A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to clarify that qualified youth FIFTEEN years of age and older may enroll in courses in fire training at community colleges.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115D‑20(4) is amended by adding a new sub‑subdivision to read:
"e.	Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, qualified youth 15 years and older may be permitted to enroll in courses, including certification‑eligible courses, in fire training pursuant to G.S. 95‑25.5(n) and on a specialized course list approved by the State Board of Community Colleges in accordance with G.S. 115D‑5(b)(2)."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 95‑25.5(n) reads as rewritten:
"(n)	Nothing in this section prohibits qualified youths under 18 years of age from participating in training through their fire department, the Office of State Fire Marshal, or the North Carolina Community College System. As used in this subsection, the term "qualified youth under 18 years of age" means an uncompensated fire department or rescue squad member who is at least the age of 15 and under the age of 18 and who is a member of a bona fide fire department, as that term is defined in G.S. 58‑86‑2(4), or of a rescue squad described in G.S. 58‑86‑2(6). A qualified youth under 18 years of age under this subsection may be permitted to enroll in courses, including certification‑eligible courses, in fire training at a community college on a specialized course list approved by the State Board of Community Colleges pursuant to G.S. 115D‑20(4)e."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to any courses, including certification‑eligible courses, a qualified youth enrolls in on or after January 1, 2021.