HB 612 — Expand Criminal Justice Fellows Program.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2023 H 21 HOUSE BILL 612 Committee Substitute Favorable 5/2/23 Short Title:

Representatives Carson Smith, Faircloth, and Greene (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Education - Community Colleges, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 17, 2023 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO BROADEN THE ELIGIBLE COUNTIES FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FELLOWS PROGRAM AND TO ALLOW FOR THE EXTENSION OF CERTAIN PROGRAM DEADLINES.

ArticleG.S. 2 of Chapter 17C of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:

"Article17C-20 2.reads as rewritten:

"North Carolina Criminal Justice Fellows Program.

– A county with a population of less than 200,000 according to the latest federal decennial census.census.in North Carolina.

……." "§SECTION 17C-22.2.

G.S.

17C-22 reads as rewritten:

"§ 17C-22.

– The Program shall provide forgivable loans of up to three thousand one hundred fifty-two dollars ($3,152.00) per year for up to two years year, totaling a maximummaximumofsixthousandthreehundredfourdollars($6,304.00)overtwo ofyears sixyears,toselected thousand three hundred four dollars ($6,304.00) over two years, to selected individuals.

The Committee may determine the maximum amount of loan proceeds that may be applied to communitycommunitycollege college fees and course textbooks.

(d) Eligibility Criteria.

– An applicant must be domiciled in this State at the time of application, a resident for tuition purposes as defined in G.S.

116-143.1(a)(2), a high school graduate or a high school senior who will graduate from high school by the end of the current academic year, and demonstrate the intent upon completion of the Program to be employed in an eligible criminal justice profession in an eligible county.

profession.

An applicant who has been convicted of any of the following is ineligible to receive a forgivable loan:

(1) A felony.

*H612-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (2) A crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years.

(3) Acrimeorunlawfulactdefinedas aClassBmisdemeanorwithinthefive-year period prior to the date of application.

(4) Four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as Class A misdemeanors, except the trainee may be enrolled if the last conviction date occurred more than two years prior to the date of application.

(5) A combination of four or more Class A misdemeanors or Class B misdemeanors regardless of the date of conviction.

The recipient must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA throughout the course of study and also maintain *H612-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 appropriate credit hours for each semester to obtain an Applied Associate Degree in Criminal Justice or Committee-approved field of study within two years.

If the Committee, in its sole discretion, determines that circumstances warrant an extension of the period within which the recipient must obtain an Applied Associate Degree in Criminal Justice or Committee-approved field ofstudy, theCommitteemayextendthatperiodbyuptotheCommitteemayextendthatperiod 12additionalbyupto months.12 additionalmonths.

(i)…." AnnualSECTION Report.3.

– The Program administrator, in coordination with the Committee, shall report no later than January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety regarding the following:

(1) The number of forgivable loans awarded for each academic year disaggregated to include geographic and other demographic information.

(2) Aggregated student performance, retention, and graduation rates.

(3) Employment subsequent to completion of the Program broken down by eligible county and eligible criminal justice profession.

(4) Forgiveness, termination, default, and repayment rates.

(5) Retention rates of recipients within eligible criminal justice professions disaggregated by eligible county.

"§ 17C-23.

Terms of forgivable loans;

receipt and disbursement of funds;

default.

… (b) Forgiveness.

– The Committee shall forgive the loan and any interest accrued on the loan if, within five years after obtaining an Applied Associate Degree in Criminal Justice or Committee-approved field of study, the recipient is employed on a full-time basis for a period of at least four years in an eligible county in an eligible criminal justice profession.

The recipient shall provide the Committee within 60 days of completion of the Program verification of the recipient's intent to seek employment in an eligible criminal justice profession in an eligible county.profession.Therecipientshallprovideverificationofemployment totheCommitteeeach year until the obligation is satisfied.