AN ACT to make the increase in sentence lengths between prior record levels more proportionate using a set percentage increment.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 15A‑1340.17(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Punishments for Each Class of Offense and Prior Record Level; Punishment Chart Described. – The authorized punishment for each class of offense and prior record level is as specified in the chart below. Prior record levels are indicated by the Roman numerals placed horizontally on the top of the chart. Classes of offense are indicated by the letters placed vertically on the left side of the chart. Each cell on the chart contains the following components:
(1)	A sentence disposition or dispositions: "C" indicates that a community punishment is authorized; "I" indicates that an intermediate punishment is authorized; "A" indicates that an active punishment is authorized; and "Life Imprisonment Without Parole" indicates that the defendant shall be imprisoned for the remainder of the prisoner's natural life.
(2)	A presumptive range of minimum durations, if the sentence of imprisonment is neither aggravated or mitigated; any minimum term of imprisonment in that range is permitted unless the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that an aggravated or mitigated sentence is appropriate. The presumptive range is the middle of the three ranges in the cell.
(3)	A mitigated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that a mitigated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the mitigated range is permitted. The mitigated range is the lower of the three ranges in the cell.
(4)	An aggravated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that an aggravated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the aggravated range is permitted. The aggravated range is the higher of the three ranges in the cell.
PRIOR RECORD LEVEL

	I	II	III	IV	V	VI
	0 Pts	1‑4 Pts	5‑8 Pts	 9‑14 Pts	15‑18 Pts	19+ Pts
A	Life Imprisonment Without Parole or Death as Established by Statute
	A	A	A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					
	240‑300	276‑345	317‑397	365‑456	      Life Imprisonment	Aggravated					           Without Parole
B1	192‑240	221‑276	254‑317	292‑365	336‑420	386‑483	PRESUMPTIVE
       144‑192	166‑221	190‑254	219‑292	252‑336	290‑386	Mitigated
	A	A	A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					 
	157‑196	180‑225	207‑258	238‑297	273‑342	314‑393	Aggravated
B2	125‑157	144‑180	165‑207	190‑238	219‑273	251‑314	PRESUMPTIVE
	94‑125	108‑144	124‑165	143‑190	164‑219	189‑251	Mitigated
	A	A	A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION 
																					 
	73‑92	83‑104	96‑120	110‑138	127‑159	146‑182	Aggravated
C	58‑73	67‑83	77‑96	88‑110	101‑127	117‑146	PRESUMPTIVE
	44‑58	50‑67	58‑77	66‑88	76‑101	87‑117	Mitigated
	A	A	A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					 
	64‑80	73‑92	84‑105	97‑121	111‑139	128‑160	Aggravated
D	51‑64	59‑73	67‑84	78‑97	89‑111	103‑128	PRESUMPTIVE
	38‑51	44‑59	51‑67	58‑78	67‑89	77‑103	Mitigated
	I/A	I/A	A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					 
	25‑31	29‑36	33‑41	38‑48	44‑55	50‑63	Aggravated
E	20‑25	23‑29	26‑33	30‑38	35‑44	40‑50	PRESUMPTIVE
	15‑20	17‑23	20‑26	23‑30	26‑35	30‑40	Mitigated
	I/A	I/A	I/A	A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					 
	16‑20	19‑23	21‑27	25‑31	28‑36	33‑41	Aggravated
F	13‑16	15‑19	17‑21	20‑25	23‑28	26‑33	PRESUMPTIVE
	10‑13	11‑15	13‑17	15‑20	17‑23	20‑26	Mitigated
	I/A	I/A	I/A	I/A	A	A	DISPOSITION
																					 
	13‑16	14‑18	17‑21	19‑24	22‑27	25‑31	Aggravated
G	10‑13	12‑14	13‑17	15‑19	17‑22	20‑25	PRESUMPTIVE
	8‑10	9‑12	10‑13	11‑15	13‑17	15‑20	Mitigated
	C/I/A	I/A	I/A	I/A	I/A	A	DISPOSITION
	6‑8	8‑10	10‑12	11‑14	15‑19	20‑25	Aggravated
H	5‑6	6‑8	 8‑10	 9‑11	12‑15	16‑20	PRESUMPTIVE
	4‑5	4‑6	 6‑8	 7‑9	 9‑12	12‑16	Mitigated
	C	C/I	I	I/A	I/A	I/A	DISPOSITION
	6‑8	6‑8	6‑8	8‑10	9‑11	10‑12	Aggravated
I	4‑6	4‑6	5‑6	6‑8	7‑9	 8‑10	PRESUMPTIVE
	3‑4	3‑4	4‑5	4‑6	5‑7	 6‑8	Mitigated"

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2009, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 11th day of August, 2009.

	s/	 Walter H. Dalton
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 Governor

Approved 10:50 a.m. this 28th day of August, 2009