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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
SESSION LAW 2025-34
SENATE BILL 124
*S124-v-4*
AN ACT TO REDUCE BAR RIERS TO STATE EMPLO YMENT AND TO MODERNI ZE
THE STATE HUMAN RESOURCES SYSTEM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
REDUCE BARRIERS TO STATE EMPLOYMENT
SECTION 1. Article 2 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by adding
a new section to read:
"§ 126-8.7. Reducing barriers to State employment.
(a) 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, or a trade school education, rather than a four -year college
degree, is the appropriate qualification for a position.
(3) Identify jobs for which the educational, experiential, and training
requirements could be reduced from their present level.
(4) Remove language for a four -year college degree in position descriptions, to
the extent practicable, when they are not necessary for the position.
(b) Beginning October 1, 2025, and then annually thereafter, the State Human Resources
Commission 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."
MAKE APPLYING FOR STATE JOBS EASIER
SECTION 2.(a) Article 5 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by
adding a new section to read:
"§ 126-14.3A. Increasing efficiency of State job application process.
(a) The Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) shall streamline the job application
process for State positions by enabling applicants to upload resumes or website profiles. An
electronic tool shall be utilized to import information from these documents into the State job
application format, making the process more efficient while still collecting information necessary
for merit-based hiring under G.S. 126-14.2 and G.S. 126-14.3. An applicant remains responsible
for ensuring that all information required for initial screening appears correctly in the completed
State job application after importing the applicant's resume or profile.
(b) For job applications requiring references, supplemental questions, or other
information not typically found on resumes and not needed for initial screening, State agencies
may collect this information later in the selection process, including during job interviews.
(c) Beginning in 2026 and then annually thereafter, the OSHR shall present the State
application form and demonstrate the import process to the State Human Resources Commission
to receive the Commission's informal feedback."
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 126-5(c7) reads as rewritten:
Page 2 Session Law 2025-34 Senate Bill 124
"(c7) Except as to the policies, rules, and plans established by the Commission pursuant to
G.S. 126-4(1), 126 -4(2), 126 -4(3), 126 -4(4), 126 -4(5), 126 -4(6), 126 -14.3, 126-14.3A, and
except as to G.S. 126-14.2, G.S. 126-34.02(b)(1) G.S. 126-3.1, 126-14.2, 126-14.3B,
126-34.02(b)(1) and (2), and Articles 6 and 7 of this Chapter, this Chapter does not apply to
exempt managerial positions."
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 126-5(c17) reads as rewritten:
"(c17) Except as to the policies, rules, and plans established by the Commission pursuant to
G.S. 126-4(1), 126-4(2), 126-4(3), 126-4(4), 126-4(5), 126-4(6), 126-7, 126-14.3, 126-14.3A,
and except as to the provisions of G.S. 126-14.2, G.S. 126-34.1(a)(2), G.S. 126-3.1, 126-14.2,
126-14.3B, 126-34.1(a)(2), and Articles 6 and 7 of this Chapter, the provisions of this Chapter
shall not apply to a warden of an adult corrections facility."
SECTION 2.(d) G.S. 126-5(c18) reads as rewritten:
"(c18) Except as to the policies, rules, and plans established by the Commission pursuant to
G.S. 126-4(1), 126-4(2), 126 -4(3), 126-4(4), 126 -4(5), 126-4(6), 126 -4(7), and 126 -14.3, and
except as to the provisions of G.S. 126-14.2, G.S. 126-3.1, 126-14.2, 126-14.3A, 126-14.3B,
126-34.02(b)(1) and (2), and Articles 6 and 7 of this Chapter, this Chapter does not apply to the
warden of a State adult correctional facility. Employees in these positions shall be public servants
under G.S. 138A-3(70) and shall file Statements of Economic Interest under G.S. 138A-22.
Employees in these positions shall receive the protections of former G.S. 126-5(e) if the
employees were hired before the date of its repeal and have the minimum cumulative service to
qualify under that subsection."
SECTION 2.(e) The Office of State Human Resources shall modify the State job
application process in accordance with this section by no later than November 1, 2025.
SECTION 2.(f) This section is effective when it becomes law.
MAKE JOB POSTINGS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND EASIER FOR EMPLOYEES
TO QUALIFY
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 126-14.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 126-14.2. Political hirings limited.
…
(b) All State departments, agencies, and institutions shall select from the pool of the most
qualified persons for State government employment without regard to political affiliation or
political influence. For the purposes of this section, "qualified per sons" shall mean each of the
State employees or applicants for initial State employment who:
(1) Have timely applied for a position in State government;
(2) Have the essential qualifications for that position; and
(3) Are determined to be substantially mor e qualified as compared to other
applicants for the position, after applying fair and valid job selection criteria,
in accordance with G.S. 126-5(e), G.S. 126-7.1, Articles 6 and 13 of this
Chapter, and State personnel policies approved by the State Human Resources
Commission.
