Sen. Burgin files bill in North Carolina Senate on juvenile care and adoption

A new bill filed by State Sen. Burgin seeks to amend juvenile care and adoption laws to clarify protections related to raising children according to their biological sex, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 442 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Parents Protection Act.’

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

In essence, this bill, titled the Parents Protection Act, introduces amendments to existing laws concerning juvenile care and child adoption in North Carolina. It stipulates that raising a child in accordance with their biological sex, including related mental health and medical decisions, shall not be grounds for child abuse or neglect claims. The bill also prohibits the denial or delay of adoption or foster care based on race or a foster/adoptive parent’s lack of support for a child’s gender transition. It includes provisions for recognizing the importance of keeping sibling groups together in social services placements. The act is set to take effect Dec. 1, 2025, and applies to relevant petitions and offenses from that date forward.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Burgin proposed the most bills (43) 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.

Burgin graduated from The University of Tennessee Knoxville with a BS.

Burgin, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 12th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Ronald Rabin.