Bill > S995

This bill aims to address what it describes as a public safety staffing crisis in North Carolina by increasing pay for law enforcement officers and correctional officers, establishing mental health services for public safety personnel, and providing funding for these initiatives. Specifically, it mandates a $7,500 annual salary increase for state law enforcement officers starting July 1, 2026, and requires the Office of State Human Resources to create a competitive salary schedule that considers experience, rank, and cost of living, with a minimum entry-level salary of $62,500 for State Highway Patrol troopers. It also establishes a grant program to help local governments provide similar pay raises for their law enforcement officers. For correctional officers, the bill sets a minimum starting salary of $45,000 and an $8,000 annual increase for currently employed officers, effective July 1, 2026, along with retention bonuses for those reaching five and ten years of service, and enhanced hazard pay for officers in understaffed facilities. Furthermore, it mandates that the State Health Plan provide at least 12 confidential mental health visits annually at no cost to law enforcement and correctional officers, and maintain a 24-hour crisis line staffed by clinicians trained in public safety issues. The bill also requires the Departments of Public Safety and Adult Correction to establish peer support programs and mandates reporting on mental health service utilization, officer suicide rates, and retention data. The act appropriates significant funds from the General Fund to cover these pay raises, bonuses, hazard pay, local government grants, and mental health services, with most provisions taking effect on July 1, 2026.