AN ACT to appropriate funds to hire additional assistant and deputy clerks of court in wake and mecklenburg counties, to appropriate funds for salary increases at the department of adult correction, to appropriate funds for salary increases for members of the state highway patrol, to appropriate funds to modernize public transit safety by making trauma kits available on public transportation and improving fare enforcement and anti‑fare‑dodging measures, to appropriate funds for the support of the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the state crime laboratory, and to ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE TEACHERS' AND STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes that chronic and historic underfunding and workforce instability in critical State institutions have contributed to a public safety crisis where courts and jail systems are overburdened, weakening timely responses and increasing the risk of harm to the public, victims, and frontline personnel; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that high‑volume judicial districts require sufficient clerk and prosecutorial capacity to ensure the timely administration of justice and maintain public confidence in the courts; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that safe and reliable operations in correctional institutions, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, and public transportation systems depend upon the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel and the modernization of critical safety infrastructure; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that targeted investments in staffing, compensation, workplace safety, and operational modernization are necessary to restore capacity and strengthen public safety outcomes statewide; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PUBLIC TRANSIT SAFETY MODERNIZATION

SECTION 1.(a)  Article 2B of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 136‑44.28.  Emergency trauma kits and first aid training.

(a)        All public transportation operators receiving State funds, including any metropolitan transit authority, regional transit authority, or municipal transit system operating bus, rail, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar, or other fixed‑route public transportation services within this State, shall equip every revenue service vehicle, including each bus and each individual train car, with an emergency trauma response kit.

(b)        Each emergency trauma response kit shall include, at minimum, all of the following items:

(1)        Commercially manufactured tourniquets.

(2)        Hemostatic dressings.

(3)        Pressure bandages.

(4)        Trauma shears.

(5)        Protective gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment.

(6)        Any additional lifesaving supplies recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Department of Public Safety.

(c)        All operators and supervisory personnel employed by a public transportation system shall complete emergency first aid and bleeding control training consistent with nationally recognized standards, including training in the proper use of tourniquets and trauma response kits. Such training shall be completed within six months of hire and refreshed at least once every two years. An employee who renders emergency aid in good faith pursuant to this section shall be afforded the protections of G.S. 90‑21.14.

(d)       The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety, shall adopt minimum implementation standards to ensure consistency across public transportation systems.

SECTION 1.(b)  Article 2B of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 136‑44.29.  Fare enforcement and anti‑fare‑dodging measures.

(a)        All public transportation operators receiving State funds shall implement reasonable and effective measures to deter and prevent fare evasion. Such measures shall include all of the following:

(1)        Installation and use of physical access control systems, including turnstiles or gated entry systems where operationally and structurally practicable based on facility design.

(2)        Use of electronic validation systems, including barcode scanners, mobile ticket validation, or contactless fare verification technology.

(3)        In‑person fare inspection programs, including uniformed or plainclothes fare inspectors.

(4)        Randomized fare verification protocols.

(5)        Any other technology or enforcement practice determined appropriate by the governing board of the transit authority.

(b)        Each public transportation operator shall adopt written fare enforcement policies that balance revenue protection, public safety, and equitable enforcement and shall make such policies publicly available.

SECTION 1.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Transportation the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to implement the provisions of G.S. 136‑44.28 and G.S. 136‑44.29, as enacted in this section. Funds appropriated in this section shall be distributed by the Department of Transportation to public transportation operators receiving State funds through a formula‑based allocation consistent with existing public transportation funding formulas administered by the Department. Funds may be used for:

(1)        Purchase and installation of emergency trauma response kits.

(2)        Training of transit personnel in first aid and bleeding control.

(3)        Capital expenditures associated with fare enforcement modernization, including access control systems and electronic fare validation technology.

(4)        Associated implementation and compliance costs.

SECTION 1.(d)  Beginning no later than December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, each public transportation operator receiving State funds shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, and the Fiscal Research Division. The report shall include, at minimum:

(1)        Estimated fare evasion rates for the preceding fiscal year.

(2)        Total fare revenue collected.

(3)        Estimated revenue losses attributable to fare evasion.

(4)        A description of anti‑fare‑dodging measures in place.

(5)        Enforcement actions taken, including citations or warnings issued.

(6)        Capital investments made to deter fare evasion.

(7)        Any safety incidents involving public transportation personnel or passengers.

