House Bill 320 amends the charter of the Town of Pineville to expressly authorize the town to create a reserve police division. The bill provides that these reserve officers may be compensated when they are called into active duty, and it gives the town council authority to set and pay that compensation. The measure is local in scope and applies only to Pineville.
The bill does not create a statewide program or change general law for all municipalities; instead, it adds a town-specific charter provision to Pineville’s existing charter. It also clarifies that the reserve police division would exist in addition to any auxiliary police department already allowed under state law, specifically G.S. 160A-282. If enacted, the town would gain explicit authority to organize and compensate reserve officers for active-duty service under local control.
HB320 would amend Chapter 296 of the Session Laws of 1965, Pineville’s charter, by adding a new section authorizing a reserve police division and allowing compensation for active-duty service. The practical effect is to give Pineville local legal authority to establish and pay reserve officers, while leaving the details of compensation to the town council. It does not alter statewide police powers generally, but it does interact with existing municipal auxiliary police authority under G.S. 160A-282.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded vote, or other public debate in the provided materials, so there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s introduction and referral. Based on the text, the bill appears straightforward and administrative, aimed at giving Pineville flexibility in staffing and compensating reserve police. The absence of recorded controversy suggests the measure was likely treated as a local government charter adjustment rather than a contentious policy change.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only potentially notable issue is the bill’s authorization for compensation of reserve police when called to active duty, which could raise questions about local budgeting, oversight, or the relationship between reserve and auxiliary police structures. However, no speaker comments, amendments, or votes are available to show that any of these issues were actively disputed.