FILED SENATE
May 2, 2024
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 896
SESSION 2023 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS35358-MTfa-238A
Short Title: Investing in North Carolina Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Grafstein, Batch, and Garrett (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO RAISE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS, STATE
3 EMPLOYEES, COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYEES, AND EMPLOYEES OF THE
4 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA; TO PROVIDE A COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE
5 FOR RETIREES; TO EXPAND THE WAGE$ PROGRAM STATEWIDE; AND TO
6 CREATE A TAX CREDIT FOR QUALIFYING EMPLOYERS EQUAL TO THE LESSER
7 OF FIVE PERCENT OF WAGES PAID TO EMPLOYEES DURING THE TAXABLE
8 YEAR OR TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
9 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
10
11 PART I. RAISE TEACHER SALARIES
12 SECTION 1.(a) The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the
13 2024-2025 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers.
14 The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience.
15 2024-25 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule
16 Years of Experience "A" Teachers
17 0 4,600
18 1 4,685
19 2 4,770
20 3 4,855
21 4 4,940
22 5 5,025
23 6 5,110
24 7 5,195
25 8 5,280
26 9 5,365
27 10 5,450
28 11 5,535
29 12 5,620
30 13 5,705
31 14 5,790
32 15 5,875
33 16 5,950
34 17-19 6,070
35 20-22 6,135
36 23-25 6,200
*DRS35358-MTfa-238A*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 26-28 6,295
2 29+ 6,370
3 SECTION 1.(b) Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. –
4 (1) Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary
5 supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on
6 the "A" salary schedule.
7 (2) Licensed teachers who are classified as "M" teachers shall receive a salary
8 supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the
9 "A" salary schedule.
10 (3) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the
11 six-year degree level shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred
12 twenty-six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided
13 to them as "M" teachers.
14 (4) Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the
15 doctoral degree level shall receive a salary supplement of two hundred
16 fifty-three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided
17 to them as "M" teachers.
18 (5) Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten
19 percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule.
20 (6) School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level
21 or higher shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred dollars ($100.00)
22 per month.
23 SECTION 1.(c) For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are
24 licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists
25 who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply:
26 (1) The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the
27 "A" salary schedule.
28 (2) These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month:
29 a. Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement
30 provided pursuant to sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision.
31 b. Five hundred dollars ($500.00).
32 (3) These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those
33 of teachers for academic preparation at the six-year degree level or the
34 doctoral degree level.
35 (4) The twenty-sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one-half
36 percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on
37 the twenty-fifth step of the salary schedule.
38 SECTION 1.(d) Beginning with the 2014-2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providing
39 annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those
40 longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule.
41 SECTION 1.(e) A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for
42 the 2024-2025 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following:
43 (1) The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year.
44 (2) For teachers who were eligible for longevity for the 2013-2014 school year,
45 the sum of the following:
46 a. The salary the teacher received in the 2013-2014 school year pursuant
47 to Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013-360.
48 b. The longevity that the teacher would have received under the longevity
49 system in effect for the 2013-2014 school year provided in Section
50 35.11 of S.L. 2013-360 based on the teacher's current years of service.
51 c. The annual bonus provided in Section 9.1(e) of S.L. 2014-100.
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1 (3) For teachers who were not eligible for longevity for the 2013-2014 school
2 year, the sum of the salary and annual bonus the teacher received in the
3 2014-2015 school year pursuant to Section 9.1 of S.L. 2014-100.
4 SECTION 1.(f) As used in this section, the term "teacher" shall also include
5 instructional support personnel.
6 SECTION 1.(g) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
7 Public Instruction for the 2024-2025 fiscal year the sum of eight hundred eighty-six million two
8 hundred fifty-five thousand two hundred ninety-seven dollars ($886,255,297) in recurring funds
9 to implement the teacher raises provided in this section.
10
11 PART II. PAY RAISES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES/COMMUNITY COLLEGES/THE
12 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES FOR
13 RETIREES
14
15 ELIGIBLE STATE-FUNDED EMPLOYEES AWARDED COST-OF-LIVING
16 ADJUSTMENT/LEGISLATIVE SALARY INCREASES
17 SECTION 2.1.(a) Effective July 1, 2024, except as provided by subsection (c) of
18 this section, a person (i) whose salary is set by this Part, pursuant to the North Carolina Human
19 Resources Act or as otherwise authorized in this act, and (ii) who is employed in a State-funded
20 position on June 30, 2024, is awarded a cost-of-living adjustment as follows:
21 (1) Three percent (3%) effective July 1, 2024.
22 (2) As otherwise allowed or provided by law.
23 SECTION 2.1.(b) The following persons are not eligible to receive the legislative
24 salary increases provided by subsection (a) of this section:
25 (1) Employees of local boards of education.
26 (2) Local community college employees.
27 (3) Employees of The University of North Carolina.
28 (4) Clerks of superior court compensated under G.S. 7A-101.
29 (5) Officers and employees to which Section 3.7 or Section 3.8 of this Part apply.
30 (6) Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol Law
31 Enforcement compensated under this Part.
32 (7) Employees of the State Highway Patrol compensated under this Part.
33 (8) Employees of schools operated by the Department of Health and Human
34 Services, the Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction,
35 and the State Board of Education who are paid based on the Teacher Salary
36 Schedule.
37 SECTION 2.1.(c) Permanent part-time employees shall receive the increase
38 authorized by this section on a prorated and equitable basis.
