AN ACT authorizing tribal police chiefs to enter into mutual aid agreements with other law enforcement agencies in the state.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 160A‑288 reads as rewritten:

§ 160A‑288.  Cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

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(b)        As used in this section:

(1)        Head means any director or chief officer of a law enforcement agency including the chief of police of a local department, chief of police of a county police department, and the sheriff of a county,county, and chief of a tribal police department, or an officer of one of the above named agencies to whom the head of that agency has delegated authority to make or grant requests under this section, but only one officer in the agency shall have this delegated authority at any time.

(2)        Law enforcement agency or agency means a municipal police department, a county police department, or a sheriff's office of this State.State, or any tribal police department described in G.S. 1E‑11. Subject to G.S. 15A‑403, it also includes a municipal police department, a county police department, or a sheriff's office of another state if the laws of the other state allow for the provision of mutual aid with out‑of‑state law enforcement officers. All other State and local agencies are exempted from the provisions of this section.

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SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to assist with administering the requirements of this act.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.