RALEIGH — A bill filed in the North Carolina House aims to rid state agencies of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in state agencies.
House Bill 171, titled Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI, was filed by Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Robeson) on Feb. 21. Including Jones and three other primary sponsors, almost 50 members have added their names in support of the bill.
“Taxpayer dollars should fund merit, not woke agendas and identity politics,” Jones said in an X post following the bill’s filing. “This bill upholds equal opportunity and ensures employment and contracts are based on qualifications, not quotas.”
The prohibition on DEI would span the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government. Affected agencies include all state offices, local government units, the UNC System, the N.C. Community College System and nonstate entities that receive state dollars.
“No State agency, unit of local government, or non-State entity may use any State funds or public monies to promote, support, fund, implement, or maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or programs,” the bill states.
Two Council of State agencies are ahead of the bill. North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and State Auditor Dave Boliek both said at the end of January that DEI practices and programs in their agencies would be terminated.
Language in the bill would also prevent state and local entities from accepting federal funds that require DEI compliance unless explicitly required by federal law. However, the bill includes specific exemptions for academic course instruction, scholarly research, student organizations, guest speakers and certain sex-based qualifications like sports teams and single-sex facilities.
The bill explicitly states it does not conflict with federal anti-discrimination laws like Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Civil Rights Act.
The bill also bans the use of DEI considerations in hiring practices, calls for eliminating DEI-focused staff positions or offices and prohibits DEI training.
The discontinuation of DEI programs could mean staff reductions but likely will have a negligible impact on the UNC System, which cut its DEI programs and repealed DEI policies in 2024. The cuts saved the UNC System more than $17 million, which has been repurposed for other system-wide priorities.
Unlike past bills, House Bill 171 has enforcement mechanisms such as regular audits by the state auditor, and it establishes both criminal penalties (Class 1 misdemeanor) and civil remedies for violations.
The measure would be effective the day it becomes law with first compliance reports due Feb. 1, 2026, and a state auditor’s consolidate report due on April 1, 2026.
