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.