By WRAL News staff
A committee in the North Carolina House is scheduled to take up a bill Tuesday that seeks to rid state agencies of policies promoting diversity, equity or inclusion.
Under House Bill 171, no state agency could “promote, support, fund, implement or maintain workplace DEI programs, policies, or initiatives.” The bill instructs the state auditor — Republican Dave Boliek — to conduct periodic audits of state agencies to ensure compliance. A state employee who violates the law could lose their job and face a misdemeanor criminal charge.
The bill, which is scheduled to be discussed by the House State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, would also prohibit the use of state funds for DEI initiatives by local governments and “non-state” entities.
House Bill 171 comes as President Donald Trump seeks to end DEI programs in the federal government. A federal judge recently paused an executive order on the issue, blocking Trump’s administration from terminating or changing federal contracts they consider equity-related.
In North Carolina, Democrats currently lead the governor’s office, attorney general’s office, Department of Public Instruction, and secretary of state’s office. Boliek, the state auditor, and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley announced earlier this month that they are halting all DEI policies in their offices.
Last year, lawmakers banned public universities and state agencies from asking current or prospective employees to state their opinions on social issues in a law that also broadly banned training programs if they endorse certain ideas about racism, sexism and other topics.
The preceding article originally appeared on March 31, 2025 at WRAL’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition.
