S.311

North Carolina S311 increases penalties for assaulting utility or communications workers.

North Carolina S311, known as the Law and Order Act, increases the punishment for committing an assault against a utility or communications worker. The bill defines a utility or communications worker as someone employed by, an agent of, or under contract with an organization providing electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, or internet services. The act specifies that an assault against such a worker, if readily identifiable as such while performing duties, is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The law does not affect ongoing prosecutions and applies to offenses committed after December 1, 2025.