06/10/2026
💵⚖️ NC Lawmakers Push $10-Per-Customer Fee at Adult Venues to Fund Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Programs
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. — A bipartisan bill working through the North Carolina General Assembly would impose a $10 fee on each customer entering an alcohol-serving adult entertainment venue, with all proceeds directed to fund sexual assault and domestic violence programs statewide.
House Bill 1121, officially titled “Added Fee for Sexually Oriented Businesses,” was filed April 30, 2026 and has been referred to the House Judiciary 1 Committee, where it remains as of this report. The legislation targets sexually oriented businesses — such as strip clubs — that combine live n**e entertainment with alcohol service under a state permit. Under the proposal, venues would be required to track daily customer counts and remit the per-entry fee to the North Carolina Department of Revenue on a quarterly basis. The bill specifies that businesses are not required to pass the charge along to their customers.
All fees collected would be deposited into the state’s Sexual Assault and R**e Crisis Center Fund and administered by the North Carolina Council for Women in accordance with existing state law. The legislation would also require an annual report due each September 1, detailing the total amount collected and how disbursements from the fund were made.
The bill carries support from both sides of the aisle. Primary sponsors include Republican Reps. Dennis Riddell of Alamance County, Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, and Paul Scott of Rutherford County, along with Democratic Rep. Monika Johnson-Hostler of Wake County, a former executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Rep. Riddell described the bill’s intent at a recent press conference, as reported by Public Radio East: “What that bill will do is levy a fee upon adult venue businesses where alcohol is served, to be charged per entry. That money would be used only for domestic violence systems and groups around the state.”
Domestic violence advocates backing the bill have stressed that r**e crisis centers and shelters across North Carolina are operating beyond capacity following significant cuts to federal funding, with programs continuing to answer crisis hotlines, provide emergency shelter, and offer legal advocacy to survivors. Carianne Fisher, Executive Director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, also voiced support for the measure at the same press conference, according to The NC Beat.
If approved, the measure would take effect October 1, 2026. The proposal mirrors a similar law enacted in Texas in 2007, which initially imposed a $5 per-patron fee on adult venues and was later increased to $10, according to The NC Beat.
House Bill 1121 is not the only proposal targeting the adult entertainment industry at the General Assembly this session. As CCNW previously reported, Senate Bill 1007 — the “Human Trafficking Omnibus” — includes a separate 50% excise tax on materials deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors,” with revenue directed toward anti-human trafficking, domestic violence, and children’s advocacy efforts. That bill drew scrutiny in the Senate Judiciary Committee over how the state would determine which digital content qualifies as taxable and how compliance would work for online platforms. Neither bill has reached a floor vote, and lawmakers are currently targeting adjournment by early July.
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