Bill Supporting Veteran Law Enforcement Officers Clears NC Senate Unanimously
Raleigh, N.C. – Today, the North Carolina Senate unanimously passed House Bill 50, which enables law enforcement officers to stay on the force longer without reducing their retirement benefits. Before the Senate session, House and Senate leaders were joined by law enforcement officers from across the state to recognize and honor their dedication to protecting our citizens.
"Well-trained, veteran officers shouldn't feel like they're up against a deadline or forced to leave before they're ready in order to get their full retirement benefits," Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). "These officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us, and we should be doing everything we can to support them while they're working and in their retirement."
House Bill 50 was introduced by Rep. Reece Pyrtle (R-Rockingham), who is a retired police chief.
"Across the state, law enforcement agencies are grappling with hiring and retaining qualified officers," Rep. Pyrtle said. "If we don't find innovative ways to support our law enforcement agencies, those staffing issues are only going to get worse. That's why this new separation allowance option has been a top priority for law enforcement groups for years."
The bill creates a new separation option for law enforcement officers, using a different method to calculate the allowance. To qualify, an officer must have served for at least 30 years before turning 62 and worked continuously as an officer for at least five years before retiring. This would allow the officer to save his or her special separation allowance to be paid out at a later date.
By creating this new separation allowance calculation, we can improve public safety by keeping officers on the job and potentially save local governments money.
The bill now goes to Gov. Josh Stein for his consideration. He has 10 days to either sign it into law, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.
Are you tired of being bombarded by paywalls and pop-up ads when trying to read the news? Do you believe that access to reliable political news should be free and accessible to everyone? Then we urge you to support NC Political News, a weekly electronic political news outlet.
NC Political News is committed to providing high-quality, unbiased political reporting with columnists from all political sides. Unlike other news outlets, NC Political News is free to read and supported by businesses who purchase ad space on our website and in our newsletter, which goes out Monday through Friday at 7:00 am. This means that readers like you can access the news without being asked to pay a cent or dealing with frustrating advertisements.
However, to continue providing this valuable service, NC Political News needs your support. If you believe in the importance of accessible, free news, we urge you to click the image below. Any amount of support is appreciated.
Together, we can keep the news free and help ensure our state stays informed and connected.
