CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – After a Charlotte child’s brutal death in December 2025, the Dominique Moody Safety Act has passed both chambers of the General Assembly on Thursday as part of the budget vote.

Now a step away from being law, the legislation comes after an ongoing WBTV investigation into the 6-year-old’s death.

Our reporting first uncovered that social services had opened at least five investigations into abuse and neglect at the child’s home before her death.

Following that report, WBTV fought to obtain complete records from Mecklenburg County about exactly how many times and when they had been at the home — records that were denied.

But in May during a contentious legislative hearing, county leaders finally disclosed that they had in fact received thirteen reports about the home. Neither Dominique nor other children in the home were ever removed before December 16 last year, when Dominique was found severely underweight and in grotesque home conditions.

In late April, lawmakers led by Rep. Carla Cunningham (Unaffiliated – Mecklenburg County) and Rep. Allen Chesser (R-Nash County) filed the Dominique Moody Safety Act, a bill that would change how complex child welfare cases are handled in North Carolina.

On Thursday, both lawmakers expressed joy and relief that the legislation had made it through the budget process, largely intact.

“I am ecstatic. I am so happy,” Cunningham told WBTV. “A lot of people did not believe it could get done during the short session. People were doubting it.”

It’s a step lawmakers believe could help children in the future receive help faster when their homes are the subject of repeated CPS reports.

“It’s gonna give us an extra layer of accountability on decision making that happens on the ground, not undermining anybody but just that extra set of eyes,” Rep. Chesser said.

Gov. Josh Stein has not indicated yet whether he will veto or sign the budget, or allow it to become law without his signature.

If he were to veto it, which political experts believe is unlikely, the General Assembly would likely have the votes to overturn the veto as numerous Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans in voting for the legislation on Thursday.