North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S302 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 302
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS45139-MRp-47C
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Hanig, Jones, and Hise (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 18, 2025~~
11		-	~~S302 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS45139 -MRp-47C
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROBATION/PAROLE, AND 2
14	15		CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO HOLD AN ADVANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT 3
15	16		OR CORRECTIONS CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA CRIMINAL 4
16	17		JUSTICE EDUCATION AND TRAINING STANDARDS COMMISSION OR THE 5
17	18		ADVANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE NORTH 6
18	19		CAROLINA SHERIFFS' EDUCATION AND TRAINING STANDARDS COMMISSION 7
19	20		TO PURCHASE, AT FULL COST, UP TO FOUR YEARS' CREDITABLE SERVICE IN 8
20	21		THE TEACHERS' AND STATE EMPLOYEES ' RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR THE 9
21	22		LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES ' RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 10
22	23		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 11
23	24		SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 135-4.5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 12
24	25		"(h) Purchases of Service Credit for Advanced Law Enforcement or Advanced 13
25	26		Corrections Certificates. – Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article to the contrary, a 14
26	27		member in service with five or more years of membership service who has been awarded either 15
27	28		(i) the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate issued by either the North Carolina Criminal 16
28	29		Justice Education and Training Standards Commission under the authority granted under Chapter 17
29	30		17C of the General Statutes or the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards 18
30	31		Commission under the authority granted under Chapter 17E of the General Statutes or (ii) the 19
31	32		Advanced Corrections Certificate issued by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and 20
32	33		Training Standards Commission under the authority granted under Chapter 17C of the General 21
33	34		Statutes may purchase creditable service subject to all of the following: 22
34	35		(1) The member may purchase up to a total of four years of creditable service 23
35	36		under this subsection. 24
36	37		(2) Service may only be purchased under this subsection upon or after receipt of 25
37	38		the applicable certificate. 26
38	39		(3) G.S. 135-4(b) does not apply to purchases under this subsection. 27
39	40		(4) Purchases of service under this subsection shall be made by paying a lump 28
40	41		sum amount to the Annuity Savings Fund. Purchases shall not be associated 29
41	42		with any specific compensation or period of time. The amount payable shall 30
42	43		be equal to the full liability increase of the Retirement System due to the 31
43	44		additional service credits purchased plus an administrative fee that is set by 32
44	45		the Board of Trustees. The full liability increase shall be calculated on the 33
45	46		basis of the same assumptions used for the purposes of the actuarial valuation 34
46	47		of the liabilities of the Retirement System, except for the following 35
47		-	assumptions specific to this calculation: (i) the allowance shall be assumed to 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 302-First Edition
	48	+	assumptions specific to this calculation: (i) the allowance shall be assumed to 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 17, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 302
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS45139-MRp-47C
49	54		commence at the earliest age at which the member could retire on an 1
50	55		unreduced retirement allowance and (ii) there shall be assumed annual 2
51	56		postretirement allowance increases set by the Board of Trustees upon the 3
52	57		advice of the consulting actuary. 4
53	58		(5) An employer may pay all or part of the cost of a purchase of service under this 5
54	59		subsection. To the extent that the purchase is paid by the employer, the amount 6
55	60		paid by the employer shall be credited to the Pension Accumulation Fund. To 7
56	61		the extent that the purchase is paid by the member, the amount paid by the 8
57	62		member shall be credited to the member's accumulated contributions and 9
58	63		interest in the Annuity Savings Fund." 10
59	64		SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 135-4(b) reads as rewritten: 11
60	65		"(b) In Unless specifically provided under G.S. 135-4.5, in no case shall more than one 12
61	66		year of service be creditable for all services in one year. Service rendered for the regular school 13
62	67		year in any district shall be equivalent to one year's service. Service rendered by a school 14
63	68		employee in a job-sharing position shall be credited at the rate of one-half year for each regular 15
64	69		school year of employment." 16
65	70		SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 128-26.5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 17
66	71		"(h) Purchases of Service Credit for Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate. – 18
67	72		Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article to the contrary, a member in service with five 19
68	73		or more years of membership service who has been awarded the Advanced Law Enforcement 20
69	74		Certificate issued by either the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training 21
70	75		Standards Commission under the authority granted under Chapter 17C of the General Statutes or 22
71	76		the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission under the authority 23
72	77		granted under Chapter 17E of the General Statutes may purchase creditable service subject to all 24
73	78		of the following: 25
74	79		(1) The member may purchase up to a total of four years of creditable service 26
75	80		under this subsection. 27
76	81		(2) Service may only be purchased under this subsection upon or after receipt of 28
77	82		the applicable certificate. 29
78	83		(3) G.S. 128-26(b) does not apply to purchases under this subsection. 30
79	84		(4) Purchases of service under this subsection shall be made by paying a lump 31
80	85		sum amount to the Annuity Savings Fund. Purchases shall not be associated 32
81	86		with any specific compensation or period of time. The amount payable shall 33
82	87		be equal to the full liability increase of the Retirement System due to the 34
83	88		additional service credits purchased plus an administrative fee that is set by 35
84	89		the Board of Trustees. The full liability increase shall be calculated on the 36
85	90		basis of the same assumptions used for the purposes of the actuarial valuation 37
86	91		of the liabilities of the Retirement System, except for the following 38
87	92		assumptions specific to this calculation: (i) the allowance shall be assumed to 39
88	93		commence at the earliest age at which the member could retire on an 40
89	94		unreduced retirement allowance and (ii) there shall be assumed annual 41
90	95		postretirement allowance increases set by the Board of Trustees upon the 42
91	96		advice of the consulting actuary. 43
92	97		(5) An employer may pay all or part of the cost of a purchase of service under this 44
93	98		subsection. To the extent that the purchase is paid by the employer, the amount 45
94	99		paid by the employer shall be credited to the Pension Accumulation Fund. To 46
95	100		the extent that the purchase is paid by the member, the amount paid by the 47
96	101		member shall be credited to the member's accumulated contributions and 48
97	102		interest in the Annuity Savings Fund." 49
98	103		SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 128-26(b) reads as rewritten: 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 302-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS45139-MRp-47C Page 3
100	105		"(b) In Unless specifically provided under G.S. 128-26.5, in no case shall more than one 1
101	106		year of service be creditable for all service in one calendar year." 2
102	107		SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 3