GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 114
Short Title: Employment Preference for Military Personnel. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Charles Smith, Ager, Goodwin, and K. Hall (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs, if favorable, Commerce
and Economic Development, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the
House
February 13, 2025
*H114 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT REVISING THE EMPLOYMENT PREFERENC E FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL 2
TO ELIMINATE REQUIRE MENTS RELATED TO PER IOD OF WAR AND TO 3
INCLUDE PERSONS SERV ING ON ACTIVE DUTY, MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 4
FORCES RESERVE, AND THEIR SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. G.S. 128-15 reads as rewritten: 7
"§ 128-15. Employment preference for veterans military personnel and their spouses or 8
surviving military spouses. 9
(a) It shall be the policy of the State of North Carolina that, in appreciation for their 10
service to this State and this country during a period of war, country, and in recognition of the 11
time and advantage lost toward the pursuit of a civilian career, veterans and eligible members of 12
the National Guard the following military personnel and their spouses and dependents shall be 13
granted preference in employment with every State department, agency, and 14
institution.institution: 15
(1) A "veteran" which, for purposes of this section, means a person who served 16
in the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, for reasons other than 17
training, and has been discharged under honorable conditions. 18
(2) A person serving on active duty as long as the person complies with federal 19
law and regulations regarding off-duty employment. 20
(3) A member of the United States Armed Forces Reserve. 21
(4) A member of the National Guard. 22
(5) A spouse of a person who qualifies under subdivisions (1) through (4) of this 23
subsection. 24
(6) A spouse or dependent of a disabled person who qualifies under subdivisions 25
(1) through (4) of this subsection. 26
(7) A spouse or dependent of a person who qualifies under subdivisions (1) 27
through (4) of this subsection and was killed while on active duty. 28
(b) As used in this section: 29
(1) Period of war. – World War I (April 16, 1917, through November 11, 1918), 30
World War II (December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946), the Korean 31
Conflict (June 27, 1950, through January 31, 1955), the period of time 32
between January 31, 1955, and the end of the hostilities in Vietnam (May 7, 33 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 114-First Edition
1975), or any other campaign, expedition, or engagement for which a 1
campaign badge or medal is authorized by the United States Department of 2
Defense. 3
(2) Veteran. – A person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States on 4
active duty, for reasons other than training, and has been discharged under 5
other than dishonorable conditions. 6
(3) Eligible veteran. – Any of the following: 7
a. A veteran who served during a period of war. 8
b. The spouse of a disabled veteran. 9
c. The surviving spouse or dependent of a veteran who dies on active 10
duty during a period of war either directly or indirectly as the result of 11
such service. 12
d. A veteran who suffered a disabling injury for service-related reasons 13
during peacetime. 14
e. The spouse of a veteran described in sub-subdivision d. of this 15
subdivision. 16
f. The surviving spouse or dependent of a person who served in the 17
Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, for reasons other 18
than training, who dies for service-related reasons during peacetime. 19
(4) Eligible member of the National Guard. – Any of the following: 20
a. A resident of North Carolina who is a current member in good standing 21
of either the North Carolina Army National Guard or the North 22
Carolina Air National Guard. 23
b. A resident of North Carolina who is a former member of either the 24
North Carolina Army National Guard or the North Carolina Air 25
National Guard, whose discharge is under honorable conditions with 26
a minimum of six years of creditable service. 27
c. The surviving spouse and dependent of a member of the North 28
Carolina Army National Guard or the North Carolina Air National 29
Guard who dies on State active duty either directly or indirectly as a 30
result of that service. 31
d. The surviving spouse or dependent of a member of the North Carolina 32
National Guard who died for service-related reasons during peacetime. 33
(c) Hereafter, in all evaluations of applicants for positions with this State or any of its 34
departments, institutions or agencies, a preference shall be awarded to all eligible veterans and 35
eligible members of the National Guard who are citizens of the State and who served the State 36
or the United States honorably in the military forces of this State or of the United States during 37
a period of war. military personnel and their spouses and dependents listed in subsection (a) of 38
this section. This preference applies to initial employment with the State and extends to other 39
employment events including subsequent hirings, promotions, reassignments, and horizontal 40
transfers. 41
(d) The provisions of this section shall be subject to the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 42
165 of the General Statutes, G.S. 126-83, and Parts 13 and 19 of Article 9 of Chapter 143B of 43
the General Statutes." 44
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to applications 45
and other employment events occurring on or after that date. 46