REFORM AGENCY REVIEW OF ENGINEERING WORK.

Printer-friendly: Click to view
View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
House Bill 1081 (Public) Filed Thursday, May 15, 2014
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REFORM THE PROCESS BY WHICH REGULATORY AUTHORITIES REVIEW SUBMITTALS OF APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS, LICENSES, AND APPROVALS, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMISSION.
Intro. by Millis, Hager, Moffitt.

Status: Re-ref Com On Commerce (Senate Action) (Jun 19 2014)
H 1081

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: May 28 2014 - View Summary

    The House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Removes the Department of Transportation (DOT) from the definition of regulatory authority but retains DOT in the requirements concerning reviewing and revising the working job titles. 

    Adds the requirement that regulatory authorities develop formal written procedures to prepare and maintain a list of consulting professional engineers.


  • Summary date: May 15 2014 - View Summary

    Identical to S 765, filed May 14, 2014.

    Requires each Regulatory Authority to, by December 1, 2014, review and make any necessary revisions to its procedures for review of Regulatory Submittals, defined as an application to a Regulatory Authority for a permit, license, or approval; for local governmetns, an application to a program approved by or delegated from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), or Department of Transportation (DOT). Regulatory Authority is defined as DENR, DHHS, DOT, and any local government operating a program that (1) grants permits, licenses, or approvals to the public, and (2) is either aproved by or delegated from DENR, DHHS, or DOT. Sets out goals of the review and revision process, including standardizing the provision of review and comments on Regulatory Submittals. Requires each Regulatory Authority, by December 1, 2014, to create a process for each regulatory program it administers for an informal internal review at the Submitting Party's request in the following circumstances: (1) the inclusion in a Regulatory Submittal of a design or practive sealed by a Professional Engineer but not included in the Regulatory Authority's existing guidance, manuals, or standard operating procedures (sets out procedures for the review); (2) a disagreement between the reviewer of the Submittal and the Submitting Party regarding whether the authority identified by the Authority for revisions or requests for additional information designated as required justifies a required change.

    Requires DENR, by March 1, 2015, to complete a pilot study on the Pretreatment, Emergency Response and Collection System (PERCS) wastewater collection system permitting program and the stormwater permitting program and perform specified activities with cooperation of the NC Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors and the Professional Engineers of NC. Requires a report to the Environmental Review Commission (ERC) by April 15, 2015.

    Requires each Regulatory Authority, by December 1, 2014, to (1) review the working job titles of every employee with duties that include the review of Regulatory Submittals, and (2) propose revisions to the titles or other measuars that will eliminate the public identification as engineers of people conducting reviews who are not engineers.

    Requires each Regulatory Authority to report to the ERC before the convening of the 2015 Session of the General Assembly on implementation of the standardized procedures, informal review process, and job title review. Requries annual reports to the ERC beginning in 2016; the reporting requirement expires on January 1, 2019.