N.C. Gen. Stat. § 114-63.1: No hiring of sworn personnel to fill vacant positions.

The Department of Justice shall not hire sworn personnel to fill vacant positions in the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the termination of sworn personnel or to affect North Carolina State Crime Laboratory personnel who are sworn and employed by the Laboratory as of July 1, 2021 and who continue to meet the sworn status retention standards mandated by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Standards Commission. (2021-180, s. 18.1.)