Const Amend: Legislative Terms/Compensation.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 462

Short Title: Const Amend: Legislative Terms/Compensation. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Burgin (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 25, 2025
*S462-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF NORT H CAROLINA TO MODIFY THE 2
LENGTH OF TERMS OF M EMBERS OF THE GENERA L ASSEMBLY, THE 3
COMPENSATION OF MEMB ERS OF THE GENERAL A SSEMBLY, AND THE 4
LENGTH OF THE SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
7
PART I. COMPENSATION AND ALLOWANCE MODIFICATIONS 8
SECTION 1.(a) Section 16 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution reads as 9
rewritten: 10
"Sec. 16. Compensation Limitations on compensation and allowances. 11
(1) The members and officers of the General Assembly shall receive compensation for 12
their services the compensation and allowances prescribed by law. An increase in the 13
compensation or allowances of members shall become effective at the beginning of the ne xt 14
regular session of the General Assembly following the session at which it was enacted. that is 15
equal to the average annual salary of public school teachers paid from State funds as determined 16
by the National Education Association which pay shall begin on July 1 of each fiscal year. The 17
members of the General Assembly shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel reimbursement 18
that is consistent with similar allowances for State employees. 19
(2) The officers of the General Assembly who are not members of the General Assembly 20
shall receive for their services the compensation and allowances prescribed by law." 21
SECTION 1.(b) The amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section shall be 22
submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on 23
November 3, 2026, which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing 24
elections at that time. The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 25
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 26
Constitutional amendment to set the annual salary for members of the General 27
Assembly in an amount that is equal to the average salary for classroom teachers and to set the 28
travel, subsistence, and per diem rates at the rates paid for State employees." 29
SECTION 1.(c) The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the 30
referendum conducted under subsection (b) of this section. If a majority of votes cast on the 31
question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the Secret ary of 32
State shall enroll the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of 33
votes cast on the question are against the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the 34
amendment shall have no effect. 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 462-First Edition
SECTION 1.(d) If the c ertification from the State Board of Elections under 1
subsection (c) of this section reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 2
the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the amendment set out in subsection (a) 3
of this section is effective upon certification. 4
5
PART II. TERM MODIFICATIONS 6
SECTION 2.(a) Article II of the Constitution of North Carolina is amended by 7
adding a new section to read: 8
"Sec. 25. Limitation of consecutive terms. 9
(1) No person shall be eligible to serve more than 1 6 consecutive years as a member of 10
the House of Representatives. A person disqualified by this section from election to the next 11
succeeding term as a member of the House of Representatives may not fill a vacancy in the House 12
during that term. 13
(2) No person shall be eligible to serve more than 16 consecutive years as a member of 14
the Senate. A person disqualified by this section from election to the next succeeding term as a 15
member of the Senate may not fill a vacancy in the Senate during that term. 16
(3) Terms of office beginning before January 1, 20 27, shall not be considered for the 17
purpose of this section." 18
SECTION 2.(b) The amendments set out in this Part shall be submitted to the 19
qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on November 3, 2026, 20
which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing elections at that time. 21
The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 22
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 23
Constitutional amendment making the term of members of the Senate four years 24
beginning with Senators elected in 2028 and limiting members of the General Assembly to no 25
more than 16 consecutive years in a chamber." 26
SECTION 2.(c) The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the 27
referendum conducted under subsection (b) of this section. If a majority of votes cast on the 28
question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of 29
State shall enroll the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of 30
votes cast on the question are against the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the 31
amendment shall have no effect. 32
SECTION 2.(d) If the certification from the State Board of Elections under 33
subsection (c) of this section reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 34
the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the amendment set out in subsectio n (a) 35
of this section is effective upon certification. 36
37
PART III. SESSION LENGTH LIMITATION 38
SECTION 3.(a) Section 11(1) of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution reads 39
as rewritten: 40
"(1) Regular sessions. 41
(a) The General Assembly shall meet in regu lar session in 1973 and every two 42
years thereafter on the day prescribed by law. 43
(b) Odd-numbered years. – Beginning with the regular session in 2027, during an 44
odd-numbered year, the General Assembly shall remain in regular session for 45
no more than 120 calendar days, except that this period may be extended by 46
joint resolution once per regular session in an odd-numbered year for not more 47
than 10 calendar days. If the General Assembly, upon convening of the regular 48
session, meets initially for not more than two consecutive calendar days and 49
then adjourns for not less than 10 calendar days, that period of adjournment 50
shall be excluded from the 120 calendar days. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 462-First Edition Page 3
(c) Even-numbered years. – If the regular session meets in even-numbered years, 1
the General Assembly shall remain in regular session for no more than 90 2
calendar days, except that this period may be extended by joint resolution once 3
per regular session in an even-numbered year for not more than 10 calendar 4
days. 5
(d) Reconvened sessions called under Section 5 of Article III of this Constitution 6
and sessions required in response to orders of a court in which only matters 7
responding to the court order are considered shall be excluded from the 8
calculations of this section. 9
(e) Neither house shall proceed upon public business unless a majority of all of 10
its members are actually present. 11
(f) No valid action, other than a resolution of adjournment, may be taken by the 12
General Assembly in a regular session after the time limits prescribed in thi s 13
section have expired." 14
SECTION 3.(b) The amendment set out in this section shall be submitted to the 15
qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on November 3, 2026, 16
which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing elections at that time. 17
The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 18
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 19
Constitutional amendment limiting the length of regular legislative sessions to 120 20
calendar days in odd-numbered years and 90 calendar days in even-numbered years." 21
SECTION 3.(c) The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the 22
referendum conducted under subsection (b) of this section. If a majority of votes cast on the 23
question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of 24
State shall enroll the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of 25
votes cast on the question are against the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the 26
amendment shall have no effect. 27
SECTION 3.(d) If the certification from the State Board of Elections under 28
subsection (c) of this section reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 29
the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section , the amendment set out in subsection (a) 30
of this section is effective upon certification. 31
32
PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE 33
SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law. 34