AN ACT to authorize veterans administration police officers to provide assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies in the same manner as other federal law enforcement officers.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 15A‑406(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	For purposes of this section, "federal law enforcement officer" means any of the following persons who are employed as full‑time law enforcement officers by the federal government and who are authorized to carry firearms in the performance of their duties:
(1)	United States Secret Service special agents;
(2)	Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents;
(3)	Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms special agents;
(4)	United States Naval Investigative Service special agents;
(5)	Drug Enforcement Administration special agents;
(6)	United States Customs Service officers;
(7)	United States Postal Service inspectors;
(8)	Internal Revenue Service special agents;
(9)	United States Marshals Service marshals and deputies;
(10)	United States Forest Service officers;
(11)	National Park Service officers;
(12)	United States Fish and Wildlife Service officers;
(13)	Immigration and Naturalization Service officers; 
(14)	Tennessee Valley Authority  officers; and
(15)	Veterans Administration police officers."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 8th day of May, 2003.

	s/	 Marc Basnight
	 President Pro Tempore of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 12:38 p.m. this 14th day of May, 2003