North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S578 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 578
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS15247-MVa-21
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: North Carolina CARDINAL Corps Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Chitlik and Lowe (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 26, 2025~~
11		-	~~S578 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS15247 -MVa-21
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA CARDINAL CORPS ACT TO PLACE 2
14	15		INDIVIDUALS IN JOB POSITIONS IN CRITICAL, HIGH-NEED SECTORS. 3
15	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
16	17		SECTION 1. Fellowship Program Established. – There is established the North 5
17	18		Carolina Communities Advancing Real Development by Investing in Newly Accomplished 6
18	19		Leaders, or CARDINAL, Corps Program (Program) to expand opportunities for selected 7
19	20		individuals by providing fellowship funds to support entry into critical, high-need sectors facing 8
20	21		shortages including disaster relief and recovery, education, public safety, public service, farming 9
21	22		and food security, and services to military families and veterans. The program shall (i) allow host 10
22	23		recipients, including businesses, schools, local governments, and private nonprofit organizations, 11
23	24		to participate in fellowships to meet their needs, assist with financial challenges, and ease 12
24	25		employment demands in their local communities, and (ii) provide opportunities to fellows that 13
25	26		can lead to certifications, licensing, or an associate degree in a career field and, ultimately, 14
26	27		full-time employment. 15
27	28		SECTION 2. Implementation. – A host recipient is eligible for reimbursement of 16
28	29		funds used for a fellowship if the host offers a qualifying fellowship to an individual who is either 17
29	30		within the first two years immediately following (i) high school graduation or completion of 18
30	31		general education development (GED) or (ii) a United States military deployment. Fellowships 19
31	32		that fit the following descriptions are qualifying fellowships: 20
32	33		(1) Disaster relief and recovery. – Supporting governments, nonprofit 21
33	34		organizations, or faith-based organizations in mobilizing resources for 22
34	35		disaster relief and recovery in the State. 23
35	36		(2) Education. – Supporting local school districts, nonprofit organizations, or 24
36	37		faith-based organizations in working as a tutor, early childhood education 25
37	38		assistant, or after school program assistant. 26
38	39		(3) Public safety. – Supporting local police or sheriff departments, nonprofit 27
39	40		organizations, or faith-based organizations in working to reduce crime or 28
40	41		support victims of crime. 29
41	42		(4) Public service. – Supporting county or municipal governments. 30
42	43		(5) Farming and food security. – Supporting small-scale farmers, coalitions, 31
43	44		nonprofit organizations, or faith-based organizations in supporting small-scale 32
44	45		farmers and increasing food security. 33
45	46		(6) Military families and veterans. – Supporting the Veterans Administration, 34
46		-	groups on military bases, professional organizations, fraternal organizations, 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 578-First Edition
	47	+	groups on military bases, professional organizations, fraternal organizations, 35
	48	+	FILED SENATE
	49	+	Mar 25, 2025
	50	+	S.B. 578
	51	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRS15247-MVa-21
48	53		or nonprofit organizations doing in bolstering active-duty military and their 1
49	54		families, Gold Star families, or veterans. 2
50	55		SECTION 3. Use of Funds. – The NCWorks Commission of the Department of 3
51	56		Commerce shall administer the fellowship program established under this act for host recipients 4
52	57		that are businesses, schools, local governments, or private nonprofit organizations conducting 5
53	58		business in this State and that offer qualifying fellowships to individuals. The funds appropriated 6
54	59		for the program shall be allocated by the Commission to host recipients as follows: 7
55	60		(1) Fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be allocated for the salary and program 8
56	61		expenses of fellows that are in their first two years immediately following high 9
57	62		school graduation or completion of general education development (GED). 10
58	63		(2) Fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be allocated for the salary and program 11
59	64		expenses of fellows that are in their first two years immediately following a 12
60	65		military deployment. 13
61	66		Upon matching funds being made available by a host recipient in accordance with 14
62	67		Section 4 of this act, host recipients may be reimbursed for up to thirty thousand two hundred 15
63	68		dollars ($30,200) per fellow each fiscal year for program expenses, including program 16
64	69		equipment, expenses associated with payroll, mentor stipends, insurance, training, uniforms, 17
65	70		safety equipment, and for the salary and completion award of fellows. 18
66	71		SECTION 4. Matching Funds for Fellowship Cost. – Funds made available to host 19
67	72		recipients for program expenses, salary, and the completion award of fellows shall be matched 20
68	73		on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) in non-State funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in State funds. 21
69	74		Fellows participating in the grant program paid with matching State funds shall be limited to a 22
70	75		weekly rate of pay of six hundred dollars ($600.00). Each fellowship shall be for a period of nine 23
71	76		consecutive months, upon which fellows shall also be paid a completion award of five thousand 24
72	77		dollars ($5,000). 25
73	78		SECTION 5. Fellows Conference. – The NCWorks Commission shall host a 26
74	79		biannual conference of fellows at a location in the State determined in the discretion of the 27
75	80		Commission. The Commission shall invite all individuals who are engaged in fellowships or who 28
76	81		have completed fellowships since the last conference and shall provide an agenda that supports 29
77	82		training and guidance in career development and permanent employment opportunities for 30
78	83		fellows. Of the funds appropriated under this act, the Commission may use up to one thousand 31
79	84		dollars ($1,000) per fellow per year for the biannual fellows conferences. 32
80	85		SECTION 6. Report. – The NCWorks Commission shall submit a report by June 15, 33
81	86		2026, and each year of the program thereafter, to the Senate Committee on Commerce and 34
82	87		Insurance, the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, and the Fiscal 35
83	88		Research Division on the fellowship program and the use of funds for each type of qualifying 36
84	89		fellowship under Section 2 of this act, matching funds provided by host recipients, as well as 37
85	90		salary data. 38
86	91		SECTION 7. Intent. – It is the intent of the General Assembly to continue growing 39
87	92		the Program at a rate of an additional 100 fellows per year until 1,000 individuals are participating 40
88	93		annually, at which level it is the intent of the General Assembly to maintain the Program. 41
89	94		SECTION 8. Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 42
90	95		Department of Commerce the sum of one million four hundred eighty-five thousand dollars 43
91	96		($1,485,000) in nonrecurring funds to implement the Program in accordance with this act. The 44
92	97		Department of Commerce is encouraged to seek philanthropic contributions from private 45
93	98		foundations to supplant these funds to the extent possible. 46
94	99		SECTION 9. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 47