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Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina shortens retirement separation period to 30 days for retired assistant district attorneys and public defenders
Last action · April 9, 2025: Re-ref Com On Appropriations (House action)Sponsors: Carson Smith and 21 others
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What This Bill Would Do
North Carolina House Bill 487 allows retired assistant district attorneys and assistant public defenders to return to state employment after a 30-day separation period instead of the standard six months, effective January 1, 2027. The bill requires the State Treasurer to seek a from the IRS to ensure this change does not jeopardize the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System and appropriates $100,000 in for this purpose.
Retired assistant district attorneys and assistant public defenders can resume state work five months earlier than other state employees, contingent upon IRS tax-status approval and an appropriated $100,000 review.
- North Carolina state retirement law generally requires a mandatory six-month separation from covered employment before a retired member can perform any work for a participating employer. context
- Private letter rulings are written determinations issued by the IRS to taxpayers upon request, providing guidance on the tax consequences of specific transactions. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
retired assistant district attorneys
Their required post-retirement separation period before returning to state employment is shortened from six months to 30 days.
retired assistant public defenders
Their required post-retirement separation period before returning to state employment is shortened from six months to 30 days.
Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System members
The retirement system's tax status under the Internal Revenue Code is subject to an IRS private letter ruling.
Department of State Treasurer
The department receives an appropriation of $100,000, must seek an IRS ruling, and is tasked with public notification and administrative cost handling.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do retired assistant district attorneys and public defenders have to wait before returning to state work under this bill?
What happens if the IRS rules that this change threatens the state retirement system?
Where does the funding come from to obtain the IRS ruling?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
5 actions- Apr 9, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Appropriations
- Apr 9, 2025HouseReptd Fav Com Substitute
- Mar 25, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Pensions and Retirement, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Mar 25, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 24, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 17 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Exemption from Standard Retirement Separation Rules
The bill carves out a specific exception to the standard six-month post-retirement separation period for assistant district attorneys and assistant public defenders.
Contingent Funding and IRS Compliance
Implementation of the shortened separation period is tied directly to obtaining an IRS private letter ruling, with statutory repeal mandated if federal tax qualification is threatened.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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