39 SECTION 2.1.(d) No eligible State-funded employee shall be prohibited from
40 receiving the full salary increase provided in this section solely because the employee's salary
41 after applying the legislative increase is above the maximum of the salary range prescribed by
42 the State Human Resources Commission.
43
44 RECEIPT-SUPPORTED COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT RESERVE
45 SECTION 2.2. State agencies are authorized to use the funding allotted to them from
46 the Receipt-Supported Cost-of-Living Adjustment Reserve to fundshift a limited number of
47 receipt-supported positions in the General Fund to net appropriation funding.
48
49 RETENTION PAY FOR STATE EMPLOYEES
50 SECTION 2.3.(a) All references to "longevity" pay in Chapter 126 of the General
51 Statutes shall be replaced with "retention" pay.
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 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023
1 SECTION 2.3.(b) The amount of retention pay provided to employees who are
2 full-time or over half-time and have a permanent, time-limited or probationary appointment and
3 who are in pay status for one-half of the regularly scheduled workdays and holidays in a pay
4 period shall be increased to the following amounts:
5 Years of Total Service Retention Pay Percentage
6 2 but less than 5 years 1.0%
7 5 but less than 10 years 1.5%
8 10 but less than 15 years 2.0%
9 15 but less than 20 years 2.5%
10 20 but less than 25 years 3.5%
11 25 or more years 4.5%
12
13 RETENTION BONUS AWARDED FOR FISCAL YEAR
14 SECTION 2.4.(a) Any person (i) whose salary is set by Section 1 of this act or this
15 Part, pursuant to the North Carolina Human Resources Act, or as otherwise authorized in this act
16 and (ii) who is continuously employed by the State or a public school unit from November 1,
17 2023, to March 31, 2024, shall be awarded an additional retention bonus for the 2023-2024 fiscal
18 year in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00), payable during the month of May 2024.
19 SECTION 2.4.(b) Employers of State employees and local education employees
20 shall provide an additional retention bonus of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), payable
21 during the month of May 2024, to all permanent full-time State employees and local education
22 employees who are employed by the State or a public school unit from November 1, 2023, to
23 March 31, 2024, and who earn an annual salary that does not exceed seventy-five thousand
24 dollars ($75,000).
25 SECTION 2.4.(c) The funds appropriated for retention bonuses in excess of the
26 amounts required to implement these bonuses shall revert and not be credited to the Pay Plan
27 Reserve.
28 SECTION 2.4.(d) Notwithstanding G.S. 135-1(7a), the compensation bonuses
29 awarded by this section are not compensation under Article 1 of Chapter 135 of the General
30 Statutes, the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System.
31 SECTION 2.4.(e) The compensation bonuses awarded by this section are not part of
32 annual salary and shall be paid out separately. The compensation bonus shall be awarded to
33 eligible permanent employees without regard to an employee's placement within the salary range,
34 including employees at the top of the salary range. The compensation bonus shall be adjusted pro
35 rata for permanent part-time employees.
36
37 COMMUNITY COLLEGES
38 SECTION 2.5. Effective July 1, 2024, the State Board of Community Colleges shall
39 provide community college faculty and non-faculty personnel with an across-the-board salary
40 increase in the amount of three percent (3%).
41
42 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SYSTEM
43 SECTION 2.6.(a) Effective for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the annual salaries of The
44 University of North Carolina SHRA employees shall be increased as provided by Section 7.1 of
45 this act.
46 SECTION 2.6.(b) For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the Board of Governors of The
47 University of North Carolina may provide EHRA employees a salary increase pursuant to the
48 policies adopted by the Board. Funds for EHRA compensation increases may be used for any
49 one or more of the following purposes: (i) merit pay, (ii) across-the-board increases, (iii)
50 recruitment bonuses, (iv) retention increases, and (v) any other compensation increase pursuant
51 to those policies.
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1 SECTION 2.6.(c) The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall
2 make a report on the use of compensation increase and bonus funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year
3 to the General Assembly by no later than October 1, 2024.
4
5 CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS/YOUTH COUNSELORS/YOUTH COUNSELOR
6 TECHNICIANS/YOUTH SERVICES BEHAVIORAL SPECIALISTS – SALARY
7 SCHEDULE
8 SECTION 2.7.(a) State employees serving as correctional officers in the Department
9 of Adult Correction shall be compensated at a specific pay rate on the basis of a salary schedule
10 determined according to the duration of the employee's correctional officer work experience.
11 SECTION 2.7.(a1) State employees serving in the Department of Public Safety,
12 Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, shall be compensated at a specific pay
13 rate set on the basis of a salary schedule determined according to the duration of the employee's
14 work experience, as follows:
15 (1) Youth Counselor Technicians shall be paid under the Correctional Officer I
16 salary schedule.
17 (2) Youth Services Behavioral Specialists shall be paid under the Correctional
18 Officer II salary schedule.
19 (3) Youth Counselors shall be paid under the Correctional Officer III salary
20 schedule.
21 SECTION 2.7.(b) The following annual salary schedule applies for the 2024-2025
22 fiscal year, July 1, 2024:
23
24 FY 2024-25
25 Experience
26 COI COII COIII
27 0 38,717 39,991 42,769
28 1 41,426 42,789 45,763
29 2 43,913 45,402 48,510
30 3 46,108 47,625 50,935
31 4 47,951 49,530 52,972
32 5 49,391 51,015 54,561
33 6+ 50,379 52,035 55,653
34
35