Bill Summary for H 850 (2023-2024)

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Summary date: 

Apr 24 2023

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 850 (Public) Filed Monday, April 24, 2023
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO LICENSING BOARDS RELATED TO COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
Intro. by Brody.

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Bill summary

Amends GS 143-151.49(b) (powers and duties of the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board) to allow the Board to adopt rules regarding course content, approved course offerings, and other criteria for compliance with its education program.

Amends GS 143-151.57 (pertaining to fees set by the Home Inspection Licensure Board) to add an online examination fee of $135. Changes the current $80 exam fee to specify that the fee applies to in-person examinations.

Amends GS 143-151.13(f) (required standards and certificates for Code Enforcement Officials) to require individuals licensed as an architect, general contractor, plumbing or heating contractor, electrical contractor, or professional engineer, to pass an examination in order to be issued a standard certificate by the Code Officials Qualifications Board (replacing the requirement for these licensed individuals to only successfully complete a short course relating to the State Building Code regulations and Code enforcement administration prescribed by the Board). Makes technical changes. Enacts new GS 143-161.13(g) to allow the Code Officials Qualification Board in conjunction with the Department of Insurance to establish a voluntary apprenticeship program for code enforcement certificates issued under GS 143-151.13. Specifies that the apprenticeship program must be a combination of course study and work under a certified code enforcement official in that discipline with a requirement to pass a standard exam before a certificate is issued. Authorizes a fee for the program, not to exceed the cost of the program. 

Amends GS 143-151.16 (certification fees) by requiring the Code Officials Qualification Board to approve course offerings for all continuing education programs, and authorizing the Board to charge a fee of up to $500 per course for review and approval of the continuing education program.

Amends GS 87-7 and GS 87-8 (pertaining to records and rosters of licensed general contractors) as follows. Eliminates the requirement for funds of the State Licensing Board for General Contractors (GC Board) which remain after payment of the current year's expenses by paid over to the UNC System for the School of Engineering through the NC Engineering Foundation, less up to 10% of the total operating expense incurred for emergency use. Authorizes the GC Board to expend funds to provide health insurance for its employees. Deletes the requirement that the GC Board keep a record of the Board's proceedings and a register of all applicants for licensure. Instead, requires that the GC Board keep records of all of the previously listed information of each applicant to be kept in the registry except for the applicant’s place of residence for the registry. Deletes the requirement to prepare an annual roster of licensees, and the requirement to file an annual report of the Board's transactions with the Governor/Secretary of State. Makes technical and conforming changes.

Amends GS 160D-1110 (building permits under the State Building Code) as follows. Makes organizational and clarifying changes. Removes the automatic exemption from obtaining building permits for existing installations of load control devices or equipment by an electronic power supplier or its contractor supervised by a licensed electrical contractor under certain conditions. Requires each local government to submit an annual report to the Department of Insurance on the building permits issued by that local government during the fiscal year in a format specified by the Department, to be broken down by category of permit and to include exemptions under GS 87-14 (regulations on the issuance of building permits). Makes technical and organizational changes. 

Amends GS 113A-119 to require permit applications to undertake development in any area of environmental concern to include the name and license number of the general contractor, if applicable, and an estimate of the cost of the project. 

Amends GS 87-25.1 regarding the authority of the Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractor to seek injunctive relief for violations of Article 2. Enacts a new subsection to mandate that the court to award the Board its reasonable attorney’s fee, up to $5,000, plus the costs associated with obtaining the relief and the investigation and prosecution of the violation (replacing existing law which authorizes the court to award the Board its reasonable costs associated with the investigation and prosecution). Makes technical changes. Amends GS 87-48 to enact an identical subsection applicable to actions brought by the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors for violations of Article 4. 

Amends GS 87-43.3(a)(1) regarding limited electrical contractor licenses. Now sets the restrictions of a limited license to require that the equipment or installation used in the project is rated at not more than 1,000 (was, 600) volts. Effective October 1, 2023, and applies to applications for licensure submitted on or after that date. 

Amends GS 87-43.1(8) to exclude from the provisions of Article 4, regulating electrical contractors, the bonding of corrugated stainless steel tubing gas piping systems as required under the identified section of the most current (was, 2012) NC Fuel Gas Code.

Amends GS 87-44 to add a $25 fee for each qualified individual employed for each principal and each branch place of business. Makes organizational and technical changes.

Enacts GS 143-254.6, establishing the following required actions of the Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission) regarding the development of boating access areas, public fishing areas, and game lands of the Commission which require an estimated expenditure of non-General Fund money of $750,000 or less. Requires the Commission to conduct fee negotiations for all design contracts; supervise the letting of all construction and design contracts; and develop procedures governing the responsibilities of the Commission to perform the duties of the Department of Administration and the Director or Office of State Construction under specified state law. Directs the Commission to use standard contracts in current use by the Office of State Construction for State capital improvement projects. Bars dividing projects to evade the monetary threshold set. Explicitly prohibits the Department of Administration from being the awarding authority for contracts subject to these provisions. Establishes annually reporting requirements of the Commission to the State Building Commission and lists required content. Effective July 1, 2023.