House committee substitute to the 4th edition makes the following changes.

Section 1

Amends GS 115C-150.11(c) to require the Department of Administration to provide schools with support in procurement (was, capital) and clarifies that information technology is included. Specifies that the effective date of the act’s changes to GS 115C-150.11(a),(b), and (c) begin on July 1, 2025.

Section 6

Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), for the 2024-25 school year, to administratively house the North Carolina School for the Deaf, the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, and the Governor Morehead School for the Blind (collectively, the schools). Removes the requirement that DPI only house these schools until the earlier of June 30, 2025, or certification that the schools have been established as a State agency. Removes the requirement that DPI give each school’s board of trustees access to all records and information pertaining to the school, and execute administrative matters at the direction of each board. Directs that DPI and the schools enter into a memorandum of understanding with regards to the administrative support. Specifies that at a minimum, DPI provide administrative support in matters related to finance, human resources, and procurement, including for information technology and capital. Directs the Department of Administration (Department), in coordination with the schools, DPI, and the Department of Information Technology, to study the costs and positions needed for support of the schools and to report this information and any recommended legislation to the specified NCGA committees by March 1, 2025. Requires the Office of the State Controller and Office of State Budget and Management to ensure that the schools are established as State agencies prior to July 1, 2025. Adds the Department of Public Instruction to those entities that are to designate liaisons for the schools and requires that all of the liaisons serve during the 2024-25 school year instead until certification that the schools have been established as State agencies.

Section 7

Changes the date that the powers, duties, functions, records, personnel, contracts, property, unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations or other funds, including the functions of budgeting and purchasing, are transferred from DPI to the schools to July 1, 2024 (was, upon certification by the Office of State Budget and Management that the schools have been established as a State agency).

Section 9

Removes the exception for the Sunshine House from those assets to be reassigned to the Governor Morehead School.

Section 11

Removes specification that until the NCGA appropriates funds to the Department for administrative support for the schools, in order to get support from the Department the schools are required to jointly enter a memorandum of understanding with the Department that includes payment for the costs of administrative support on a monthly basis of up to $57,083. Removes provision that if the Department is appropriated funds for the administrative support, then it must reimburse the school for any payments made under the memorandum in that fiscal year.

Makes organizational changes.