House amendment makes the following change to the 2nd edition:

Clarifies that the act only applies to judicial actions referred to in Section 2 of the bill that are filed on or after the effective date of the act.

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

Amends GS 115C-238.29H(a1) to clarify that charter schools may use state funds for operational loans, in addition to facilities and equipment loans. Amends subsection (b) to clarify that if a student attends a charter school, the local school administrative unit (LEA) must transfer an amount equal to the per pupil share of the local current expense fund (was, appropriation) to the charter school within 30 days (was, 15)of the LEA's receipt of its local current expense appropriation. Provides that if the LEA fails to comply with the requirements of subsection (b) in a timely manner, an interest rate of 8% (was 6%) will accrue on the amount required to be transferred tothe charter school until that amount plus any accrued interest is transferred to the charter school. Repeals the restriction on transferring supplemental tax revenue outside of the tax district, which allows funds to follow the student.

Enacts new subsection (c) to this section to detail the information that must be provided to charter schools on the calculating of the charter school's share of the local current expense fund.

Enacts new subsection (d) to this section to provide for the award of attorneys'fees andcosts to the prevailing party in an action to enforce the transfer of funds from LEAs to charter schools. Directs the court to order any delinquent funds, costs, fees, and interest to be paid in equal monthly installments with a time for payment in full no later than three years from the entry of the judgment.

Adds a new subsection (m) to GS 143B-426.40A,making a conforming change to create an exception that allows a charter school to assign state funds for operational loans under GS 115C-238.29H, as amended in this act.

Amends the title.

House amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition:

Deletes Article 2 of Chapter 108D providing for certain rights and responsibilities of LME/MCOs, providers, and applicants (GS 108D-10 through GS 108D-18), and renumbers Article 3 as Article 2.

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

Amends the bill title to include "Rural Transportation Planning Organizations."

Adds Rural Transportation Planning Organizations to the name of the study committee and to the scope of the committee's charge.

House amendment makes the following change to the 4th edition:

 Amends GS 105-228.4A(d) to add language providing that the tax on assumed reinsurance premiums is not payable in connection with the exchange of assets and liabilities between insurers if both insurers are under common control and the Commissioner of Insurance verifies that the exchange is part of a plan to cease operations of one insurer and the insurers' intent is to renew/maintain business with the captive insurance company.

Senate committee substitute makes the following changes to the 5th edition.

Deletes the provisions and proposed changes found in Section 1, amending GS 62-2.

Amends GS 143-215.120(d), providing that nothing in GS 143, Article 21C, will be interpreted to limit any applicable requirements of GS Chapter 62.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROMOTE THE PROVISION OF REGIONAL WATER AND SEWER SERVICES BY TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS TO A METROPOLITAN WATER AND SEWERAGE DISTRICT. Enacted May 13, 2013. Effective May 15, 2013.

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

Changes the long title.

Amends GS 58-36-10 changing "shall" to "may," providing that it is permissive, but not required, to give consideration to the experience of property insurance business during the most recent five-year period for which that experience is available in the case of property insurance rates under this Article.

Amends GS 58-36-15(d2), providing that trade secret information provided under this subsection is considered confidential and is required to be handled in accordance with GS 66-152 and GS 132-1.2.

Amends GS 58-36-15(d3), deleting the provisions of the previous edition and establishing that the Rate Bureau is required in all residential property insurance rate filings to set out, according to the territories in North Carolina, (1) the portion of the rate based on all risks, with the exception of wind and hail and (2) the portion of the rate based on the consideration of risks and the costs of reinsurance for wind and hail. If the rates are approved by the Insurance Commissioner they will be posted by territory, on its website, including the distinctions of the rates as described above.

Specifies that the act applies to filings by the Rate Bureau on or after July 1, 2013.

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

Enacts new GS 153A-274.1, Flood control activities under stormwater management programs, (was, amended GS 153A-277(a) regarding stormwater management programs). Clarifies that it is the General Assembly's finding that it is in the best interest of North Carolina's residents to promote and fund the implementation of stormwater management programs (was, promote and encourage the funding and implementation of stormwater management programs). Substantively retains provisions from the 1st edition regarding the scope of a county's authority in operating its stormwater management program; however, makes organizational changes.

Subsection (b)(2) specifies flood damage reduction techniques that the county may implement under its stormwater management program. Amends those proposed techniques to remove flood proofing flood prone structures. Subsection (c) provides that a county may engage in the activities as listed in (b)(2) only under the circumstances contained in a policy document approved by the board of county commissioners. Specifies what the policy document must minimally establish. Requires that an existing stormwater advisory committee review and approve projects implementing flood damage reduction techniques under (b)(2).

The new statute applies only to counties with a population of 910,000 or greater.

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

Amends the bill title to remove reference to provision requiring standardized responses to emergency codes.

