North Carolina Rep. Smith’s death benefit plan standardization bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Carson Smith aims to standardize death benefit laws across North Carolina retirement systems, seeking to enhance clarity and security for public employees and their beneficiaries, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 44 Democrats and 69 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 15 Democrats and 25 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Smith filed the bill in the North Carolina House on March 20 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 477, was passed on May 22 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text 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 aims to recodify and standardize laws related to death benefit plans across various North Carolina retirement systems, including those for teachers, state employees, local government employees, and members of the judiciary and legislature. It introduces new sections to the General Statutes to streamline these benefits, particularly death benefits for both active and retired members. It establishes and administers death benefit plans under a master trust, the North Carolina Teachers’ and State Employees’ Benefit Trust, to separate and safeguard funds. Line-of-duty death benefits funding is also addressed, allowing for additional fiscal provisions through the Department of State Treasurer. The bill’s changes take effect on July 1, 2025, ensuring clarity and uniformity while enhancing benefit security for public employees and their beneficiaries.

A related bill, SB 359, was also filed in the North Carolina Senate, introduced by Sen. W. Ted Alexander (and two others) on March 20, 2025.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Carson Smith (Republican-16th District) and Rep. Diane Wheatley (Republican-43rd District).

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.

Smith, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 16th House district, replacing previous state representative Bob Muller.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.