AN ACT to prohibit discrimination or retaliation in employment for absences of members of the civil air patrol performing authorized duties and to appropriate funds for employer education.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 13 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 143B‑1033.  Employment absence.

(a)        An employer shall not discriminate against, discharge, demote, or otherwise take an adverse employment action against any employee that is a member of the North Carolina Wing‑Civil Air Patrol on the basis of that membership or any absence required to perform duties if the absence is authorized pursuant to this section.

(b)        An absence from employment by a member of the North Carolina Wing‑Civil Air Patrol is authorized if it meets all of the following requirements:

(1)        The absence is necessary to perform duties incident to a State‑approved mission pursuant to G.S. 143B‑1030(b)(3) or a United States Air Force authorized mission.

(2)        The absence is for no more than seven consecutive scheduled working days for that employee.

(3)        The total absences in a calendar year do not exceed more than 14 scheduled working days for that employee.

(c)        The employer may require that the employee furnish a copy of the employee's mission order.

(d)       Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an employer to pay salary or wages to a member of the North Carolina Wing‑Civil Air Patrol during the employee's authorized absence, except when the employee chooses to use any paid leave that may be available to the employee through their employment.

SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Labor the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2023‑2024 fiscal year to create and provide educational materials to employers on the provisions of this act.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2023, and applies to absences occurring on or after that date.