Revises GS 131E-88 to remove requirement that the NC Medical Care Commission (Commission) adopt rules for standardized responses to emergency codes and that hospitals implement such responses; deletes list of emergency situations that must be addressed in standardized emergency codes adopted by the Commission; clarifies that the Commission must adopt and hospitals must implement standardized emergency codes by July 1, 2015.

Changes effective date to make the act effective when it becomes law (was January 1, 2014).

The House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Deletes the provisions of the 1st edition and replaces them with the following. Enacts new GS 99B-12 entitling a commodity producer certified by the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices Audit Verification Program to a rebuttable presumption that the commodity producer was not negligent when death or injury is proximately caused by the consumption of the producer's raw agricultural commodity. Provides that the presumption may be overcome only by clear and convincing evidence. Defines commodity producer as a producer of raw agricultural commodities, as defined. Applies to claims arising on or after July 1, 2013.

Amends the act's title.

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

Changes the short and long titles.

Amends GS 15-11.1(b1), providing that a judge can, among other options, order a firearm to be destroyed by the sheriff of the county in which the firearm was seized or by his authorized agent only if the firearm does not have a legible, unique identification number or is unsafe for use because of wear, damage, age, or modification.

Amends GS 15-11.2, Disposition of unclaimed firearms not confiscated or seized as trial evidence, providing that if the firearm remains unclaimed for a period of 30 days after the publication of the notice, then the head or chief of the law enforcement agency (was, the SBI, at the discretion of the agency director, must dispose of the firearm) must order the disposition of the firearm in one of the specified ways.

Adds that the head or chief of the law enforcement agency must maintain a record of the destruction of the firearm.

Makes conforming changes concerning the role of the head or chief of the law enforcement agency.

Provides that if the law enforcement agency sells the firearm at public auction, then the proceeds will be retained by the law enforcement agency and used for law enforcement purposes (was, proceeds to be retained by the SBI for law enforcement purposes). Requires records and inventory of all firearms received pursuant to this section to be kept.

Amends GS 14-269.1(4), changing the ways in which a deadly weapon can be disposed of after a specified conviction, providing that a weapon can be disposed of by ordering such weapon to be turned over to the sheriff of the county in which the trial is held or his duly authorized agent to be destroyed if the firearm does not have a legible, unique identification number or is unsafe for use because of wear, damage, age, or modification.

Amends the enactment clause, providing that the act becomes effective July 1, 2013, and applies to any firearm found or received by a local law enforcement agency on or after that date and to any judicial order for the disposition of any firearm on or after that date (previously, judicial orders were not included in the clause).

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

Amends GS 96-5.1(a), providing that the funds in the Supplemental Employment Security Administration Fund consist of all interest and penalties paid under GS Chapter 96 on overdue contributions and any appropriations made to the fund by the General Assembly (GA). Further provides that penalties collected on unpaid taxes imposed by this section must be transferred to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund established in GS 115C-457.1.

Amends GS 96-9.2(b), as enacted by SL 2013-2, providing that, for the purposes of the standard beginning rate, an employer's account is considered chargeable with benefits for at least 12 calendar months if the employer has reported wages paid in four completed calendar quarters and its liability extends over all or part of two consecutive calendar years.

Amends GS 96-9.6(e), Annual reconciliation, to add that any amount in excess of the required 1% of taxable wages will be retained in the employer's account as a credit and will not be refunded to the employer.

Amends GS 96-9.6(i), as enacted by SL 2013-2, providing that if the employer's account balance on the computation date in 2014 does not equal 1% of its taxable wages reported for the preceding fiscal year (was, 2013 calendar year), the Division will bill the employer for the deficiency.

Amends GS 96-9.7(a), as enacted by SL 2013-2, making clarifying changes.

Amends GS 96-10(g), providing that written notices sent by the Division, pursuant to this subsection, can be by registered or certified mail.

Amends GS 96-11.2, as enacted by SL 2013-2, providing that benefits paid to an individual must be allocated to the account of each base period employer in the proportion that the base period wages paid to the individual in a calendar quarter by each base period employer bears to the total wages paid to the individual in the base period (was, that quarter) by all base period employers.

Amends GS 96-11.4(a), as enacted by SL 2013-2, providing that an employer or agent, in regards to relief for errors of noncompliance, cannot be determined to have a pattern of failing to respond to requests from the Division if the number of failures during the year prior to the request is fewer than two or less than 2% of the total requests (previously, only included less than 2% of the total requests) made to the employer or agent, whichever is greater (previously, did not include "whichever is greater").

Amends GS 96-14.9(d), as enacted by SL 2013-2, providing that an individual is not available to work during the work week when on disciplinary suspension for 30 or fewer days (was, less than 30 days) based on acts or omissions that constitute fault on the part of the employee and are connected with the work.

