North Carolina legislation · 2025-2026 Session
North Carolina S995: Fix Republican Failures on Public Safety Act.
Status: Introduced, May 5, 2026
What the bill says
An act to provide pay increases for law enforcement officers and correctional officers, to establish mental health services for public safety personnel, and to address the staffing and retention crisis created by republican failures to fund public safety.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROVIDE PAY INCREASES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, TO ESTABLISH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL, AND TO ADDRESS THE STAFFING AND RETENTION CRISIS CREATED BY REPUBLICAN FAILURES TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY. The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds that: (1) For years, North Carolina Republicans have controlled the General Assembly and had every opportunity to invest in the men and women who keep our communities safe and they have failed to do so. (2) As a direct result of Republican inaction, North Carolina is experiencing a severe public safety staffing crisis. Law enforcement agencies across North Carolina are struggling to recruit and retain qualified officers due to non-competitive pay, leading to dangerous understaffing in communities statewide. (3) North Carolina law enforcement officers and correctional officers are among the lowest-paid in the region, lagging behind neighboring states, including Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. (4) High turnover and chronic understaffing compromise public safety and place enormous strain on the officers who remain, contributing to burnout, mental health challenges, and increased risk of on-the-job injury. (5) The General Assembly has a responsibility to correct these Republican failures, to invest in public safety, and to ensure North Carolina can recruit. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER …
Sponsors
- Grafstein, Lisa (D, 13) · primary sponsor
- Batch, Sydney (D, 17) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget
- : Withdrawn From Com
- : Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- : Passed 1st Reading
- : Filed
Subjects: COUNSELING, HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, COUNCIL OF STATE, BUDGETING, EMPLOYMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPT., STATE HEALTH PLAN
Common questions
- What is S995?
- S995 is a bill in the North Carolina Legislature (2025-2026 Session): Fix Republican Failures on Public Safety Act.
- What does S995 do?
- In its own words: An act to provide pay increases for law enforcement officers and correctional officers, to establish mental health services for public safety personnel, and to address the staffing and retention crisis created by republican failures to fund public safety.
- What is the status of S995?
- Introduced as of May 5, 2026. Latest action: Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget (May 5, 2026).
- Who sponsored S995?
- Grafstein, Lisa (D, 13), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for S995?
- On the North Carolina Legislature website: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S995
Source: official North Carolina record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.