Last Friday, we were extremely disappointed to learn of the veto of House Bill 405 (Property Protection Act), a pro-business bill that would provide a much-needed fix to North Carolina’s inadequate property protection laws. The bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with strong bipartisan support before receiving the Governor’s veto, and tomorrow the House is expected to consider a motion to override that veto. We urge members of the House to support the added protections our state’s property owners need by voting to override the Governor’s veto and allow this vital jobs bill to become law.

Opponents of this legislation have continuously misrepresented the policy intent of House Bill 405 with ambiguous and deceptive claims, so let’s cut to the truth. Under current law, employers have limited recourse against trespassers committing harmful acts while illegally accessing private property. This bill simply creates a compensatory process under civil law allowing property owners to seek $5,000 in damages for each day an intruder engages in unauthorized activity, exempting whistleblowers and law enforcement officers to ensure that unlawful activity is appropriately investigated and swiftly halted.

The Property Protection Act would provide North Carolina’s employers with stronger measures to ensure the security of their patient records, financial information, consumer data, merchandise, patents and intellectual property. If the motion to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 405 gains approval in the House, it will then move to the Senate for consideration. We will keep you updated on the progress of this issue as we continue to fight for strong, balanced property protection laws for our state’s job creators.

Gary J. Salamido
Vice President, Government Affairs
North Carolina Chamber