Rep. Moss files bill in North Carolina House to review federal laws for constitutionality

A new bill filed by State Rep. Ben T. Moss Jr. seeks to establish a process for legislative or Attorney General review of federal actions to protect state sovereignty and individual rights, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 454 on March 18 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Review of Federal Acts/Rules/Regulations.’

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

In essence, this bill mandates a legislative review or a review by the Attorney General of federal laws, rules, or executive orders to assess their constitutionality. If deemed unconstitutional, the General Assembly may direct the Attorney General to legally challenge the federal action. Should the Attorney General decline, the General Assembly can independently declare the action unconstitutional. The state, its subdivisions, and state-funded organizations are prohibited from implementing any federal actions determined to infringe on individual rights or deemed unconstitutional, particularly in areas such as pandemics, natural resource regulation, agriculture, land use, financial sector governance, gun rights, education, sports regulations, and other state-reserved powers. The act takes effect upon becoming law.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Keith Kidwell proposed the most bills (25) 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.

Moss, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 52nd House district, replacing previous state representative Jamie Boles.