AN ACT to reduce barriers to state employment.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 2 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 126‑8.6.  Reducing barriers to State employment.

(a)        Pursuant to the process for establishing reasonable qualifications for each class of positions in G.S. 126‑4(3), the Office of State Human Resources, under the oversight of the State Human Resources Commission, shall do all of the following:

(1)        Regularly assess the educational, experiential, and training requirements necessary for each position within each State agency, department, and institution.

(2)        Determine when practical experience and training, such as military service, an apprenticeship, directly related on‑the‑job experience, a certification from a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Education program, or a trade school education, is appropriate to make equivalent to an academic degree in the qualification for a position.

(3)        Identify jobs for which the educational, experiential, and training requirements could be reduced from their present level, as well as jobs for which knowledge, skill, and ability requirements could be made less specific.

(4)        Remove requirements for an academic degree, to the extent practicable, when an academic degree is not necessary for the position.

(b)        Beginning October 1, 2023, and then annually thereafter, the Office of State Human Resources shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government on its efforts to reduce barriers to State employment as required by this section.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.