For the purposes of this section, "essential qualifications" means the minimum education and
experience set forth in the class specification of the vacancy being filled. Any additional
qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the specific vacancy announcement shall
be interpreted as management preferences rather than as mandatory minimum qualifications that
must be met.
(b1) It is the policy of this State that State departments, agencies, and institutions should
simplify their job postings to make it easy for potential applicants to read the postings, understand
the essential qualifications and management preferences, and then apply. Approval of the agency
head or designee is required for any vacancy announcement that adds more than five knowledge,
skills, and abilities to the class specification of the vacancy being filled.
Senate Bill 124 Session Law 2025-34 Page 3
…."
SECTION 3.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to all
positions posted or reposted on or after that date.
ALLOW AGENCIES TO CREATE CONTINUOUS POSTINGS WITHOUT THE NEED
FOR OUTSIDE APPROVAL
SECTION 4.(a) G.S. 126-14.3(3) reads as rewritten:
"(3) Require that a closing date shall be posted for each job opening, unless the
employing agency, department, office, board, commission, system, or
institution has approved an exception for critical classifications has been
approved by the State Human Resources Commission or as a special exception
through the Office of State Human Resources.classifications."
SECTION 4.(b) Unless the employing agency, department, office, board,
commission, system, or institution determines otherwise, exceptions for critical classifications
remain in effect if they were previously granted under G.S. 126-14.3(3) by the State Human
Resources Commission or the Office of State Human Resources.
GRANT EMPLOYING AGENCY FLEXIBILITY IN HIRING, PAY, AND
CLASSIFICATION
SECTION 5.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by
adding a new section to read:
"§ 126-3.1. Employing agency flexibility.
(a) For the purposes of this section, an "employing agency" means the Council of State,
State agencies in the executive branch of government, the Community College s System Office,
and The University of North Carolina.
(b) An employing agency is granted flexibility, notwithstanding other provisions of this
Chapter, to do the following:
(1) Offer qualified applicants for employment the option to have their
applications considered for future positions at the same agency and at other
agencies within the same or comparable classification.
(2) Permit agencies to recruit and hire applicants from job postings that apply to
all vacancies in a particular classification across all State agencies.
(3) Classify or reclassify positions according to the State Human Resources
Commission (SHRC) classification system, provided employees meet the
minimum requirements for the classification.
(4) Establish employee salaries within SHRC -determined salary ranges for
respective position classifications.
(c) Nothing in this section diminishes the powers of the State Human Resources
Commission or the Director of the Office of State Human Resources under any other provision
of this Chapter or relating to corrective actions taken when an employing agency fails to comply
with this section."
SECTION 5.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025.
PERMANENT HIRING OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES/SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
SECTION 6.(a) Article 1 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by
adding a new section to read:
"§ 126-6.4. Temp-to-perm hiring.
(a) The Council of State, the executive branch agencies, the Community Colleges System
Office, and The University of North Carolina may directly hire temporary employees into vacant
positions if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The permanent position to be filled must be vacant.
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(2) The temporary employee must have worked for a minimum of six months in
a substantially equivalent role with satisfactory performance. This six -month
period excludes any mandatory breaks required under G.S. 126-6.3.
(3) The temporary employee must meet the minimum education and experience
requirements established for the position classification , and the employee's
salary must be set within the approved classification range.
(4) The temporary employee must have been originally hired through the North
Carolina Office of State Human Resources Tempor ary Solutions Program or
directly hired by a State agency as a temporary State employee.
The Director of the Office of State Human Resources may waive the requirements specified
in subdivision (3) of this subsection, including both the minimum education an d experience
requirements and the requirement that salary be set within the classification range.
(b) Unless otherwise provided, a hiring under this section is exempt from the provisions
of this Chapter, including any procedural or substantive requirements, including publicly posting
the position, requiring an application, holding an interview or new reference checks, selecting
the applicants from the pool of the most qualified persons, or following the priorities for certain
types of applicants under State law. This exemption for the hiring process does not affect whether
the position is subject to this Chapter once the employee is hired.
(c) A hiring under this section is not exempt from G.S. 126-14, 126-14.1, or 126-14.5 or
from Article 6 or 7 of this Chapter."
SECTION 6.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law.
ALLOW AGENCIES TO IMMEDIATELY HIRE ONE OF THE MOST QUALIFIED
CANDIDATES FROM A PREVIOUS POSTING
SECTION 7. Article 5 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by adding
a new section to read:
"§ 126-14.3B. Hiring candidate from most qualified pool in previous posting.
