AN ACT to create an annual sex offense registry fee to support the work of maintaining that registry.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑208.7 is amended by adding the following new subsections to read:

(e)      Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, each person required to register under this section shall pay an annual fee equal to one and one‑quarter percent (1.25%) of the current federal poverty level guidelines for a one‑person household published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This annual fee shall support local responsibilities required by this Article, including the regular verification of registrants and the retention, maintenance, and dissemination of registrant records. This annual fee shall be collected each year by the sheriff to whom the registrant returns the registrant's verification following the anniversary of the registrant's initial registration date. Failure to pay this annual fee shall not affect in any way the registrant's ability to register, verify information, or otherwise comply with the requirements of this Part, though the county may seek collection of unpaid annual fees under this subsection as a claimant agency under Chapter 105A of the General Statutes. The proceeds of this annual fee shall be retained by the sheriff's office collecting the annual fee and shall supplement local funds provided to the sheriff's office. No registrant shall be required to pay the annual fee required by this subsection more than once in a calendar year.

(f)        Each sheriff shall determine on January 1 of each year whether to collect the annual fee required by subsection (e) of this section within that sheriff's county. Once this decision is made, it shall be the decision for that county for the remainder of that calendar year, regardless of whether the person holding the office of sheriff changes during that time. If a sheriff does not make any specific determination under this subsection, the sheriff shall collect the annual fee imposed by subsection (e) of this section pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(g)        Upon request of the registrant, the sheriff required to collect the annual fee under subsection (e) of this section, or the sheriff's designee, shall determine if the registrant is indigent and may, upon a determination of indigency, waive all or part of the annual fee. This determination shall be made within 10 business days of the date the registrant's request is received. A request under this subsection, as well as the subsequent determination and action of the sheriff or the sheriff's designee in response to that request, shall be recorded in written findings by the sheriff's office and retained by that office with the registrant's records. A registrant's request under this subsection shall be made in each calendar year in which the registrant seeks review under this subsection, and the sheriff or sheriff's designee shall make a new determination and record unique written findings upon each request.

(h)        Notwithstanding subsection (g) of this section, a registrant (i) incarcerated or (ii) under the supervision of the Department of Adult Correction, Division of Community Supervision and Reentry, at the time the annual fee required by subsection (e) of this section would otherwise be collected, shall be deemed by the sheriff or the sheriff's designee to be indigent and shall not be assessed the annual fee required by subsection (e) of this section. A determination under this subsection shall be made each year and shall be recorded in written findings and retained by the sheriff's office with the registrant's records.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2026.