Public Safety Reinvestment Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1080

Short Title: Public Safety Reinvestment Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Reives, Helfrich, Logan, and Rubin (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 29, 2026
*H1080-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO HIRE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT AND DEPUTY 2
CLERKS OF COURT IN W AKE AND MECKLENBURG COUNTIES, TO 3
APPROPRIATE FUNDS FO R SALARY INCREASES A T THE DEPARTMENT OF 4
ADULT CORRECTION, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR 5
MEMBERS OF THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO 6
MODERNIZE PUBLIC TRANSIT SAFETY BY MAKING TRAUMA KITS AVAILABLE 7
ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTA TION AND IMPROVING F ARE ENFORCEMENT AND 8
ANTI-FARE-DODGING MEASURES, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE SUPPORT 9
OF THE DIVISION OF J UVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTI ON 10
AND THE STATE CRIME LABORATORY, AND TO E NHANCE THE BENEFITS OF 11
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER S WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE TEACHERS' AND 12
STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 13
Whereas, the General Assemb ly recognizes that chronic and historic underfunding 14
and workforce instability in critical State institutions have contributed to a public safety crisis 15
where courts and jail systems are overburdened, weakening timely responses and increasing the 16
risk of harm to the public, victims, and frontline personnel; and 17
Whereas, the General Assembly finds that high -volume judicial districts require 18
sufficient clerk and prosecutorial capacity to ensure the timely administration of justice and 19
maintain public confidence in the courts; and 20
Whereas, the General Assembly finds that safe and reliable operations in correctional 21
institutions, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, and public 22
transportation systems depend upon the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel and the 23
modernization of critical safety infrastructure; and 24
Whereas, the General Assembly finds that targeted investments in staffing, 25
compensation, workplace safety, and operational modernization are necessary to restore capacity 26
and strengthen public safety outcomes statewide; Now, therefore, 27
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 28
29
PUBLIC TRANSIT SAFETY MODERNIZATION 30
SECTION 1.(a) Article 2B of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes is amended by 31
adding a new section to read: 32
"§ 136-44.28. Emergency trauma kits and first aid training. 33
(a) All public transportation operators receiving State funds, including any metropolitan 34
transit authority, regional transit authority, or municipal transit system operating bus, rail, light 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1080-First Edition
rail, commuter rail, streetcar, or other fixed-route public transportation services within this State, 1
shall equip every revenue service vehicle, including each bus and each individual train car, with 2
an emergency trauma response kit. 3
(b) Each emergency trauma response kit shall include , at minimum, all of the following 4
items: 5
(1) Commercially manufactured tourniquets. 6
(2) Hemostatic dressings. 7
(3) Pressure bandages. 8
(4) Trauma shears. 9
(5) Protective gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment. 10
(6) Any additional lifesaving supplies recommended by the Department of Health 11
and Human Services in consultation with the Department of Public Safety. 12
(c) All operators and supervisory personnel employed by a public transportation sy stem 13
shall complete emergency first aid and bleeding control training consistent with nationally 14
recognized standards, including training in the proper use of tourniquets and trauma response 15
kits. Such training shall be completed within six months of hire and refreshed at least once every 16
two years. An employee who renders emergency aid in good faith pursuant to this section shall 17
be afforded the protections of G.S. 90-21.14. 18
(d) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department 19
of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety, shall adopt minimum implementation 20
standards to ensure consistency across public transportation systems." 21
SECTION 1.(b) Article 2B of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes is amended by 22
adding a new section to read: 23
"§ 136‑44.29. Fare enforcement and anti-fare-dodging measures. 24
(a) All public transportation operators receiving State funds shall implement reasonable 25
and effective measures to deter and prevent fare evasion. Such measures shall include all of the 26
following: 27
(1) Installation and use of physical access control systems, including turnstiles or 28
gated entry systems where operationally and structurally practicable based on 29
facility design. 30
(2) Use of electronic validation systems, including barcode scanners, mobile 31
ticket validation, or contactless fare verification technology. 32
(3) In-person fare inspection programs, including uniformed or plainclothes fare 33
