Senate Bill 124, sponsored by Senator Kevin Corbin, was signed into law as Session Law 2025-34 on July 1. This bipartisan legislation modernizes North Carolina’s state hiring process by removing unnecessary barriers and improving access to public service careers.
The new law authorizes the State Human Resources Commission to replace certain four-year degree requirements with relevant work experience. It also simplifies the application process, cuts down excessive qualification language, and improves hiring flexibility for state agencies.
“At a time when state hiring takes an average of 182 days, SB 124 helps make government more accessible and responsive,” said Senator Kevin Corbin. “This is about opening doors for talented North Carolinians and building a more modern workforce.”
The legislation comes as state government faces a 20% vacancy rate, with thousands of positions unfilled across key departments such as health care, public safety, and transportation.
Key provisions of SB 124 include:
· Replacing certain degree requirements with relevant experience.
· Allowing applicants to upload resumes and profiles from websites like LinkedIn.
· Eliminating overly specific “knowledge, skills, and abilities” language.
· Authorizing continuous job postings and more flexible hiring timelines.
· Allowing sign-on and retention bonuses for local government positions.
· Prioritizing hiring of veterans and National Guard members.
· Building a new performance management and evaluation system.
The Office of State Human Resources is tasked with delivering additional modernization recommendations by March 15, 2026.