Bill
HB 987
Creates the North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Program offering forgivable loans to NC residents pursuing degrees in criminal justice and entering eligible public safety care
Status & timeline
- Introduced: (provided) November 12, 2024; passed first reading (April 2025).
- Committee appointments commence July 1, 2025.
- Committee must select program recipients annually no later than June 1.
Purpose
- Establishes the North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Program to expand the pipeline of criminal‑justice professionals by funding students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, government, social sciences, or related fields and encouraging them to enter eligible public safety careers.
Key provisions
- Establishes a special committee and a new forgivable‑loan program under Chapter 17C (added Article 3).
- North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Committee:
- 10 members (appointed by the NC Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission chair and the Sheriffs’ Education & Training Standards Commission chair).
- Two‑year terms beginning July 1, 2025; members receive per diem/travel.
- Responsible for setting program rules, selection criteria, and choosing recipients.
- Program administration:
- Administered by the Committee with assistance from the Criminal Justice Standards Division.
- Division Director appoints a staff program administrator (with Committee consent) to run recruitment and operations.
- Forgivable loans (amounts and limits):
- Freshman & sophomore years: up to $3,000 per year (max $6,000 over two years).
- Junior & senior years: up to $7,000 per year (max $14,000 over two years).
- Aggregate maximum per recipient: $20,000.
- Funds may be used for tuition, fees, and books; Committee may limit amounts applied to fees/textbooks.
- Program scale:
- Annual recipients: at least 50 (if sufficient applicants) and not more than 100.
- Eligibility & exclusions:
- Applicants must be NC domiciled and residents for tuition purposes, and be HS graduates or current seniors who intend to work in an eligible criminal justice profession after graduation.
- Eligible professions include state/local sworn law enforcement, correctional officers (state/local/juvenile), sworn sheriffs/deputies, detention officers, and telecommunicators supervised by law enforcement.
- Disqualifying convictions specified (e.g., felonies; certain misdemeanors within set timeframes).
- Application process:
- Committee may require background checks; application materials and deliberations are confidential (not public record).
- Committee adopts selection standards; selections are final.
Who is affected
- Prospective college students (NC residents) who intend careers in law enforcement/corrections; community law‑enforcement and corrections agencies (future workforce); the Criminal Justice Standards Division and Commission (administration responsibilities).
Fiscal/operational notes
- The bill creates loan awards but does not specify a funding source or detailed repayment/forgiveness conditions in the provided text—the Committee is tasked with procedural rules including any service or employment requirements that trigger loan forgiveness. Administrative workload and program costs will be borne by the administering agencies as determined by subsequent implementation actions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
