NC Airport Security Continuity.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 1028

Short Title: NC Airport Security Continuity. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Garrett and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S1028-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ENACT THE NC AIRPORT SECURITY CONTINUITY AND FEDER AL 2
WORKER RELIEF ACT. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the "NC Airport Security Continuity and 5
Federal Worker Relief Act." 6
SECTION 2. The NC Federal Worker Airport Security Emergency Fund 7
("Emergency Fund") is established as a special fund within the Highway Fund to be administered 8
by the Department of Transportation, Division of Aviation in accordance with this act. Fun ds 9
allocated under this act shall be considered emergency operational continuity grants. 10
SECTION 3. The purpose of the Emergency Fund is to provide financial relief in the 11
form of an interest free loan to a person working at an airport located within the S tate ("eligible 12
airport") without compensation due to a federal funding lapse in any of the following positions 13
("qualifying positions"): 14
(1) Transportation Security Officer employed by the United States Department of 15
Homeland Security, Transportation Secu rity Administration (TSA) that is 16
performing federally mandated screening duties. 17
(2) Air Traffic Controller employed by the United States Department of 18
Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 19
SECTION 4. The Division shall only allocate fund s in the Emergency Fund to an 20
eligible airport upon certification by the Secretary of Transportation that due to a lapse in federal 21
funding a person in a qualifying position at an eligible airport has not been paid for a period of 22
14 or more consecutive da ys. Upon receipt of the allocation of funds, the airport shall be 23
responsible for all of the following: 24
(1) Determining the eligibility and amount of the interest free loan. 25
(2) Disbursement of the loan. 26
(3) Administering the automatic repayment of the loa n when the federal 27
government issues back pay to affected workers. 28
(4) Any other requirements set forth by the Division. 29
SECTION 5. The Division shall establish procedures and adopt rules in accordance 30
with the purpose of this act. 31
SECTION 6. Within 60 day s of an allocation of funds under this act, the Division 32
shall submit a report to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on 33
Transportation, Senate Appropriations Committee on the Department of Transportation, Joint 34
Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee (JLTOC), and the Fiscal Research Division 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1028-First Edition
SECTION 7. There is appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of 1
Transportation the sum of twenty -five million dollars ($25,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for 2
the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be transferred to the NC Federal Worker Airport Security Emergency 3
Fund for use in accordance with this act. Funds in the Emergency Fund shall not revert but shall 4
remain available for use consistent with this act. 5
SECTION 8. This act is effective when it becomes law. 6