New 2022 laws boost training, oversight, support

New North Carolina laws taking effect Jan. 1, 2022, address law enforcement training, local government corruption, firefighter cancer and health care.

Of the 192 bills enacted in 2021, many became law when they were ratified. Others, like new criminal penalties, took effect Dec. 1. But several substantive policy changes, including some in the state budget, take effect Saturday.

Law enforcement officers will now have to undergo a psychological exam before they can be employed in the state. All law enforcement officers and justice officers will also have new required regular training in mental health, as well as use of force and duty to intervene, community policing, minority sensitivity and ethics.

Firefighters who are diagnosed with a job-related cancer after Jan. 1, 2022, can apply for a state pilot program to provide supplemental health insurance coverage through the state Department of Insurance. The pilot program runs through June 2023.

Local elected officials who use their positions for personal profit will now be subject to felony charges. That follows corruption scandals in several cities across the state in recent years. The state auditor will also be empowered to require external audits for troubled local governments.

Adult care home supervisors will receive annual state training in approved methods for infection prevent and control measures. The change was made in response to the pandemic, which has swept through many such facilities in the past two years.

People looking for information on behavioral health or substance abuse treatment facilities will be able to search a new state database for complaints against those facilities.

People living in adult care homes on state-local assistance will see their monthly personal needs allowance increased from $46 to $70.

Parents of foster and adopted children will receive a raise in their monthly assistance checks. For birth to 5 years old, the stipend increases from $475 to $514 per child per month. For kids 6-12, it rises from $581 to $654 per child per month, and for teens 13-20, it goes from $634 to $698 per child per month.

General contractors will be required to undergo a criminal background check to obtain their required state license. They'll also be able to use approved online courses for required continuing education hours.