inspectors. 34
(4) Randomized fare verification protocols. 35
(5) Any other technology or enforcement practice determined appropriate by the 36
governing board of the transit authority. 37
(b) Each public transportation operator shall adopt written fare enforcement policies that 38
balance revenue protection, public safety, and equitable enforcement and s hall make such 39
policies publicly available." 40
SECTION 1.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 41
Transportation the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 42
2026-2027 fiscal year to implement the pr ovisions of G.S. 136‑44.28 and G.S. 136‑44.29, as 43
enacted in this section. Funds appropriated in this section shall be distributed by the Department 44
of Transportation to public transportation operators receiving State funds through a 45
formula-based allocati on consistent with existing public transportation funding formulas 46
administered by the Department. Funds may be used for: 47
(1) Purchase and installation of emergency trauma response kits. 48
(2) Training of transit personnel in first aid and bleeding control. 49
(3) Capital expenditures associated with fare enforcement modernization, 50
including access control systems and electronic fare validation technology. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 1080-First Edition Page 3
(4) Associated implementation and compliance costs. 1
SECTION 1.(d) Beginning no later than December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, 2
each public transportation operator receiving State funds shall submit a report to the Joint 3
Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee 4
on Justice and Public Safety, and the F iscal Research Division. The report shall include, at 5
minimum: 6
(1) Estimated fare evasion rates for the preceding fiscal year. 7
(2) Total fare revenue collected. 8
(3) Estimated revenue losses attributable to fare evasion. 9
(4) A description of anti-fare-dodging measures in place. 10
(5) Enforcement actions taken, including citations or warnings issued. 11
(6) Capital investments made to deter fare evasion. 12
(7) Any safety incidents involving public transportation personnel or passengers. 13
The Department of Transportat ion shall compile and publish a statewide summary 14
report aggregating data from all reporting transit authorities. No later than December 1, 2027, the 15
Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation, the Joint 16
Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, and the Fiscal Research Division 17
on the use of funds appropriated under this section, including the amounts distributed to each 18
transit authority, the categories of expenditures, and the status of statewide compliance with the 19
provisions of this section. 20
SECTION 1.(e) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. 21
22
COURT SYSTEM STAFFING FOR WAKE AND MECKLENBURG COUNTIES 23
SECTION 2.(a) Beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from 24
the General Fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) the sum of thirty million 25
dollars ($30,000,000) in recurring funds to be used to hire in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties 26
assistant and deputy clerk of court positions. The AOC shall determine the appropriate allocation 27
of positions between the counties and, no later than 60 days after the allocation, provide a report 28
to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety and the Fiscal Research 29
Division on (i) the number of posit ions allocated to each county and (ii) the reasoning used in 30
determining those numbers. 31
SECTION 2.(b) Beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from 32
the General Fund to the AOC, Budget Fund 100072, the sum of thirty million dollars 33
($30,000,000) in recurring funds to be used to hire in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties assistant 34
district attorney positions. Notwithstanding G.S. 7A-60, the AOC shall determine the appropriate 35
allocation of positions between the counties and, no later than 60 days after the allocation, 36
provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety and 37
the Fiscal Research Division on (i) the number of positions allocated to each county and (ii) the 38
reasoning used in determining those numbers. 39
SECTION 2.(c) No later than July 1, 2027, the Department of Health and Human 40
Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, 41
in coordination with the Administrative Office of the Courts, shall provide a report to the Joint 42
Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Oversight 43
Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division on the status of the 44
appropriation contained in this section, inclu ding (i) cost -savings to the court system, (ii) 45
reductions in case loads, (iii) reductions in the State's incarcerated population, and (iv) any 46
impacts on recidivism. An updated report shall be provided no later than December 1, 2027, and 47
annually thereafter. 48
49
FUNDING FOR SALARY INCREASES AND WORKPLACE SAFETY 50
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ADULT CORRECTION 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 House Bill 1080-First Edition
