SB 86 — Enhance Firefighter Benefits and Representation.

FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA FebSESSION 12, 2025 S.B.S 1 SENATE BILL 86 Short Title:

86 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS55001-MRp-20A Short Title:

Rules and Operations of the Senate February 13, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ENHANCE BENEFITS AND REPRESENTATION FOR NORTH CAROLINA FIREFIGHTERS AND RESCUE SQUAD WORKERS.

58-86-30, this Article,Article,andwhohas andwhohas attainedtheage of55yearsisof55 yearsis entitled to be paid a monthly pension from this fund.

(c) A member who is totally and permanently disabled while in the discharge of the member's official duties as a result of bodily injuries sustained or as a result of extreme exercise or extreme activity experienced in the course and scope of those official duties and who leaves the fire or rescue squad service because of this disabilitydisabilityshall shall be entitled to be paid from the fund a monthly benefit in an amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00) per month a monthlymonthlypension pensionbenefit benefitunderthisunderthis section beginningthefirst month afterthemember's fifty-fifth birthday.

All applications for disability are subject to the approval of the board who Board, and theBoardmayappoint physicians to examineand evaluatethedisabledevaluatethedisabledmemberpriorto memberpriorto approval of the application, and annually thereafter.

58-86-41 shall not apply to a disabled membershall not berequired to makethemonthlymakethemonthlypayment paymentoffifteendollars offifteen dollars ($15.00)as required by G.S.

(d) A member who is totally and permanently disabled for any cause, cause other than line of duty, those under subsection (c) of this section and who leaves the fire or rescue squad service because of this disability and who has at least 10 years of service with the pension fund, *DRS55001-MRp-20A**S86-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Pension Fund may be permitted to continue making a monthly contribution of fifteen dollars ($15.00) in the amount required under G.S.

The Upon attainingattainingthe the age of 55, that member shall upon attainingattainingthe theageofageof 55 years be entitledto receivea monthlymonthlypension pension as providedbyprovided benefitbybenefit under this section.

If the member became a member prior to JulyJuly1, 1, 2018, and had not designated a principal beneficiary prior to being killed in the line of duty, there shall be paid to the member's living spouse upon the spouse's application to the Board, an amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00)permonththemonthlypensionbenefit amountbeginningthemonthamount beginningthemonth following the member's month of death, payable until the spouse's death.

(3) If the member had not yet begun receiving a monthly pension benefit under this section prior to being killed in the line of duty, then there shall be paid to themember's principalbeneficiary,ifonlyprincipalbeneficiary,ifonlyoneprincipalbeneficiaryis oneprincipal beneficiaryis eligible and has not accepted a return of contributions, an amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00) per month the monthly pension benefit amount beginning the month following the month the member would have attained age 55, or if the member had already attained age 55, beginning the month following the member's month of death, payable until the beneficiary's death.

If the member became a member prior to JulyJuly1, 1, 2018, and had not designated a principal beneficiarybeneficiaryprior prior to being killed in the line of duty, then there shall be paid to the member's living spouse upon the spouse's application to the Board, an amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00) per month themonthlythemonthlypension pension benefit amount beginningthe monthfollowingmonthfollowingthemonth themonth the member would have attained age 55, or if the member had attained age 55, beginning the month following the member's month of death, payable until the spouse's death.

Page 2 DRS55001-MRp-20ASenate Bill 86-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 A beneficiary under this subsection shall not be required to make the monthly payment of fifteen dollars ($15.00) as required by G.S.

(e) A member who, because the If a member has at least 10 years of service with the Pension Fund and that member's (i)residenceis annexedannexedbyacityunderPart by acityunderPart 2 orPart3ofArticle 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, or whose (ii) department is closed because of an annexation bybya acityunder city under Part 2 or Part 3 of Article 4A of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, or whose (iii) volunteer department is taken over by a city or county, and because of such the annexation or takeover the member is unable to perform as a firefighter or rescue squad worker of any status, and if the member has at least 10 years of service with the pension fund, may then the member shall be permitted to continue making a monthly contribution of fifteen dollars ($15.00) in the amount required under G.S.

AnyAnyapplicationto applicationto make monthlymonthlycontributions contributions underthis sectionshall be subject to a finding of eligibility by the Board of Trustees upon application of the member.

DRS55001-MRp-20ASenate Bill 86-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (b) A member may elect to terminate membership in the fund Pension Fund at any time and request the refund of payments previously made to the fund.

58-86-30 maymayapplyto apply to the board for membership.

(a1) Any firefighter or rescue squad worker who is 35 years of age or older and who is a current or former member of a fire department or rescue squad chartered by the State of North Carolinamaypurchasecredit foranyperiodsofserviceto anycharteredanycharteredfire fire department orrescue squad not otherwise creditable by making a lump sum payment to the Annuity Savings Fund equal to the full liability of the service credits calculated on the basis of the assumptions used for purposes of the actuarial valuation of the system's liabilities, which payment shall take into account the retirement allowance arising on account of the additional service credit commencing at the earliest age at which the member could retire on a retirement allowance, as determined by the board of trustees upon the advice of the consulting actuary, plus an administrative fee to be set by the board of trustees.

58-86-41 at the time of the payment for each month since the worker first became Page 4 DRS55001-MRp-20ASenate Bill 86-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 eligible, plus interest at an annual rate to be set by the Board for each year of retroactive payments.

DRS55001-MRp-20ASenate Bill 86-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 k1.

Instead, the SecretarySecretaryof of Health and Human Services shall appoint one representative of the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association to the Council in accordance with G.S.

Page 6 DRS55001-MRp-20ASenate Bill 86-First Edition