Bill
SB 274
Repeals crime against nature and creates a focused bestiality offense (Class I felony) for sexual acts with animals, effective Dec 1, 2025.
Status & Sponsor
- Bill: SB 274
- Title: Repeal Crime Against Nature Law
- Sponsor: Sen. Grafstein
- Introduced: Feb 4 / March 13, 2025 (introduced in Senate)
- Early status: Passed first reading (as provided)
Purpose
- Remove the current statutory offense commonly known as “crime against nature” and replace it with a focused statutory offense that criminalizes sexual conduct with animals (bestiality). The change narrows and modernizes statutory language and creates a standalone bestiality offense with a defined element and specified penalty.
Key provisions
- Repeals G.S. 14‑177 (the existing “crime against nature” statute).
- Adds a new statute, G.S. 14‑363.4 — “Bestiality”:
- Defines the offense as a person who “performs or submits to any sexual act with an animal involving the sex organs of the one and the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina of the other.”
- Classifies a violation as a Class I felony.
- Conforming amendments to other statutes that reference the old crime:
- G.S. 7B‑101(1)d (juvenile court definitions of crimes that constitute abuse/neglect) updated to include bestiality.
- G.S. 75D‑3(c)(1)b and other statutory cross‑references amended to reflect the repeal and the new bestiality section.
- G.S. 115C‑270.35(b) (professional educator license automatic revocation list) amended to add bestiality (G.S. 14‑363.4) as a trigger for automatic revocation without hearing.
- Effective date and application: the act becomes effective December 1, 2025 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
Who is affected
- Persons accused of or prosecuted for the prior “crime against nature” (future prosecutions after the effective date will be under the new bestiality statute).
- Law enforcement, prosecutors and courts — will apply the new statutory definition and penalty class.
- Juvenile‑court proceedings and child welfare statutes — bestiality is explicitly listed among offenses relevant to juvenile abuse/neglect definitions.
- Professional educators — convictions under the new statute will trigger mandatory license revocation provisions where applicable.
- Animal‑welfare and public‑safety stakeholders.
Procedural/timing notes
- Repeal and new offense take effect Dec 1, 2025 and apply only to crimes committed on or after that date.
- The bill modifies cross‑references in multiple statutory chapters to replace or supplement references to G.S. 14‑177 with the new G.S. 14‑363.4.
Implications (factual observations)
- The bill replaces a historically broad/archaic offense label (“crime against nature”) with a specific criminal offense targeting sexual acts with animals, and sets the punishment class (Class I felony).
- Because the change affects cross‑references in juvenile, licensing, and criminal procedure statutes, it will alter the list of offenses that trigger related administrative or child‑welfare consequences (for example, automatic educator license revocation) and how prosecutions are framed going forward.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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