A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to add survivors of correctional officers killed in the line of duty and the spouses and children of correctional officers who are disabled due to a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty to the statutes providing for a waiver of tuition for certain individuals taking courses through the university of north carolina or a north carolina community college.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115B‑1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115B‑1.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Chapter:
(1)	Correctional officer. – An employee of an employer who is certified as a State correctional officer under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 17C of the General Statutes.
(1a)	Employer. – The State of North Carolina and its departments, agencies, and institutions; or a county, city, town, or other political subdivision of the State.
…
(4)	Permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty. – A person: (i) who as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker suffered a disabling injury while in active service or training for active service, (ii) who at the time of active service or training was a North Carolina resident, and (iii) who has been determined to be permanently and totally disabled for compensation purposes by the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
…
(6)	Survivor. – Any person whose parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or spouse: (i) was a law enforcement officer, a correctional officer, a firefighter, a volunteer firefighter, or a rescue squad worker, (ii) was killed while in active service or training for active service or died as a result of a service‑connected disability, and (iii) at the time of active service or training was a North Carolina resident. The term does not include the widow or widower of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or a rescue squad worker if the widow or widower has remarried.
…."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115B‑2(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	The constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina and the community colleges as defined in G.S. 115D‑2(2) shall permit the following persons to attend classes for credit or noncredit purposes without the required payment of tuition:
…
(2)	Any person who is the survivor of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker killed as a direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty.
(3)	The spouse of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker who is permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty.
(4)	Any child, if the child is at least 17 years old but not yet 24 years old, whose parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian is a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker who is permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty. However, a child's eligibility for a waiver of tuition under this Chapter shall not exceed: (i) 54 months, if the child is seeking a baccalaureate degree, or (ii) if the child is not seeking a baccalaureate degree, the number of months required to complete the educational program to which the child is applying.
…."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 115B‑5(b)(3) reads as rewritten:
"(3)	The cause of death of the law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or rescue squad worker shall be verified by certification from the records of the Department of State Treasurer, the appropriate city or county law enforcement agency that employed the deceased, the administrative agency for the fire department or fire protection district recognized for funding under the Department of State Auditor, or the administrative agency having jurisdiction over any paid firefighters of all counties and cities."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2019‑2020 academic year.