SECTION 3. Beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the 1
General Fund to the Department of Adult Correction (DAC) the sum of two hundred fifty million 2
dollars ($250,000,000) in recurring funds to be used for (i) salary increases for employees of the 3
DAC to align with current market rates and attract and retain qualified employees and (ii) costs 4
incurred from improving workplace safety. For any funds used for salary increases, the DAC 5
shall determine how to allocate the funds appropriated in this section and, no later than 60 days 6
after the allocation, provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and 7
Public Safety and the Fiscal Research Division on (i) the positions receiving a salary increase, 8
(ii) the amount of the salary increase for each position, and (iii) rationale for each salary increase 9
provided. 10
11
PROVIDE COMPENSATION INCREASES TO MEMBERS OF T HE STATE 12
HIGHWAY PATROL 13
SECTION 4.(a) Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General Fund 14
to the Reserve for Compensation Increases to provide pay raises for the State Highway Patrol & 15
Law Enforcement Support Staff the sum of forty million four hundred eighty-two thousand four 16
hundred eighty dollars ($40,482,480) in each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to establish 17
the pay scales set forth in this section. 18
SECTION 4.(b) Effective July 1, 2025, the law enforcement officers of the Stat e 19
Highway Patrol shall be paid based upon the following experience-based annual salary schedule: 20
Years of Experience 2025-2027 Biennium 21
0 $56,000 22
1 $62,125 23
2 $68,250 24
3 $75,375 25
4 $80,500 26
5 $86,625 27
6 $92,750 28
7 $98,875 29
8+ $105,000 30
SECTION 4.(c) Effective July 1, 2025, sworn State Highway Patrol employees who 31
are not subject to an experience-based annual salary schedule shall be paid at the following rates 32
by rank: 33
Rank 2025-2027 Biennium 34
Sergeant $120,750 35
First Sergeant $132,825 36
Lieutenant $146,108 37
Captain $160,718 38
Major $176,790 39
Lieutenant Colonel $194,469 40
Deputy Commander $204,193 41
Colonel $224,612 42
43
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM SUPPORT AND STAFFING 44
SECTION 5. Beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the 45
General Fund to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 46
Prevention (JJDP), the sum of twenty -five million dollars ($25,000,000) in recurring funds to 47
address staffing shortfalls and stabilize juvenile facility operations and juvenile court services, 48
including recruitment and retention initiatives for hard-to-fill positions, experience-based salary 49
schedule implementation or other compensation adjustments for frontline and supervisory 50
classifications, training and onboarding capacity, and temporary st affing measures necessary to 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 1080-First Edition Page 5
maintain safe staffing coverage while vacancies are filled. The JJDP shall report to the Joint 1
Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Fiscal Research Division, and 2
the chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committees no later than 3
March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, on the use of funds and outcomes, including vacancy 4
rates, turnover, time-to-hire, and overtime hours. 5
6
STATE CRIME LAB WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS 7
SECTION 6. Beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the 8
General Fund to the Department of Justice, the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) in 9
recurring funds to support the State Crime Laboratory in recruiting and retaining qualified 10
personnel in a competitive labor market, including salary adjustments, targeted recruitment and 11
retention incentives for hard -to-fill positions, and related workforce supports necessary to 12
maintain timely and reliable forensic services. The Department shall report to the Fiscal Research 13
Division and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety by March 14
1, 2027, and annually thereafter, on the use of funds and outcomes, including vacancy rates, 15
turnover, time-to-hire, and turnaround times for major casework disciplines. 16
17
ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO ARE MEMBERS 18
OF THE TEACHERS' AND STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM 19
SECTION 7.(a) G.S. 135-1 reads as rewritten: 20
"§ 135-1. Definitions. 21
The following words and phrases as used in this Chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly 22
required by the context, shall have the following meanings: 23
… 24
(7e) "Correctional officer" means an employee of an employer who is certified as 25
a State c riminal justice officer under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 26
17C of the General Statutes. 27
… 28
(11c) "Law-Enforcement Officer" means a full-time paid employee of an employer 29
who is actively serving in a position with assigned primary duties and 30
responsibilities for prevention and dete ction of crime or the general 31
enforcement of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina or serving 32
