North Carolina HB 987: Create Police Leadership Fellows Program.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 987

Short Title: Create Police Leadership Fellows Program. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Longest.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 14, 2025
*H987-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CREATE THE POLICE LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. Chapter 17C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new article 4
to read: 5
"Article 3. 6
"North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Program. 7
"§ 17C-30. Definitions. 8
As used in this Article, the following definitions apply: 9
(1) Commission. – The North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training 10
Standards Commission. 11
(2) Committee. – The North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Committee. 12
(3) Division. – The Criminal Justice Standards Division of the North Carolina 13
Department of Justice. 14
(4) Eligible criminal justice professions. – State and local sworn law enforcement 15
officers, State correctional officers, other correctional officers maintained by 16
local governments and juvenile justice agencies, sworn sheriffs and deputy 17
sheriffs, detention officers, and telecommunicators under the direct 18
supervision of a law enforcement agency. 19
(5) Program. – The North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Program. 20
(6) Recipient. – An individual selected by the Committee to receive a forgivable 21
loan under the Program. 22
"§ 17C-31. North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Committee established; membership. 23
(a) Committee Established. – There is established the North Carolina Police Leadership 24
Fellows Committee. The Committee shall be a Special Committee of the North Carolina Criminal 25
Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, as defined in the Commission's bylaws. 26
The Committee shall determine program and forgivable loan recipient selection criteria, selection 27
procedures, and shall select the recipients to receive forgivable loans under the North Carolina 28
Police Leadership Fellows Program in accordance with the requirements of this Article. 29
(b) Membership. – The Committee shall consist of 10 members who shall be appointed 30
as follows: 31
(1) The chair of the Commission shall appoint eight members of the Commission 32
to the Committee as follows: 33
a. Three at-large members. 34
b. Two sworn law enforcement officers. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 987-First Edition
c. Two correctional officers. 1
d. The ex officio member representing the President of The University of 2
North Carolina System. 3
(2) The chair of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards 4
Commission shall appoint two members of the North Carolina Sheriffs' 5
Education and Training Standards Commission to the Committee. 6
(c) Terms of Office. – Appointments to the Committee shall be for two-year terms, 7
commencing July 1, 2025. 8
(d) Chair; Meetings. – The chair of the Commission shall call the first meeting of the 9
Committee. The Committee members shall elect a chair and a vice-chair from the membership 10
of the Committee pursuant to the Commission's bylaws to serve one-year terms. The Committee 11
shall meet regularly at times and places deemed necessary by the chair or, in the absence of the 12
chair, by the vice-chair. 13
(e) Expenses. – Committee members shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel 14
allowances in accordance with G.S. 138-5 or G.S. 138-6, as appropriate. 15
(f) Vacancies. – Except as otherwise provided, if a vacancy occurs in the membership of 16
the Committee, the appointing authority shall appoint another person meeting the same 17
qualifications to serve for the balance of the unexpired term. 18
"§ 17C-32. North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows Program established; 19
administration. 20
(a) Program. – There is established the North Carolina Police Leadership Fellows 21
Program to be administered by the Committee with the assistance of the Division. The purpose 22
of the Program is to increase the number of criminal justice professionals by providing forgivable 23
loans to exceptional individuals to obtain Bachelor's Degrees from a constituent institution of the 24
University of North Carolina System in criminal justice, government, the social sciences, or a 25
related field as determined by the Committee. 26
(b) Program Administrator. – The Director of the Division shall select a member of the 27
Division staff, with the consent of the Committee, to serve as the Program administrator. The 28
Program administrator will be responsible for all administrative duties and oversight of the 29
Program as established by the Committee. The Program administrator will conduct recruitment 30
efforts to include the following: 31
(1) Target high school graduates who, due to economic circumstances, are