(a) In addition to the authority granted by G.S. 126-3.1(b)(1), the Council of State, the
executive branch agencies, the Community Colleges System Office, and The University of North
Carolina are authorized to directly hire, without posting, into a vacant position so long as all of
the following conditions are met:
(1) That employer previously posted for recruitment, in accordance with
G.S. 126-7.1 and G.S. 126-14.3, a position that has the same or comparable
classification as the position that is now vacant.
(2) The person who is now being hired applied for that previous vacancy.
(3) The employer selected the person to be within the pool of the most qualified
persons for the previous vacancy, in accordance with G.S. 126-14.2, but did
not hire that person.
(4) For the position that is now vacant, the person who is now being hired meets
the minimum education and experience requirements for the classification and
has a salary set within the vacant position's classification range.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the hiring shall be exempt from this
Chapter, including any p rocedural or substantive requirements , such as publicly posting the
position, requiring a new application, holding a new interview or new reference checks, and
following the priorities for certain types of applicants under State law. The hiring shall not b e
exempt from G.S. 126-14, 126 -14.1, 126 -14.5, and Articles 6 and 7 of this Chapter. The
exemption from this Chapter for the hiring process shall not affect whether the position is subject
to this Chapter once the employee is hired."
BUILD NEW PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEM
Senate Bill 124 Session Law 2025-34 Page 5
SECTION 8.(a) The Office of State Human Resources shall submit to the State
Human Resources Commission and the Governor an improved process for performance
management. The State Human Resources Commission, subject to the approval of the Governor,
shall adopt a new performance management and performance evaluation policy by March 15,
2026.
SECTION 8.(b) The State Human Resources Commission's existing rules on
performance management and performance evaluation are repealed when this act becomes law.
ALLOW VETERANS AND NATIONAL GUARD PREFERENCE
SECTION 9. Article 3 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by adding
a new section to read:
"§ 126-11.1. Veterans and National Guard preference for local government.
For positions subject to this Chapter, local entities may provide an employment preference
to eligible veterans and eligible members of the National Guard, as those terms are defined in
G.S. 126-81."
ALLOW SIGN-ON AND RETENTION BONUSES
SECTION 10. Article 3 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes is amended by adding
a new section to read:
"§ 126-11.2. Sign-on and retention bonuses for local government.
Local entities are authorized to offer sign -on and retention bonuses to employees subject to
this Chapter. Sign-on and retention bonuses provided by local entities to employees subject to
this Chapter shall be consistent with the Sign -On and Retention Bonus Policy for State agency
employees."
ALLOW OSHR TO MORE Q UICKLY MODERNIZE THE PERSONNEL SYSTEM
FOR LOCAL AND STATE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THE HUMAN
RESOURCES ACT
SECTION 11. G.S. 150B-2(8a) reads as rewritten:
"(8a) Rule. – Any agency regulation, standard, or statement of general applicability
that implements or interprets an enactment of the General Assembly or
Congress or a regulation adopted by a federal agency or that describes the
procedure or practice requirements of an agency. The term includes the
establishment of a fee and the amendment or repeal of a prior rule. The term
does not include the following:
…
i. Job classification standards, job qualifications, and salaries salaries,
and policies established for State and lo cal government positions
under the jurisdiction of the State Human Resources
Commission.Commission, so long as those standards , qualifications,
salaries, and policies directly affect only applicants for employment,
current employees, or the resolution of matters related to past
employment.
…."
MODERNIZE AND SIMPLIFY THE STATE HUMAN RESOURCES ACT
SECTION 12. By March 15, 2026, the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR)
shall submit a report to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the Fiscal Research Division with recommended changes to Chapter 126 of
the G eneral Statutes to modernize the North Carolina Human Resources Act, simplify its
Page 6 Session Law 2025-34 Senate Bill 124
provisions, and align it with contemporary human resources best practices. At a minimum, the
report shall address legislative changes needed to:
(1) Streamline hiring processes.
(2) Enhance recruitment strategies and increase the attractiveness of State
government employment.
(3) Develop and maintain a high-quality, well-trained State workforce.
(4) Improve State employee retention rates.
The OSHR shall collaborate with State agencies, local governments, and other
relevant stakeholders to develop these legislative proposals.
REPEAL OR AMEND RULES
SECTION 13. The State Human Resources Commission shall repeal or amend its
rules to make changes that are consistent with this act, utilizing temporary rulemaking where
necessary.
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 14. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 25th day of June, 2025.
s/ Rachel Hunt
President of the Senate
s/ Destin Hall
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Josh Stein
Governor
Approved 9:10 a.m. this 1st day of July, 2025