civil processes, and who possesses the power of arrest by virtue of an oath 33
administered under the authority of the State. "Law-Enforcement Officer" also 34
means a all of the following: 35
a. A probation/parole officer as defined in this section with respect to any 36
service rendered on or after July 1, 2017. 37
b. A correctional officer , as defined in this section, with respect to any 38
service rendered on or after July 1, 2026. 39
…." 40
SECTION 7.(b) G.S. 143-166.41 reads as rewritten: 41
"§ 143-166.41. Special separation allowance options for State law enforcement officers. 42
… 43
(b) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 44
(1) Allowance. – The annual special separation allowance for State law 45
enforcement officers provided for under this section. 46
(1a) Correctional officer. – As defined in G.S. 135-1. 47
(2) Creditable service. – The service for which credit is allowed under the 48
retirement system of which the officer is a member. 49
(3) Law enforcement officer. – As defined in either G.S. 135-1 or 50
G.S. 143-166.30(a). 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 6 House Bill 1080-First Edition
(4) Officer. – A law enforcement officer. 1
(5) Probation/parole officer. – As defined in G.S. 135-1. 2
(b1) Eligibility for Allowance and Calculation of Allowance Amount. – To be eligible for 3
an allowance under this section, an officer is required to meet one of the following sets of criteria 4
that shall also determine the allowance amount: 5
(1) For officers meeting all of the following criteria, the annual special separation 6
allowance to be paid is equal to eighty-five hundredths percent (0.85%) of the 7
annual base rate of compensation most recently applicable to the officer for 8
each year of that officer's creditable service: 9
a. The officer (i) has completed 30 or more years of creditable service or 10
(ii) is 55 years of age or older and completed five or more years of 11
creditable service. 12
b. The officer is less than 62 years of age. 13
c. The officer has completed at least five years of continuous service as 14
a law enforcement officer immediately preceding the officer's service 15
retirement. Any break in this required continuous service that is a 16
result of disability retirement or disability salary continuation benefits 17
shall not adversely affect an officer's qual ification to receive an 18
allowance under this subdivision so long as the officer returned to 19
service within 45 days after the disability benefits had ceased and is 20
otherwise qualified to receive the allowance. 21
d. At least fifty percent (50%) of the officer' s creditable service is as 22
meets one or more of the following: 23
1. The service is as a law enforcement officer, or for officer. 24
2. For service prior to July 1, 2017, the service is as a 25
probation/parole officer. 26
3. For service prior to July 1, 2026, the service is as a correctional 27
officer. 28
(2) For officers meeting all of the following criteria, the annual special separation 29
allowance to be paid is equal to eighty-five hundredths percent (0.85%) of the 30
annual equivalent of the base rate of compensation at th e time the officer 31
attained 30 years of service multiplied by 30: 32
a. Prior to attaining 62 years of age, the officer has completed 30 or more 33
years of creditable service, at least fifty percent (50%) of which was 34
the officer's creditable service met one or more of the following: 35
1. The service was as a law enforcement officer, or for officer. 36
2. For service prior to July 1, 2017, the service was as a 37
probation/parole officer. 38
3. For service prior to July 1, 2026, the service was as a 39
correctional officer. 40
b. The officer has completed at least five years of continuous service as 41
a law enforcement officer immediately preceding the officer's service 42
retirement. Any break in this required continuous service that is a 43
result of disability retirement or disability salary continuation benefits 44
shall not adversely affect an officer's qualification to receive an 45
allowance under this subdivision so long as the officer returned to 46
service within 45 days after the disability benefits had ceased and is 47
otherwise qualified to receive the allowance. 48
If an officer meets all of the criteria under each subdivision of this subsection, then the 49
employer making the allowance payments shall allow the officer to choose which of the two 50
calculation formulas to use for that officer's allowance. This election by the officer is a one-time, 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 1080-First Edition Page 7
irrevocable election and shall be made prior to the first allowance payment. If no election is made 1
by the officer, then the calculation amount under subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be used. 2
…." 3
SECTION 7.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 4
State Treasurer the sum of eleven million dollars ($11,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in 5
the 2026-2027 fiscal year for the purposes of providing the enhanced benefits under this section. 6
SECTION 7.(d) This section is effective July 1, 2026. 7
8
EFFECTIVE DATE 9
SECTION 8. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 10
law. 11