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

Amends GS 160D-1106 to require a local government to complete an initial plan review and issue a building permit decision (was, initial plan review only) within 21 days (was, 15 days) for commercial and multifamily building plans (was, commercial buildings only) submitted that require a design professional seal pursuant to NC Building Code Council rules. Amends the consequences for not issuing a building permit decision within the specified time frames, to allow the permit applicant to use the Department of Insurance and its marketplace pool of qualified Code enforcement officials or hire a third-party engineering firm that has a valid certificate to review and approve the submitted plans (previously was limited to hiring a third-party firm to review the plans). Adds that if the local government determines that it is unable to complete the initial plan review within 21 days, the local government may use the Department of Insurance and its marketplace pool of qualified Code enforcement officials or contract with a third-party engineering firm that has a valid certificate to perform the initial plan review if the total time for the initial review does not exceed the 21 days. Adds that if a local government's ordinance conflicts with this statute, then the statute supersedes and preempts the ordinance. Makes additional conforming changes.

Amends GS 143-151.12 by making conforming changes to the purposes for which the Department of Insurance's pool of qualified Code-enforcement officials can be used.

Amends GS 143-151.13 by making conforming changes to allow an engineer with a valid certificate who is not employed by the State or a local government to use the certificate for performing initial plan reviews as now allowed under GS 160D-1106.

Amends the act's long title.