North Carolina Rep. Mcneely’s firearm and shooting range law amendment bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Jeffrey C. McNeely seeks to amend firearm and shooting range laws, allowing certain handgun carry on private school properties and protecting relocated law enforcement ranges, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 63 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 43 Democrats and one Republican opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, three Democrats and 26 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 17 Democrats voted against it.

Mcneely filed the bill in the North Carolina House on Feb. 25 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 193, was passed on June 25 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Firearm Law Revisions.”

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

In essence, the bill amends firearm and shooting range laws in North Carolina. It allows individuals with valid concealed handgun permits or those exempt from obtaining such permits to carry handguns on private school properties, provided certain conditions are met, including obtaining written permission from the property owner. Additionally, the bill provides protections for relocated law enforcement shooting ranges by granting them operational status based on their original site, permitting night operations with notice, and limiting local governments from imposing setback requirements beyond 100 feet. Part I of the bill is effective Dec. 1, 2025, while the rest becomes effective upon enactment.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey C. McNeely (Republican-84th District), Rep. Charles W. Miller (Republican-19th District), and Rep. A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr. (Republican-65th District), along with one other sponsor.

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.

McNeely graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS.

McNeely, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 84th House district, replacing previous state representative Rena W. Turner.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.