Substantively identical to S 527, filed 4/3/23.

Section 1

Amends GS 143-143.7 (pertaining to elevator safety requirements for certain residential rental accommodations) as follows. Requires elevators in a private residence, cottage, or similar accommodation to meet the following requirements for the gap between the hoistway face of the landing door, the door space guard, or the door baffle and the hoistway face of the car door as well as the door of the car or gate itself (currently, just gap between the hoistway face of the landing door and car door) to meet the following requirements:

• Horizontal sliding car doors and gates must be designed and installed such that the total of the gap between the hoistway face of the landing door, the door space guard, or the door baffle and the hoistway face of the car door or gate, after the car door or gate has been subject to a force of 75 pounds applied horizontally on an area four inches by four inches at right angles to and at any location on the car door when fully closed, must be no more than four and three-quarters inches.
• Folding car doors must be designed and installed such that the total of the gap between the hoistway face of landing door, the door space guard, or the door baffle and the hoistway face of the car door, after  the car door has been subject to a force of 75 pounds applied  horizontally using a four-inch diameter sphere at any location within the folds of the door when fully closed, shall be no more than four and  three-quarters inches.
• When the same 75-pound force is applied in the same manner(s) to the horizontal sliding car door or gate or to the folding car door, there must be no permanent deformation of the door or gate and the door or gate must not be displaced from its guides or tracks.

Deletes prior requirement that just states the gap between the hoistway face of the landing door and the hoistway face of the car door must not exceed 4 inches as well as prior language pertaining to elevator doors or gates. 

Makes conforming changes to GS 143-143.7(b) and (c) to refer to new requirements described above and makes technical changes.

Effective October 1, 2023.

Section 2

Specifies that until the effective date of the North Carolina Building Code (Code) and amendments that the North Carolina Building Code Council (Council) is required to adopt pursuant to this section are effective, the Council and Code enforcement officials enforcing the Code must follow the provisions of Section 2 of the act as it relates to elevators and platform lifts under Section R321 of the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code.

Further specifies that notwithstanding any provision of the Code or law to the contrary, for the purposes of the elevators and platform lifts requirements under Section R321 of the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code, the Council and Code enforcement officials must follow rules consistent with 2016 ASME A17.1 sections 5.3.1.8.2 and 5.3.1.8.3, except where those sections are superseded by GS 143-143.7, as amended by the act.

Requires the Council to adopt a rule to amend Section R321 of the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code consistent with and substantively identical to the language set forth in the above paragraph. Specifies that rules adopted pursuant to this section are not subject to Commission review as articulated Part 3 of Article 2A of GS Chapter 150B (the APA) Specifies that the rules adopted pursuant to this section will become effective as provided in GS 150B-21.3(b1) (pertaining to the effective date of permanent rules under the APA), as though ten or more written objections had been received as provided in GS 150B-21.3(b2). This section expires on the date that the permanent rules adopted of this section become effective.