N.C. Lawmakers Reach Compromise Over Public Mask Wearing Ban Bill

The bill now allows anyone in public to wear “a medical or surgical grade mask for the purpose of preventing the spread of contagious disease.”

Lawmakers in North Carolina have reached a compromise on a bill that would ban people from wearing masks in public.

The initial draft of the measure would have barred anyone from wearing a mask in public despite any health concerns or reasoning. However, the bill now allows anyone in public to wear “a medical or surgical grade mask for the purpose of preventing the spread of contagious disease.”

The measure also gives permission to private property owners to ask someone to temporarily remove their mask to identify themselves.

The new version of the bill also retains some of the original rules such as enhancing punishments for people who wear a mask while committing a crime or purposefully block traffic during a demonstration.

The legislation will be further acted upon next week.

The law comes after protests have broken out at college campuses across the nation including in N.C. and demonstrators are sporting masks in an attempt to hide their identities.