Senate committee substitute to the 3rd edition replaces the prior edition in its entirety with the following.

Makes conforming changes to the act’s long and short titles.

Section 1.

Extends the fiscal years when the Director of the Budget (Director) is required to make nonrecurring, budget-neutral adjustments under Section 6.9 to SL 2025-97 (Continuing Budget Operations) to now include reducing the 2026-27 net General Fund appropriation for agencies receiving State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF) by an amount equal to the SFRF reclassified to that agency. Makes conforming changes to the Director’s obligation to ensure that the changes do not result in a change to the net General Fund appropriations.  

Section 2.

Authorizes reallocation of State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF) appropriated by this act or any act of the General Assembly, including the eight listed, by the NC Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO) in consultation with the Director so long as: (1) there is a reasonable expectation that the funds will not be expended before the deadline established by applicable federal law or guidance and (2) the reallocation is made to support activities that previously received an appropriation from the SFRF, are authorized under this act or one of the eight acts specified, and adhere to Federal SFRF Expenditure Category 5 (Water, Sewer, or Broadband Infrastructure) guidance. Prohibits reallocated funds being used for any new purpose.

Provides for reallocation of funds by specified transfers. Emphasizes that those transfers cannot modify the purposes of the original appropriations. Authorizes the Director to reallocate any remaining funds after the reallocation process to the State Treasurer up to an amount equal to the remaining unreimbursed COVID-19-related expenses incurred by the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees between March 3, 2021, and December 31, 2024, provided the reallocation is consistent with federal law and guidelines.

Requires the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) to submit a report to the specified NCGA division on the reallocations by January 15, 2027.

Section 3.

Appropriates any interest earned on the four listed funds to OSBM for operations pertaining to pandemic recovery, including use of such funds in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.9 of SL 2025-97.

Section 4.

Extends the expiration of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO) set forth in Section 4.3 of SL 2020-4 (pertaining to NCPRO), as amended, from June 30, 2026, to May 1, 2027. Changes NCPRO’s monthly reporting requirement to a final report that is due no later than one week prior to the date NCPRO sunsets. Modifies the reporting matters, so that NCPRO is has to describe its activities during the 2026 calendar year (was, 2020) and has to detail any funding returned to the US Treasury. 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Amends the act’s long title.

Amends GS 117C-315 as follows. Requires (was, permitted) the State Board of Education (Board) to adopt rules to establish qualifications and training requirements for school nurses (was, certified school nurses) hired or contracted for. Makes technical changes to the 1st edition’s new (d2)(1) which added a prohibition against the Board requiring a school nurse to obtain a four-year degree by (1) changing the language from the Board “may not” to “shall not" require the degree, adding the term “school” in front of “nurse” in the subdivision, and removing “as a condition of employment” from the prohibition’s language. Amends the second subdivision originally added in the 1st edition by removing language permitting any person licensed as a registered nurse under Article 9A of GS Chapter 90 with at least two years of experience in a hospital or health clinic to serve as a school nurse and prohibiting any requirement that a school nurse have or promise to obtain any additional certifications or licenses as a condition of serving as a school nurse. Amends mandate concerning who the Board must require be paid under the certified school nurse pay scale to any school nurse that is a registered nurse, licensed under Article 9A of GS Chapter 90, with at least two years of experience serving in a hospital or health clinic (was, any registered nurse employed by the governing body of a public school unit as a school nurse).

Clarifies that this act applies to school nurses hired or contracted for on or after the effective date.