Sen. Waddell files bill in North Carolina Senate to reinstate teacher pay supplements and benefits

A new bill filed by State Sen. Joyce Waddell aims to reinstate teacher pay supplements, restore certain benefits, and expand support for future educators, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 865 on April 28 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Restore Benefits to Educators/State Employees.’

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

In essence, this bill reinstates education-based salary supplements for teachers and instructional support staff using the State Board of Education’s 2013 “M” salary policy and appropriates $8 million annually starting July 1, 2026. It restores annual longevity payments for educators at tiered percentages of base pay, with $140.3 million in recurring funds, effective July 1, 2026. The bill retroactively preserves retiree medical benefits for employees who first earned service on or after Jan. 1, 2021, and allocates $2 million a year to cover added health plan costs. It also expands the NC Teaching Fellows Program to 11 institutions and clarifies program criteria and loan provisions beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Mujtaba A. Mohammed proposed the most bills (30) 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.

Waddell graduated from South Carolina State University.

Waddell, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2015 to represent the state’s 40th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Malcolm Graham.