GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 137
Short Title: Gabe Torres Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Crawford, Pyrtle, Paré, and Roberson (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Pensions and Retirement, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules,
Calendar, and Operations of the House
February 18, 2025
*H137 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO HONOR THE LIFE OF GABE TORRES, A RALEIGH POLICE OFFICER 2
WHOSE LIFE CAME TO AN END WHILE HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK AFTER 3
A TRAGIC ACT OF VIOL ENCE ON OCTOBER 13, 2022, BY EXPANDING 4
ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES' DEATH BENEFITS ACT 5
TO INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS KILLED ON THE WAY TO OR FROM WORK. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
SECTION 1. G.S. 143-166.2 reads as rewritten: 8
"§ 143-166.2. Definitions. 9
The following definitions apply in this Article: 10
… 11
(9) Official duties. – All duties to which an individual is assigned as part of the 12
individual's job function. This term shall also include those duties performed 13
by an individual while (i) en route to, engaged in, or returning from duty or 14
training; (ii) in the course of responding to, engaged in, or returning from a 15
call by the department of which the individual is a member; or (iii) in the 16
course of responding to, engaged in, or returning from a call for assistance 17
from any department or organization within the State of North Carolina or 18
within a service area contiguous to the borders of the State of North Carolina 19
when served or aided by a department from within the State of North Carolina. 20
While within the State of North Carolina, any covered person who renders 21
service or assistance, of his or her own volition, at the scene of an emergency, 22
is performing his or her official duties when both of the following apply: 23
…." 24
SECTION 2. Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General Fund to 25
the Department of State Treasurer the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in 26
recurring funds for both years of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to be used for benefits under the 27
Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act. 28
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law 29
and applies to applicable deaths of covered persons occurring on or after that date. 30