North Carolina Sen. Johnson’s state employment qualification bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Johnson aims to reduce barriers to state employment by having the State Human Resources Commission evaluate and adjust job qualification requirements, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 43 Democrats and 67 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while three Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Democrats and 28 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Johnson filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on Feb. 21 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 124, was passed on June 17 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: “State Hiring Accessibility and Modernization.”

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

In essence, the bill seeks to reduce barriers to state employment by mandating the State Human Resources Commission to regularly evaluate the educational, experiential, and training requirements for each position in state agencies, departments, and institutions. The commission is tasked with determining when practical experience, such as military service, apprenticeships, or trade school education, should be considered over a four-year college degree. It also involves identifying positions where current qualification levels can be lowered and removing unnecessary degree requirements from job descriptions when feasible. Starting Oct. 1, 2025, the commission must annually report its progress to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government. The act takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Michael V. Lee (Republican-7th District), Sen. Todd Johnson (Republican-35th District), and Sen. Kevin Corbin (Republican-50th 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.

Johnson graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000 with a BA.

Johnson, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 35th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Tommy Tucker.

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.