North Carolina HB 846: Teacher Retention and Recruitment.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 846

Short Title: Teacher Retention and Recruitment. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Echevarria, Willis, Schietzelt, and Campbell (Primary
Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Pensions and Retirement, if favorable,
Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 10, 2025
*H846-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE A TUITION WAIVER FOR CHILDREN OF ELIGIBLE VETERAN 2
TEACHERS, TO REINSTATE EDUCATION-BASED SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR 3
TEACHERS, TO CODIFY AND EXPAND THE TEACHER BONUS PROGRAM, TO 4
REVISE THE TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM, TO REVIVE THE RETIRED 5
TEACHERS PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE FOR TEACHER LICENSURE RECIPROCITY, 6
AND TO STRENGTHEN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THREATS AND 7
ASSAULTS ON TEACHERS. 8
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
10
PART I. TUITION WAIVER FOR CHILDREN OF ELIGIBLE VETERAN TEACHERS 11
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115B-1 reads as rewritten: 12
"§ 115B-1. Definitions. 13
The following definitions apply in this Chapter: 14
(1) 12-year teacher. – An eligible teacher with 12 years of service as a teacher in 15
a public school unit. 16
(2) 16-year teacher. – An eligible teacher with 16 years of service as a teacher in 17
a public school unit. 18
(3) 20-year teacher. – An eligible teacher with 20 years of service as a teacher in 19
a public school unit. 20
(1)(4) Correctional officer. – An employee of an employer who is certified as a State 21
correctional officer under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 17C of the 22
General Statutes. 23
(5) Eligible teacher. – A teacher employed on a full-time basis as a teacher in a 24
public school unit. 25
(1a)(6) Employer. – The State of North Carolina and its departments, agencies, and 26
institutions; or a county, city, town, or other political subdivision of the State. 27
(2)(7) Firefighter or volunteer firefighter. – The same as provided in G.S. 58-86-25 28
for "eligible firemen". 29
(3)(8) Law enforcement officer. – An employee or volunteer of an employer who 30
possesses the power of arrest, who has taken the law enforcement oath 31
administered under the authority of the State as prescribed by G.S. 11-11, and 32
who is certified as a law enforcement officer under the provisions of Article 1 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 846-First Edition
of Chapter 17C of the General Statutes or certified as a deputy sheriff under 1
the provisions of Chapter 17E of the General Statutes. "Law enforcement 2
officer" also means the sheriff of the county. 3
(4)(9) Permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of a traumatic injury 4
sustained in the line of duty. – A person: (i) who as a law enforcement officer, 5
correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker 6
suffered a disabling injury while in active service or training for active service, 7
(ii) who at the time of active service or training was a North Carolina resident, 8
and (iii) who has been determined to be permanently and totally disabled for 9
compensation purposes by the North Carolina Industrial Commission. 10
(5)(10) Rescue squad worker. – The same as provided in G.S. 58-86-30 for "eligible 11
rescue squad worker". 12
(6)(11) Survivor. – Any person whose parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or 13
spouse: (i) was a law enforcement officer, a correctional officer, a firefighter, 14
a volunteer firefighter, or a rescue squad worker, (ii) was killed while in active 15
service or training for active service or died as a result of a service-connected 16
disability, and (iii) at the time of active service or training was a North 17
Carolina resident. The term does not include the widow or widower of a law 18
enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or 19
a rescue squad worker if the widow or widower has remarried. 20
(7)(12) Tuition. – The amount charged for registering for a credit hour of instruction 21
and shall not be construed to mean any other fees or charges or costs of 22
textbooks." 23
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115B-2 reads as rewritten: 24
"§ 115B-2. Tuition waiver authorized. 25
(a) The constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina and the community 26
colleges as defined in G.S. 115D-2(2) shall permit the following persons to attend classes for 27
credit or noncredit purposes without the required payment of tuition: 28
(1) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-451, s. 8.11(a), effective July 1, 2009. 29
(2) Any person who is the survivor of a law enforcement officer, correctional 30
officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker killed as a 31
direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty. 32
(3) The spouse of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, 33
volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker who i