A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO expand the scope of various peer support group counselor provisions.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 8‑53.10 reads as rewritten:
"§ 8‑53.10.  Peer support group counselors.
(a)	Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:
…
(3)	Peer counselor. – Any active or retired law enforcement officer, emergency personnel officer, or civilian employee of a law enforcement agency or emergency agency who meets both of the following criteria:
a.	Has received training to provide emotional and moral support and counseling to client law enforcement employees, emergency personnel officers, and their immediate families.
b.	Has been designated by a sheriff, police chief, or other head of a law enforcement or emergency agency to provide counseling to client law enforcement employees and emergency personnel officers.
(4)	Privileged communication. – Any communication made by a client law enforcement employee, emergency personnel officer, or a member of the client law enforcement employee's or emergency personnel officer's immediate family to a peer counselor while receiving counseling.
(a1)	Nothing in this section shall be construed to require either of the following in order for the privilege established by this section to apply:
(1)	That the peer counselor be specifically assigned to counsel the client law enforcement employee, emergency personnel officer, or member of the client law enforcement employee's or emergency personnel officer's immediate family receiving the counseling.
(2)	That the designation as a peer counselor required by sub‑subdivision b. of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section be made by the head of the same agency that employs the client law enforcement employee or emergency personnel officer.
…."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies retroactively to communications made on or after July 8, 2022.