North Carolina SB 578: North Carolina CARDINAL Corps Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 578

Short Title: North Carolina CARDINAL Corps Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chitlik and Lowe (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S578-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA CARDINAL CORPS ACT TO PLACE 2
INDIVIDUALS IN JOB POSITIONS IN CRITICAL, HIGH-NEED SECTORS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Fellowship Program Established. – There is established the North 5
Carolina Communities Advancing Real Development by Investing in Newly Accomplished 6
Leaders, or CARDINAL, Corps Program (Program) to expand opportunities for selected 7
individuals by providing fellowship funds to support entry into critical, high-need sectors facing 8
shortages including disaster relief and recovery, education, public safety, public service, farming 9
and food security, and services to military families and veterans. The program shall (i) allow host 10
recipients, including businesses, schools, local governments, and private nonprofit organizations, 11
to participate in fellowships to meet their needs, assist with financial challenges, and ease 12
employment demands in their local communities, and (ii) provide opportunities to fellows that 13
can lead to certifications, licensing, or an associate degree in a career field and, ultimately, 14
full-time employment. 15
SECTION 2. Implementation. – A host recipient is eligible for reimbursement of 16
funds used for a fellowship if the host offers a qualifying fellowship to an individual who is either 17
within the first two years immediately following (i) high school graduation or completion of 18
general education development (GED) or (ii) a United States military deployment. Fellowships 19
that fit the following descriptions are qualifying fellowships: 20
(1) Disaster relief and recovery. – Supporting governments, nonprofit 21
organizations, or faith-based organizations in mobilizing resources for 22
disaster relief and recovery in the State. 23
(2) Education. – Supporting local school districts, nonprofit organizations, or 24
faith-based organizations in working as a tutor, early childhood education 25
assistant, or after school program assistant. 26
(3) Public safety. – Supporting local police or sheriff departments, nonprofit 27
organizations, or faith-based organizations in working to reduce crime or 28
support victims of crime. 29
(4) Public service. – Supporting county or municipal governments. 30
(5) Farming and food security. – Supporting small-scale farmers, coalitions, 31
nonprofit organizations, or faith-based organizations in supporting small-scale 32
farmers and increasing food security. 33
(6) Military families and veterans. – Supporting the Veterans Administration, 34
groups on military bases, professional organizations, fraternal organizations, 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 578-First Edition
or nonprofit organizations doing in bolstering active-duty military and their 1
families, Gold Star families, or veterans. 2
SECTION 3. Use of Funds. – The NCWorks Commission of the Department of 3
Commerce shall administer the fellowship program established under this act for host recipients 4
that are businesses, schools, local governments, or private nonprofit organizations conducting 5
business in this State and that offer qualifying fellowships to individuals. The funds appropriated 6
for the program shall be allocated by the Commission to host recipients as follows: 7
(1) Fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be allocated for the salary and program 8
expenses of fellows that are in their first two years immediately following high 9
school graduation or completion of general education development (GED). 10
(2) Fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be allocated for the salary and program 11
expenses of fellows that are in their first two years immediately following a 12
military deployment. 13
Upon matching funds being made available by a host recipient in accordance with 14
Section 4 of this act, host recipients may be reimbursed for up to thirty thousand two hundred 15
dollars ($30,200) per fellow each fiscal year for program expenses, including program 16
equipment, expenses associated with payroll, mentor stipends, insurance, training, uniforms, 17
safety equipment, and for the salary and completion award of fellows. 18
SECTION 4. Matching Funds for Fellowship Cost. – Funds made available to host 19
recipients for program expenses, salary, and the completion award of fellows shall be matched 20
on the basis of one dollar ($1.00) in non-State funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in State funds. 21
Fellows participating in the grant program paid with matching State funds shall be limited to a 22
weekly rate of pay of six hundred dollars ($600.00). Each fellowship shall be for a period of nine 23
consecutive months, upon which fellows shall also be paid a completio