House Bill 1144

The North Carolina House passed the 'Dominique Moody Safety Act' to establish a state-run child welfare escalation team under the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill requires counties to escalate cases involving children with extensive abuse or neglect reports to the regional team, which will override local decisions if needed. The legislation follows the 2025 death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, who was allegedly beaten, tortured, and starved despite multiple calls to social services.