North Carolina Rep. Cotham’s Leon’s Law on minor students’ educational records passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham aims to ensure parents or guardians have access to the educational records of minor students at community colleges, aligning with federal privacy standards, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 45 Democrats and 68 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 15 Democrats and 27 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Cotham filed the bill in the North Carolina House on March 11 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 378, was passed on June 19 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: “Leon’s Law (Dual Enrollment Info Parents).”

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

In essence, this bill, known as “Leon’s Law,” mandates that community colleges in North Carolina provide the educational records of minor students to their parents or guardians, aligning with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). To qualify, students must be under 18 years old and classified as dependents according to section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. Parents have the option to opt out of receiving such records. Additionally, minor students must acknowledge, via a form prior to course registration, that their educational records are accessible to their parents or guardians. The law takes effect from the 2025-26 academic year.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Zack Hawkins (Democrat-31st District), Rep. Ray Pickett (Republican-93rd District), and Rep. Ya Liu (Democrat-21st 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.

Cotham graduated from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte with a BA.

Cotham, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 105th House district, replacing previous state representative Wesley Harris.

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.