A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to enhance the benefits of probation/parole officers who are members of the teachers' and state employees' retirement system.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 135‑1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 135‑1.  Definitions.
The following words and phrases as used in this Chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:
…
(11c)	"Law‑Enforcement Officer" means a full‑time paid employee of an employer who is actively serving in a position with assigned primary duties and responsibilities for prevention and detection of crime or the general enforcement of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina or serving civil processes, and who possesses the power of arrest by virtue of an oath administered under the authority of the State. "Law‑Enforcement Officer" also means a probation/parole officer as defined in this section with respect to any service rendered on or after July 1, 2017.
…
(17a)	"Probation/Parole Officer" shall mean a full‑time paid employee of the Division of Adult Correction of the Department of Public Safety whose duties include supervising, evaluating, or otherwise instructing offenders who have been placed on probation, parole, post‑release supervision, or have been assigned to any other community‑based program operated by the Division of Adult Correction.
…."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 143‑166.41(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	As used in this section, "creditable service" means the service for which credit is allowed under the retirement system of which the officer is a member, provided that at least fifty percent (50%) of the service is as a law enforcement officer as herein defined or as a probation/parole officer as defined in G.S. 135‑1(17a)."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies to persons retiring on or after that date.