Sen. Ford files bill in North Carolina Senate to standardize death benefit laws

A new bill filed by State Sen. Ford seeks to standardize and clarify death benefit plans across multiple North Carolina retirement systems, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 359 on March 20 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Retirement Death Benefits Rewrite.-AB’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill recodifies and standardizes the laws relating to the death benefit plan under various North Carolina retirement systems, including those for teachers, state employees, local governmental employees, the judiciary, and legislators, to ensure consistency and clarity. It involves reassigning existing statutes to newly created sections and articles within the General Statutes. The bill also modifies the structure of survivor benefits across these systems, allowing contributions to be pooled into the North Carolina Teachers’ and State Employees’ Benefit Trust. Furthermore, it provides provisions for fully contributory death benefits for retirees and permits the designation of beneficiaries for these plans. Additionally, a separate fund can be established to ensure sufficient funding for death benefits awarded under the Public Safety Employees’ Death Benefits Act, using up to 0.04% of the state’s employer contribution rate if necessary. This act will become effective July 1, 2025, unless otherwise specified.

A related bill, HB 477, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Carson Smith (and one other) on March 20, 2025.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Bobby Hanig proposed the most bills (38) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Ford, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 33rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Cathy Dunn.