GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1987 SESSION

CHAPTER 388
HOUSE BILL 1189

AN ACT TO REWRITE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF FORGERY OF TRANSCRIPTS AND DIPLOMAS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 14-122.1 is rewritten to read:
"§ 14-122.1.  Falsifying documents issued by a secondary school, postsecondary educational institution, or governmental agency.–(a)	It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly and willfully:
(1)	to make falsely or alter falsely, or to procure to be made falsely or altered falsely, or to aid or assist in making falsely or altering falsely, a diploma, certificate, license, or transcript signifying merit or achievement in an educational program issued by a secondary school, a postsecondary educational institution, or a governmental agency;
(2)	to sell, give, buy, or obtain, or to procure to be sold, given, bought, or obtained, or to aid or assist in selling, giving, buying, or obtaining, a diploma, certificate, license, or transcript, which he knows is false, signifying merit or achievement in an educational program issued by a secondary school, a postsecondary educational institution, or a governmental agency;
(3)	to use, offer, or present as genuine a falsely made or falsely altered diploma, certificate, license, or transcript signifying merit or achievement in an educational program issued by a secondary school, a postsecondary educational institution, or a governmental agency, which he knows is false; or
(4)	to make a false written representation of fact that he has received a degree or other certification signifying merit, achievement, or completion of an educational program involving study, experience, or testing from a secondary school, a postsecondary educational institution or governmental agency in an application for:
(a)	employment;
(b)	admission to an educational program;
(c)	award; or
(d)	for the purpose of inducing another to issue a diploma, certificate, license, or transcript signifying merit or achievement in an educational program of a secondary school, postsecondary educational institution, or a governmental agency.
(b)	As used in this section, 'postsecondary educational institution' means a technical college, community college, junior college, college, or university.  As used in this section, 'governmental agency' means any agency of a State or local government or of the federal government.  As used in this section, 'secondary school' means grades 9 through 12.
(c)	Any person who violates a provision of this section shall be guilty of a crime and shall be punished as provided in G.S. 14-3."
Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1987, and applies to offenses occurring on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 16th day of June, 1987.