RALEIGH — Some North Carolina lawmakers want to make clear that women going topless in public are breaking the law.

A bill filed Thursday by N.C. Reps. Tim Moffitt of Asheville and Rayne Brown of Lexington would make clear that women showing their breasts publicly in the presence of others qualifies as indecent exposure and can be a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the situation.

Moffitt said Thursday the bill was filed after topless rallies were held the past two years in Asheville. Rally organizers said they were intended to promote women's equality. Many cities have ordinances banning topless women but Asheville does not.

The bill leaves in place exceptions to the law for women who are breastfeeding their children and retains the ability of local governments to regulate sexually oriented businesses.