Conference report makes the following changes to the 3d edition.

Changes the long title. 

Directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to transfer to the Office of Administrative Hearings $50,000 for fiscal year 2014-15 to allocate to the Rules Review Commission to pay for any litigation costs incurred in the defense of North Carolina State Board of Education v. The State of North Carolina and the Rules Review Commission lawsuit filed November 7, 2014. Funds are to remain available during the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Makes a clarifying change to Section 2 of the bill.

Makes a clarifying change to Section 11(a) of the bill and provides that if any of the $2 million allocated for the health information exchange has not been expended or encumbered as of June 30, 2015, then the same will revert to the General Fund. 

Deletes provisions from Section 12A.2(b) of the bill, concerning the nonrecurring $2 million allocation to Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the State Chief Information Officer (SCIO) to allocate to the NC Health Information Exchange (HIE) an amount reasonably necessary to fund the specified monthly expenses incurred. Now provides that the following specified amounts are to be used to fund expenses incurred or encumbered by the NC HIE between February 1, 2015, and June 30 2015: $436,010 for specified software vendor maintenance, hosting, and licensing costs; $356,920 for NC HIE payroll costs; and $92,160 for operational costs. Provides that DHHS must, within five days, process the payment for the expenses allowed above and incurred or encumbered between February 1, 2015, and June 30 2015.

Deletes provisions from Section 12A.2(b2) concerning debt payments made on behalf of the NC HIE which are determined by DHHS and the SCIO to be reasonably necessary to sustain operations of the software vendor. Now provides in addition to the $2 million in allocated nonrecurring funds, DHHS must transfer $150,000 to the SCIO. These funds must be used for the assessment of the existing functionality, structure, and operation of the HIE network.

Makes technical changes.

Deletes all of the provisions of Section 12A.2(d) concerning the submittal of assessments and recommendations to the specified Joint Legislative Committee.  Now provides that by June 1, 2015, DHHS, in conjunction with the SCIO, must submit to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, Information Technology, and the Fiscal Research Division the results of the assessment as specified above. 

Adds language providing that it is the intent of the General Assembly to continue efforts toward the implementation of a statewide HIE.

Deletes Section 11.5(d) of the bill, which transferred funds for a personal care services study to the State Auditor for the required audit. 

House amendments to the 2nd edition make the following changes.

Amendment #1 makes the following changes. Deletes provision which transferred $100,000 of the funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2014-15 fiscal year to the Office of Administrative Hearings to be allocated for the litigation expenses of the Rules Review Commission. Makes a conforming change to the long title of the act.

Amendment #2 adds a new section to the act, as follows. Requires the State Auditor to conduct a performance audit of county departments of social services' administration of the North Carolina Medicaid program that examines the county departments of social services' accuracy in determining Medicaid eligibility and compliance with the requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state law. Requires the audit to consider the impact of the Department of Health and Human Services' policy decisions related to re-enrollment eligibility determinations. Requires the auditor, in conducting the audit, to ensure that a representative sample of counties, including both urban and rural counties, audited and that a statistically significant number of cases are audited in each county in the sample. Requires the audit to include the State Auditor's examination of at least: (1) the accuracy of Medicaid application eligibility determinations; (2) the timeliness of Medicaid application determinations; (3) the accuracy of Medicaid re-enrollment eligibility determinations; (4) the timeliness of Medicaid re-enrollment eligibility determinations; (5) the accuracy of presumptive Medicaid application determinations; (6) the timeliness of presumptive Medicaid application determinations; and (7) the controls and oversight county departments of social services have in place to ensure accurate and timely processing of Medicaid applications and re-enrollment. Requires the State Auditor to give a preliminary report on the performance audit to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and to the Fiscal Research Division by June 1, 2015, and complete the performance audit by February 1, 2016. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services and county departments of social services to give the State Auditor full access to all data necessary to complete the audit and the report.

Requires $300,000 of the funds appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance, for 2014-15 in SL 2014-100, 9 Section 12H.10(c), for a personal care services (PCS) study, to be transferred to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor to be used for the required audit.

Makes conforming changes to the act's long title.

House Amendment #3 makes the following changes. Amends GS 113-391(a3), which identifies the purposes for which the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) must adopt rules after considering recommendations from the Mining and Energy Commission. Amends GS 113-391(a3)(2) to require the EMC to adopt rules for regulation of toxic air emissions from drilling operations, if the EMC finds that the state's current air toxics program and any federal regulations governing toxic air emissions to be adopted by the state are inadequate to protect public health, safety, welfare, and the environment. Effective retroactively to July 2, 2012. Makes a conforming change to the long title of the act.

Amendment #4 makes the following changes.

Deletes previous changes made to GS 89C-3, definitions regarding the practice of engineering.

Amends GS 143-215.31(a1), concerning the supervision over maintenance and operation of dams, adding language that provides that a downstream inundation map included as part of an Emergency Action Plan by a high or intermediate hazard dam owner does require preparation by a licensed professional engineer or a person under the responsible charge of a licensed professional engineer, unless the dam is associated with a coal combustion residuals surface impoundment, as defined.

Adds new Section 9(c) to the bill directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to study whether downstream inundation maps prepared pursuant to GS 143-215.31 should be prepared by a licensed professional engineer or a person under the charge of a licensed professional engineer. DENR must also consult with the State Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in conducting this study. Requires DENR to report the results of the study to the Environmental Review Commission no later than March 31, 2016.

Makes conforming changes to the long title.