HB 656 — Split District Court District 43 into 43A/43B; split Defender District 43 into 43A/43B (North Carolina)
Status (NC): Passed first reading (April 2, 2025). Referred to Judiciary 1, then Appropriations, if favorable, then Rules.
Summary purpose
- HB 656 divides the existing District Court District 43 and the corresponding public defender (indigent defense) District 43 into two separate districts — Districts 43A and 43B — and funds the additional judicial and public‑defender positions and staff needed to operate the new districts.
Key provisions
- District reorganization (G.S. 7A‑133 and G.S. 7A‑498.7):
- Creates District Court District 43A and District 43B. The bill’s text lists counties as follows:
- District 43A: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain.
- District 43B: Haywood, Jackson.
- Amends the defender district table to establish Defender Districts 43A and 43B with the same county groupings noted above.
- Appropriations and staffing (all amounts are for the 2026–2027 fiscal year unless otherwise noted):
- Judicial branch (Administrative Office of the Courts):
- $253,001 recurring and $10,376 nonrecurring to hire one full‑time district court judge for District 43B.
- $7,421 recurring to add to the salary of the district court judge selected as chief district court judge of District 43B.
- $71,932 recurring and $3,436 nonrecurring to hire one full‑time judicial assistant for District 43B.
- Indigent defense (Office of Indigent Defense Services via AOC):
- $228,461 recurring and $4,895 nonrecurring to hire one full‑time chief public defender for Defender District 43B.
- $424,488 recurring and $14,685 nonrecurring to hire three full‑time assistant public defenders to serve Defender District 43B.
Who is affected
- Residents, litigants, and court users in the listed counties (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain).
- The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) — new judicial position, chief judge compensation add‑on, and support staff.
- The Office of Indigent Defense Services — new chief public defender and assistant public defenders for Defender District 43B.
- Local bar/justice system stakeholders (e.g., district attorneys, court clerks) by changes in court district organization and caseload distribution.
Timeline / Effective dates
- Appropriations and staffing provisions are tied to the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
- Subsection creating the new judge allotments (the district table) becomes effective January 1, 2027; elections held in 2026 are to reflect the new districts.
- The remainder of the act becomes effective July 1, 2026 (and otherwise when the act becomes law, as specified).
Fiscal impact (state)
- The bill authorizes recurring and nonrecurring General Fund appropriations (listed above) to support one new judge, support staff, and multiple public defender positions servicing the new District 43B. These are explicit in the bill for FY 2026–27.
Notes / observations
- The bill lists Haywood and Jackson in both 43A and 43B; the practical division of duties, case assignments, and precinct boundaries would be implemented administratively and by subsequent election procedures described (elections in 2026).
- Further administrative rulemaking or implementation guidance by AOC and the Commission on Indigent Defense Services may be required to operationalize the split.
