North Carolina Rep. Jackson’s bill on preventing sexual exploitation passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Neal Jackson seeks to prevent sexual exploitation by requiring age and consent verification for online pornographic images and establishing removal procedures for non-consensual content, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 45 Democrats and 68 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 27 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while four Democrats voted against it.

Jackson filed the bill in the North Carolina House on April 7 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 805, was passed on June 24 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill aims to prevent sexual exploitation of women and minors by imposing strict regulations on the distribution and publication of pornographic images online. It mandates online entity operators to verify the age and consent of individuals depicted in such images before publishing. Consent must be explicit for both the act of sexual activity and distribution of images, with provisions to withdraw consent at any time. The bill requires operators to establish procedures for removing non-consensual images within 72 hours of a request, with civil penalties for non-compliance or delayed action. Violations may result in civil actions, allowing eligible persons to seek damages. The Attorney General has authority to enforce compliance and issue penalties, with fines reaching up to $10,000 per day for violations. The bill is effective Dec. 1, 2025.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Sarah Stevens (Republican-90th District), Rep. Neal Jackson (Republican-78th District), and Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (Republican-117th District).

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.

Jackson, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 78th House district, replacing previous state representative Allen McNeill.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.