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HB 611

Institutions of Higher Education - Mandatory Disclosures for New and Prospective Students (Informed Enrollment Act)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cathi Forbes and 5 co-sponsors

Strengthens state criminal justice training oversight by expanding certification, review, and record-keeping powers for instructors, schools, and programs.

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · HB 611

Summary — HB 611: Modify Training/Standards Commissions Power (North Carolina, SL 2023‑56)

Status / Effective date
- Enacted as Session Law 2023‑56; presented to and signed by the Governor on June 23, 2023. Becomes effective when law (text indicates immediate effect).

Purpose and intent
- To clarify and expand statutory powers, duties, and procedural authority of the State Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission (Chapter 17C) and the Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission (Chapter 17E). The act strengthens certification, oversight, and record‑handling rules for criminal justice training, instructors, schools, and officer certification decisions.

Key provisions and changes
- Expanded and clarified Commission powers (G.S. 17C‑6(a) and G.S. 17E‑4(a)):
- Authority to set minimum standards and levels of education/experience for criminal justice and sheriff school instructors (including probationary/limited instructors, qualified assistants, in‑service coordinators, executive officers, and school directors).
- Authority to certify, recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny certifications for instructors, schools, training programs, and entry‑level officers under standards the Commission establishes.
- Power to investigate and evaluate agencies, schools, and individuals for compliance with statutory training requirements.
- Authority to require agencies and training schools to submit information about employment, education, and training programs.

  • Records privacy (addition to G.S. 17E‑5):

    • Papers/documents that become Commission property and are placed in a criminal justice officer’s personnel file maintained by the Commission are subject to the same disclosure/privacy rules as personnel records under Chapters 126, 153A, and 160A.

  • Treatment of pardons and expunctions (amendments to G.S. 17C‑13 and G.S. 17E‑12):

    • A person who produces competent evidence of an unconditional pardon may not be denied certification solely on the pardoned crime.
    • The Commissions may access felony conviction records—including records located in confidential Administrative Office of the Courts files for persons granted expunctions.
    • The Commission may deny, suspend, or revoke certification based on a felony conviction even if it was expunged, except where the expunction was obtained under specific statutes (G.S. 15A‑145.4 or G.S. 15A‑145.8A). (This narrows the protective effect of some expunctions vis‑à‑vis certification.)

  • Inter‑Commission recognition:

    • Either Commission may accept programs/certifications issued by the other where appropriate; the Sheriffs’ Commission may certify programs unique to the sheriff’s office under its standards.

Who is affected
- Criminal justice and sheriff training commissions, training schools, instructors and prospective instructors, justice agencies that employ or train officers, current and prospective law enforcement officers (certification applicants), and persons with pardons or expunged felony convictions.

Potential impacts
- Strengthens central regulatory control over instructor and school certification and compliance monitoring.
- Agencies and training schools may face new reporting or documentation requirements.
- Individuals with felony convictions — including some expunged convictions — may face increased scrutiny or loss of an otherwise expected barrier against denial of certification.
- Adds statutory clarity on confidentiality of Commission‑maintained personnel files.

Implementation notes
- Enforcement is through Commission rules, certification processes, and related statutory provisions (e.g., G.S. 17C‑10, G.S. 17E‑8/9).
- The bill includes transitional/implementing rule language (not all of which is shown in the excerpt).

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

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