A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to make various changes to the laws concerning the university of north carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i. exempt from the state human resources act certain employees of north carolina agricultural and technical state university designated as county operations support staff
SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 126‑5(c1)(9a) reads as rewritten:
"(9a)	Employees of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University who are employed in county operations and who are not exempt pursuant to subdivision (8) or (9) of this subsection."
SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 153A‑439(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The policies adopted by the Board of Trustees of North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, respectively, for the employees of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service shall govern the employment of employees exempted from certain provisions of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes pursuant to G.S. 126‑5(c1)(9a). The policies adopted by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the employing constituent institution shall govern the employment of employees of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service exempted from certain provisions of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes pursuant to G.S. 126‑5(c1)(8)."

part ii. include ncssm in the distinguished professor endowment fund
SECTION 2.  Part 4A of Article 1 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Part 4A. Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.
"§ 116‑41.13.  Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund; purpose.
The General Assembly of North Carolina recognizes that each constituent institution of The University of North Carolina would be greatly strengthened by the addition of distinguished scholars. It further recognizes that private as well as State support is preferred in helping to obtain distinguished scholars for constituent institutions and that private support will help strengthen the commitment of citizens and organizations in promoting excellence throughout The University of North Carolina. It is the intent of the General Assembly to establish a trust fund to provide the opportunity to each constituent institution to receive and match challenge grants to create endowments for selected distinguished professors to occupy chairs within the constituent institution. The associated foundations that serve the constituent institutions shall solicit and receive gifts from private sources to provide for matching funds to the trust fund challenge grants for the establishment of endowments for chairs within constituent institutions.
"§ 116‑41.13A.  Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund; definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Part:
(1)	"Focused growth institution" means Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, North Carolina Central University, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Western Carolina University, and Winston‑Salem State University.
(2)	"Special needs institution" means the North Carolina School of the Arts, redesignated effective August 1, 2008, as the "University of North Carolina School of the Arts," the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and The University of North Carolina at Asheville.
…."

part iii. provide efficiency and flexibility to the university of north carolina by exempting certain FLSA‑exempt employees of the university from the state human resources act and making those employees subject to the direct authority of the board of governors of the university of north carolina
SECTION 3.(a)  Effective July 1, 2023, G.S. 126‑5(c1)(8) reads as rewritten:
"(c1)	Except as to Articles 6 and 7 of this Chapter, this Chapter does not apply to any of the following:
…
(8)	Instructional and research staff, finance professionals, business office professionals, auditor professionals, information technology professionals, physicians, dentists, pilots, and all other employees of The University of North Carolina who are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime compensation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, including the faculty of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall have the authority to establish positions under this subdivision to be exempt from this Chapter without further review or approval by any other State agency."
SECTION 3.(b)  Effective July 1, 2023, G.S. 126‑1.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 126‑1.1.  Career State employee defined.
(a)	For the purposes of this Chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, "career State employee" means a State employee or an employee of a local entity who is covered by this Chapter pursuant to G.S. 126‑5(a)(2) who:
(1)	Is in a permanent position with a permanent appointment, and
(2)	Has been continuously employed by the State of North Carolina or a local entity as provided in G.S. 126‑5(a)(2) in a position subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act for the immediate 12 preceding months.
(b)	As used in this Chapter, "probationary State employee" means a State employee who is in a probationary appointment and is exempt from the provisions of the North Carolina Human Resources Act only because the employee has not been continuously employed by the State for the time period required by subsection (a) or (c) of this section.
(c)	Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section:
(1)	Employees who are hired by a State agency, department or university in a sworn law enforcement position or forensic scientist position and who are required to complete a formal training program prior to assuming law enforcement or forensic scientist duties with the hiring agency, department or university shall become career State employees only after being employed by the agency, department or university for 24 continuous months.
(2)	Employees of The University of North Carolina who are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime compensation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and who attained career status before July 1, 2023, have the option of either (i) continuing employment with career State employee status if the employee remains in the position the employee occupied on June 30, 2023, or (ii) waiving career State employee status and continuing employment as an exempt employee under G.S. 126‑5(c1)(8). The University shall provide each affected employee with a written explanation of the impact of an election to waive career State employee status. An employee's election to waive career State employee status must be acknowledged either through the employee's written or electronic signature."

part iv. effective date
SECTION 4.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.