 | 03/20/2025 | Theft of Temporary Housing During Emergency. |
| 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. |
