North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 10 R cosponsors

SB 861 — Cut State Gov. Jobs Vacant 24 Months or More.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 28, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    2 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (10 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

15 added · 16 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Senate Bill 861 clarifies the management of state positions that have been vacant for at least 24 months. It now specifies that savings from eliminating these positions should be kept in a budgetary reserve, which helps ensure that any funds saved can be allocated for necessary services in the future. This change matters because it highlights a more structured approach to budget management, potentially freeing up resources for critical state needs while addressing prolonged vacancies.

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FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Apr 28, 2026 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 861 Short Title:
861 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS45483-LRa-201A Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ELIMINATE STATE AGENCY PERSONNEL POSITIONS VACANT FOR AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
Rules and Operations of the Senate April 29, 2026 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ELIMINATE STATE AGENCY PERSONNEL POSITIONS VACANT FOR AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
Effective July 1, 2026, except as provided by Section 2 of this act, the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) shall eliminate unfilled employee positions acrossStateagenciesthat havebeenvacant forat least 24monthsbytransferring from thevarious employingagenciesalllapsedsalaryfundsassociatedwiththosepositionsvacantonJuly1,2026.
Effective July 1, 2026, except as provided by Section 2 of this act, the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) shall eliminate unfilled employee positions acrossStateagenciesthat havebeenvacant forat least 24monthsbytransferringfrom the various employingagenciesalllapsedsalaryfundsassociatedwiththosepositionsvacantonJuly1,2026.
Thecost-savings generated by these positioneliminations shall beretainedin abudgetaryreserve and shall not be expended until appropriated by the General Assembly.
Thecost-savings generated bythese positioneliminations shall beretainedin abudgetaryreserve and shall not be expended until appropriated by the General Assembly.
Designatedbythe Governoras necessary for emergencypreparedness.
Designatedbythe Governoras necessaryfor emergencypreparedness.
State self-funded workers' compensation claims, disability claims, and tort claims.
State self-funded workers' compensation claims, disabilityclaims, and tort claims.
Nonpersonnel expenditures in the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Adult Correction to include the costs of inmate medical care, jailed misdemeanants in county jails, per diem expenses for State inmates held in local jails, funding related to private prisons, and any needs deemed critical by either Department.
Nonpersonnel expenditures in the Department of Public Safetyand the Department of Adult Correction to include the costs of inmate medical care, jailed misdemeanants in countyjails, per diem expenses for State inmates held in local jails, funding related to private prisons, and any needs deemed critical by either Department.
At a minimum, the report shall include the respective fund codes for each State agency and the position numbers, job titles, salaries, and sources of funding for *DRS45483-LRa-201A* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 each position eliminated;
At a minimum, the report shall include the respective fund codes for each State agency and the position numbers, job titles, salaries, and sources of funding for *S861-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 each position eliminated;
(a) Any vacant position that remains vacant for 24 or more consecutive months is abolished effective on the first day of the fiscal quarter immediately following the end of that 24-month period.Forpurposes ofthis section,a "vacant position" is anyauthorized Stateposition that is not filled by a permanent employee and is not subject to active posted recruitment.
(a) Any vacant position that remains vacant for 24 or more consecutive months is abolished effective on the first day of the fiscal quarter immediately following the end of that 24-month period.Forpurposes ofthis section,a "vacant position"is anyauthorizedStateposition that is not filled by a permanent employee and is not subject to active posted recruitment.
Page 2 DRS45483-LRa-201A
Page 2 Senate Bill 861-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Withdrawn From Com

  4. Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget

  5. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 169 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 861?
SB 861 is sponsored by Vickie Sawyer (Republican), Norman W. Sanderson (Republican), Timothy D. Moffitt (Republican), Chris Measmer (Republican), Michael A. Lazzara (Republican), Carl Ford (Republican), Bob Brinson (Republican), Kevin Corbin (Republican), Tom McInnis (Republican), and Jim Burgin (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 861?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 28, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 861?
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