Sen. Bradley files bill in North Carolina Senate to raise highway patrol salaries

A new bill filed by State Sen. Bradley seeks to establish an experience-based salary schedule to improve pay for North Carolina State Highway Patrol officers, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 753 on March 25 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘NC Highway Patrol Retention Act.’

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

In essence, the bill appropriates $40.5 million annually from the General Fund for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium to increase compensation for members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Effective July 1, 2025, it establishes an experience-based salary schedule for law enforcement officers, starting at $56,000 for new recruits, increasing incrementally to $105,000 for those with eight or more years of experience. Additionally, it sets specific pay rates for Sworn State Highway Patrol employees by rank, ranging from $120,750 for sergeants to $224,612 for colonels. The act takes effect on July 1, 2025, unless noted otherwise.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Lisa Grafstein proposed the most bills (65) 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.

Bradley graduated from Hollins University in 1995 with a BA.

Bradley, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2025 to represent the state’s 42nd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Rachel Hunt.