The Department of Transportation shall compile and publish a statewide summary report aggregating data from all reporting transit authorities. No later than December 1, 2027, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, and the Fiscal Research Division on the use of funds appropriated under this section, including the amounts distributed to each transit authority, the categories of expenditures, and the status of statewide compliance with the provisions of this section.

SECTION 1.(e)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2026.

COURT SYSTEM STAFFING FOR WAKE AND MECKLENBURG COUNTIES

SECTION 2.(a)  Beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) the sum of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) in recurring funds to be used to hire in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties assistant and deputy clerk of court positions. The AOC shall determine the appropriate allocation of positions between the counties and, no later than 60 days after the allocation, provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety and the Fiscal Research Division on (i) the number of positions allocated to each county and (ii) the reasoning used in determining those numbers.

SECTION 2.(b)  Beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the AOC, Budget Fund 100072, the sum of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) in recurring funds to be used to hire in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties assistant district attorney positions. Notwithstanding G.S. 7A‑60, the AOC shall determine the appropriate allocation of positions between the counties and, no later than 60 days after the allocation, provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety and the Fiscal Research Division on (i) the number of positions allocated to each county and (ii) the reasoning used in determining those numbers.

SECTION 2.(c)  No later than July 1, 2027, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, in coordination with the Administrative Office of the Courts, shall provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division on the status of the appropriation contained in this section, including (i) cost‑savings to the court system, (ii) reductions in case loads, (iii) reductions in the State's incarcerated population, and (iv) any impacts on recidivism. An updated report shall be provided no later than December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter.

FUNDING FOR SALARY INCREASES AND WORKPLACE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ADULT CORRECTION

SECTION 3.  Beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Adult Correction (DAC) the sum of two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) in recurring funds to be used for (i) salary increases for employees of the DAC to align with current market rates and attract and retain qualified employees and (ii) costs incurred from improving workplace safety. For any funds used for salary increases, the DAC shall determine how to allocate the funds appropriated in this section and, no later than 60 days after the allocation, provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety and the Fiscal Research Division on (i) the positions receiving a salary increase, (ii) the amount of the salary increase for each position, and (iii) rationale for each salary increase provided.

PROVIDE COMPENSATION INCREASES TO MEMBERS OF THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL

SECTION 4.(a)  Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Reserve for Compensation Increases to provide pay raises for the State Highway Patrol & Law Enforcement Support Staff the sum of forty million four hundred eighty‑two thousand four hundred eighty dollars ($40,482,480) in each year of the 2025‑2027 fiscal biennium to establish the pay scales set forth in this section.

SECTION 4.(b)  Effective July 1, 2025, the law enforcement officers of the State Highway Patrol shall be paid based upon the following experience‑based annual salary schedule:

Years of Experience                                           2025‑2027 Biennium

0                                                                        $56,000

1                                                                        $62,125

2                                                                        $68,250

3                                                                        $75,375

4                                                                        $80,500

5                                                                        $86,625

6                                                                        $92,750

7                                                                        $98,875

8+                                                                    $105,000

SECTION 4.(c)  Effective July 1, 2025, sworn State Highway Patrol employees who are not subject to an experience‑based annual salary schedule shall be paid at the following rates by rank:

Rank                                                          2025‑2027 Biennium

Sergeant                                                                     $120,750

First Sergeant                                                            $132,825

Lieutenant                                                                 $146,108

Captain                                                                      $160,718

Major                                                                         $176,790

Lieutenant Colonel                                                    $194,469

Deputy Commander                                                  $204,193

Colonel                                                                      $224,612

JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM SUPPORT AND STAFFING

SECTION 5.  Beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP), the sum of twenty‑five million dollars ($25,000,000) in recurring funds to address staffing shortfalls and stabilize juvenile facility operations and juvenile court services, including recruitment and retention initiatives for hard‑to‑fill positions, experience‑based salary schedule implementation or other compensation adjustments for frontline and supervisory classifications, training and onboarding capacity, and temporary staffing measures necessary to maintain safe staffing coverage while vacancies are filled. The JJDP shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Fiscal Research Division, and the chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committees no later than March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, on the use of funds and outcomes, including vacancy rates, turnover, time‑to‑hire, and overtime hours.

STATE CRIME LAB WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS

SECTION 6.  Beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice, the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) in recurring funds to support the State Crime Laboratory in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel in a competitive labor market, including salary adjustments, targeted recruitment and retention incentives for hard‑to‑fill positions, and related workforce supports necessary to maintain timely and reliable forensic services. The Department shall report to the Fiscal Research Division and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety by March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, on the use of funds and outcomes, including vacancy rates, turnover, time‑to‑hire, and turnaround times for major casework disciplines.

ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE TEACHERS' AND STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM

SECTION 7.(a)  G.S. 135‑1 reads as rewritten:

§ 135‑1.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases as used in this Chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

…

(7e)      Correctional officer means an employee of an employer who is certified as a State criminal justice officer under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 17C of the General Statutes.

…

(11c)    Law‑Enforcement Officer means a full‑time paid employee of an employer who is actively serving in a position with assigned primary duties and responsibilities for prevention and detection of crime or the general enforcement of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina or serving civil processes, and who possesses the power of arrest by virtue of an oath administered under the authority of the State. Law‑Enforcement Officer also means a all of the following:

a.         A probation/parole officer as defined in this section with respect to any service rendered on or after July 1, 2017.

b.         A correctional officer, as defined in this section, with respect to any service rendered on or after July 1, 2026.

….

SECTION 7.(b)  G.S. 143‑166.41 reads as rewritten:

§ 143‑166.41.  Special separation allowance options for State law enforcement officers.

…

(b)        Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:

(1)        Allowance. – The annual special separation allowance for State law enforcement officers provided for under this section.

(1a)      Correctional officer. – As defined in G.S. 135‑1.

(2)        Creditable service. – The service for which credit is allowed under the retirement system of which the officer is a member.

(3)        Law enforcement officer. – As defined in either G.S. 135‑1 or G.S. 143‑166.30(a).

(4)        Officer. – A law enforcement officer.

(5)        Probation/parole officer. – As defined in G.S. 135‑1.

(b1)      Eligibility for Allowance and Calculation of Allowance Amount. – To be eligible for an allowance under this section, an officer is required to meet one of the following sets of criteria that shall also determine the allowance amount:

(1)        For officers meeting all of the following criteria, the annual special separation allowance to be paid is equal to eighty‑five hundredths percent (0.85%) of the annual base rate of compensation most recently applicable to the officer for each year of that officer's creditable service:

a.         The officer (i) has completed 30 or more years of creditable service or (ii) is 55 years of age or older and completed five or more years of creditable service.

b.         The officer is less than 62 years of age.

c.         The officer has completed at least five years of continuous service as a law enforcement officer immediately preceding the officer's service retirement. Any break in this required continuous service that is a result of disability retirement or disability salary continuation benefits shall not adversely affect an officer's qualification to receive an allowance under this subdivision so long as the officer returned to service within 45 days after the disability benefits had ceased and is otherwise qualified to receive the allowance.

d.         At least fifty percent (50%) of the officer's creditable service is as meets one or more of the following:

1.         The service is as a law enforcement officer, or for officer.

2.         For service prior to July 1, 2017, the service is as a probation/parole officer.

3.         For service prior to July 1, 2026, the service is as a correctional officer.

(2)        For officers meeting all of the following criteria, the annual special separation allowance to be paid is equal to eighty‑five hundredths percent (0.85%) of the annual equivalent of the base rate of compensation at the time the officer attained 30 years of service multiplied by 30:

a.         Prior to attaining 62 years of age, the officer has completed 30 or more years of creditable service, at least fifty percent (50%) of which was the officer's creditable service met one or more of the following:

1.         The service was as a law enforcement officer, or for officer.

2.         For service prior to July 1, 2017, the service was as a probation/parole officer.

3.         For service prior to July 1, 2026, the service was as a correctional officer.

b.         The officer has completed at least five years of continuous service as a law enforcement officer immediately preceding the officer's service retirement. Any break in this required continuous service that is a result of disability retirement or disability salary continuation benefits shall not adversely affect an officer's qualification to receive an allowance under this subdivision so long as the officer returned to service within 45 days after the disability benefits had ceased and is otherwise qualified to receive the allowance.

If an officer meets all of the criteria under each subdivision of this subsection, then the employer making the allowance payments shall allow the officer to choose which of the two calculation formulas to use for that officer's allowance. This election by the officer is a one‑time, irrevocable election and shall be made prior to the first allowance payment. If no election is made by the officer, then the calculation amount under subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be used.

….

SECTION 7.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of State Treasurer the sum of eleven million dollars ($11,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year for the purposes of providing the enhanced benefits under this section.

SECTION 7.(d)  This section is effective July 1, 2026.

EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 8.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.