Rep. Price files bill in North Carolina House to ratify Equal Rights Amendment

A new bill filed by State Rep. Price seeks to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, aiming to ensure rights are not denied or abridged based on sex, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 500 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘NC Adopt ERA.’

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

In essence, the bill seeks to ratify and affirm the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution, which ensures that rights cannot be denied or abridged based on sex. Despite the ERA being fully ratified by three-fourths of the states as of Jan. 27, 2020, the North Carolina General Assembly’s act aims to further endorse the amendment, arguing that prior time limits on ratification have no legal effect as they were not included in the amendment text. The bill mandates the forwarding of a certified copy to various federal officials, and it becomes effective upon becoming law. This step reflects North Carolina’s commitment to equality and states’ rights in constitutional matters.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Carla D. Cunningham proposed the most bills (23) during the 2025 regular session.

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.

Prince graduated from Tufts University with a BA.

Prince, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 50th House district, replacing previous state representative Graig R. Meyer.