Senate Bill 361, the “Protecting First Responders Act” or “PROFR Act,” would expand criminal penalties for assaults on certain emergency and health-related personnel and create new offenses related to exposing first responders to fentanyl or other harmful drugs or chemical agents. The bill amends existing assault law to include additional covered personnel and increases punishment for assaults or affrays causing injury against those individuals while they are performing official duties.
The bill also adds a new criminal statute making it a felony to intentionally expose emergency responders to fentanyl or another harmful drug or chemical agent, with higher penalties if the exposure causes serious bodily injury. It further makes it a separate offense to knowingly fail to warn responders about the presence of fentanyl or similar agents at a scene when the person knows those substances are unlawfully present and the responder is about to arrive.
Impact
The bill would change North Carolina criminal law by broadening protections for emergency responders, EMS personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officers, hospital workers, and related personnel. It creates new felony offenses and increases the severity of punishment for conduct involving assault and hazardous drug exposure, while also specifying that each violation is a separate offense. In addition, it appropriates $10.35 million in nonrecurring General Fund money to the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services for grants to purchase bulletproof vests and backpack plates for paramedics and EMTs, with funds available through July 1, 2028.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and first-responder protection bill with a generally supportive policy rationale. Its sponsors present it as a response to risks faced by emergency personnel, particularly violence and accidental or intentional fentanyl exposure. No recorded opposition, amendments, or vote history is available in the provided materials, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from committee action, but the bill’s stated purpose suggests a favorable posture toward first responders.
Contention
The main policy issues likely to draw scrutiny are the expansion of felony liability for exposure to fentanyl or other harmful agents and the new offense for failing to notify responders about their presence. Potential concerns include how “expose,” “harmful drug or chemical agent,” and “willfully fails to notify” would be interpreted in practice, as well as whether the bill could create criminal exposure in emergency or overdose-response settings. The appropriation for protective equipment may also raise budgetary questions, but no specific opposition or debate is documented in the provided record.