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SB 302

Department of Administration rule relating to retention and disposal scheduling

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jack Woodrum

The bill lets eligible sworn officers buy up to 4 years of extra retirement service credit by paying the actuarial cost, with optional employer funding.

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Bill Summary · SB 302

SB 302 — "The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act" (North Carolina)

Status: Passed 1st Reading (introduced Mar 17–18, 2025). If enacted, effective July 1, 2025.

Purpose / Intent

To allow certain sworn public-safety employees who have completed advanced credentialing to buy up to four years of additional retirement service credit in North Carolina public retirement systems, by paying the actuarial cost of that credit. The intent is to recognize advanced training/certification (advanced law enforcement or corrections) and enable accelerated retirement benefit eligibility for qualifying officers.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new purchase-of-service option to:
    • G.S. 135-4.5 (Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System — TSERS) and
    • G.S. 128-26.5 (Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System — LGERS).
  • Who may purchase:
    • A member in service with at least 5 years of membership service who has been awarded:
    • the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate (issued by the NC Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission or the NC Sheriffs' Education & Training Standards Commission), or
    • the Advanced Corrections Certificate (issued by the NC Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission).
    • Purchase may occur only on or after receipt of the applicable certificate.
  • Amount and limits:
    • A member may purchase up to 4 years of additional creditable service under this provision.
    • The usual one-year-per-calendar-year credit rule (G.S. 135‑4(b) / G.S. 128‑26(b)) does not apply to these purchases.
  • Payment and actuarial basis:
    • Purchases are paid as a lump sum to the Annuity Savings Fund.
    • The payable amount equals the full increase in system liability caused by the extra service credits plus an administrative fee set by the Board of Trustees.
    • Liability is calculated using the retirement system’s actuarial valuation assumptions, except:
    • the allowance is assumed to begin at the earliest age at which the member could retire with an unreduced benefit; and
    • assumed annual post‑retirement increases are those set by the Board on actuarial advice.
  • Employer contribution option:
    • An employer (state agency or local government) may pay all or part of the cost.
    • If employer pays, funds are credited to the Pension Accumulation Fund; if the member pays, funds are credited to the member’s Annuity Savings Fund balance.

Who is affected

  • Eligible members: sworn law-enforcement, probation/parole, and corrections officers employed by State or local entities who hold the specified advanced certificates and who have at least five years of membership service.
  • Employers: State agencies and local governments may choose to subsidize purchases.
  • Retirement systems: TSERS and LGERS will process purchases and actuarial calculations.
  • Training/credentialing commissions: NC Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission and NC Sheriffs' Education & Training Standards Commission (issuers of qualifying certificates).

Fiscal and operational notes

  • The statutory design requires the full actuarial cost of the purchased credit to be paid up front; if members pay the full cost, the plan’s long‑term actuarial position should be preserved.
  • If employers pay (optional), the sponsoring employer bears the cost and the pension fund receives employer contributions credited to the Pension Accumulation Fund.
  • Administrative impacts include actuarial calculations for each purchase and system accounting updates.

Procedural / Timeline

  • Introduced March 17–18, 2025; passed first reading March 18, 2025.
  • Provisions, if enacted, take effect July 1, 2025.
  • Key statutory changes: additions to G.S. 135-4.5 and G.S. 128-26.5 and related cross-references.

For implementers: agencies and local employers should plan for procedures to (1) verify certificates, (2) request actuarial cost calculations, (3) accept lump-sum payments, and (4) account for employer-paid purchases if applicable.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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