A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to increase the penalty for second degree arson and to require that physicians and hospitals report certain types of burn cases, as recommended by the North carolina sentencing and policy advisory COMMISSION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑58 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14‑58.  Punishment for arson.
There shall be two degrees of arson as defined at the common law. If the dwelling burned was occupied at the time of the burning, the offense is arson in the first degree and is punishable as a Class D felony. If the dwelling burned was unoccupied at the time of the burning, the offense is arson in the second degree and is punishable as a Class E felony."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 90‑21.20(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Cases of wounds, injuries or illnesses which shall be reported by physicians, and hospitals include every case of a bullet wound, gunshot wound, powder burn or any other injury arising from or caused by, or appearing to arise from or be caused by, the discharge of a gun or firearm, every case of illness apparently caused by poisoning, every case of a wound or injury caused, or apparently caused, by a knife or sharp or pointed instrument if it appears to the physician or surgeon treating the case that a criminal act was involved, every case of a wound, injury or illness in which there is grave bodily harm or grave illness if it appears to the physician or surgeon treating the case that the wound, injury or illness resulted from a criminal act of violence, and every case of a burn which covers approximately ten percent (10%) or more of the patient's body if it appears to the physician or surgeon treating the case that a criminal act was involved."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2003, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.