A new bill filed by State Sen. Jones seeks to allow qualified law enforcement and correctional officers to purchase creditable service in state retirement systems, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 302 on March 17 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill, titled The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act, allows law enforcement, probation/parole, and correctional officers in North Carolina who hold an advanced law enforcement or corrections certificate to purchase up to four years of creditable service in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System or the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System. Eligibility requires the officer to have five or more years of membership service and to have received the applicable certificate. The purchase is made as a lump sum and must cover the full liability increase of the retirement system and an administrative fee. Employers can cover all or part of this cost, credited accordingly, and the act takes effect on July 1, 2025.
A related bill, HB 272, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Jeff Zenger (and three others) on March 4, 2025.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Bobby Hanig proposed the most bills (33) 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.
Jones graduated from High Point University in 1993 with a BA.
Jones, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2025 to represent the state’s 31st Senate district, replacing previous state senator Joyce Krawiec.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Jones, Bobby Hanig, and Ralph Hise | SB 302 | 03/17/2025 | The Sergeant Mickey Hutchens Act. |
| Dana Jones, Danny Earl Britt, Jr., and David W. Craven, Jr. | SB 312 | 03/17/2025 | The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act. |
| Dana Jones and Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | SB 241 | 03/05/2025 | Funds for Smith Reynolds Airport MRO Hangar. |
| Dana Jones and Bobby Hanig | SB 162 | 02/25/2025 | Shared Parenting. |
| Dana Jones, Kevin Corbin, and Michael V. Lee | SB 125 | 02/21/2025 | Various Education Changes. |
| Dana Jones, Michael V. Lee, and Paul Newton | SB 101 | 02/13/2025 | Protect Tax-Advantaged Accts. & Living Donors. |
| Dana Jones, Amy S. Galey, and Brent Jackson | SB 59 | 02/05/2025 | Revise Voluntary Ag. District Laws. |
| Dana Jones, Bob Brinson, and Jim Burgin | SB 31 | 01/30/2025 | The Wells Act. |
| Dana Jones and Amy S. Galey | SB 39 | 01/30/2025 | GSC Add Member from High Point Law School. |
| Dana Jones | SB 6 | 01/29/2025 | 31st Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