Amends GS 96-14.10, Disciplinary suspension, making a clarifying change.

Amends GS 96-15(b), as enacted by SL 2013-2, regarding adjudication of claims for benefits, providing that any interested employer will be allowed 14 days (was, 15 days) from the mailing or delivery of the notice of the filing of a claim against the employer's accounts, whichever first occurs, to file with the Division its protest of the claim in order to have the claim referred to an adjudicator for a decision on the question or issue raised. Makes conforming changes. Provides that no payment of benefits will be made by the Division to a claimant until one of the following occurs: (1) the employer has filed a timely protest to the claim, (2) the 14-day period for the filing of a protest by the employer has expired, or (3) a determination under this subdivision has been made.

Amends Section 11 of SL 2013-2, the enactment clause, providing that the requirements of GS 96-15(a1), as enacted by SL 2013-2 and amended by Section 14 of this act, apply to any week of an attached claim filed on or after June 30, 2013.

Amends GS 96-4(x)(6), GS 96-4(x)(7), GS 96-9.5(4)(c), GS 96-10(d), GS 96-14.14(c)(2), GS 96-14.14(c)(3), GS 96-14.14(e)(1), GS 96-14.14(g), GS 96-14.14(h), and GS 96-16(d), making technical and conforming changes to statute citations in the included provisions.

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

Changes the long title. Amends GS 14-208.16(b) to include permanent locations of organized clubs of Boys and Girls Club of America in the term child care center and removes proposed inclusion of organized clubs of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Deletes the provisions of the 1st edition and replaces them with the following.

Enacts new Article 50D, Tobacco Growers Assessment Act, in GS Chapter 106. Allows the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina Inc. (Association) to conduct a referendum among tobacco growers as to whether to levy an assessment on tobacco sold in the state. Caps the amount of the proposed assessment at $0.15 for each hundred pounds of tobacco. Allows the Association to increase the assessment amount, if the Association sets a lower amount than that approved by referendum, by no more than $0.01, without having to conduct a referendum. Prohibits collecting the assessment unless more than two-thirds of the votes cast are in favor of the assessment. Requires a tobacco buyer to collect the assessment when buying by deducting the assessment from the price paid to the producer. Allows the buyer to keep the assessments until the total amount due to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Department) is at least $25, or until the end of the calendar quarter, whichever comes first. Provides for record keeping. Allows the Association to bring an action to recover any unpaid assessments, plus the reasonable costs incurred in the action.

Requires the Department to remit funds collected to the Association at least once a month. Requires the Association to use the funds to promote the interests of tobacco growers. Allows a tobacco grower to request a refund of the assessment within 30 days from the last date on which the grower paid the assessment; requires the Association to mail a refund within 30 days of receiving a properly documented refund request. Upon a petition by at least 10% of the tobacco growers in the state known to the Association, the Association must conduct a referendum on continuing the referendum. If a majority of the votes are against continuation, or if the referendum is not conducted within six months, the assessment expires at the end of the six-month period. If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of continuing, then no subsequent referendum is to be held for at least three years.

Allows the Association to conduct a referendum at any time after the effective date of the act.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Increases the number of members of the Commission to Study the Provision of Exceptional Children's Services in the North Carolina Public Schools from 12 to 14, adding a member of an advocacy group working on behalf of children with disabilities, as recommended by Disability Rights North Carolina, and a members of an advocacy group working on behalf of children with disabilities, as recommended by the Exceptional Children's Advocacy Center. Adds to the issues to be examined as the Commission develops its recommendations conducting a study on the cost to educate students with disabilities and then use that information to make recommendations on changes needed to the current state allotment formulae for various components of the exceptional children's program.

House amendment makes the following change to the 2nd edition. Requires that the individualized graduation plans that must be provided by the pilot programare to include the State Board of Education approved career, college, or career and college endorsements as appropriate.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Deletes the provisions of the 1st edition and replaces it with the following. Authorizes the Legislative Research Commission to study the illegal sale, delivery, transportation, or possession of pills, tablets, or capsules of a controlled substance that contains an opiate combined with an uncontrolled substance and that is a commercial drug with FDA approval distributed by a lawful company. Requires a report to the General Assembly by March 1, 2014. Requires the study to determine the appropriate criminal penalty. Specifies membership of the study committee. Updates the act's titles.

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

Provides that the Department of Health and Human Services will exempt from certificate of need review the establishment of a home health agency by a continuing care retirement community licensed under Article 64 of Chapter 58 to provide home health services to residents of a continuing care community who have entered into a contract to receive continuing care services with lodging. Provides that a continuing care retirement community seeking to provide home health services to individuals who do not reside at the continuing care retirement community pursuant to a contract for care services and lodging will be required to obtain a certificate of need as a home health agency prior to developing or offering home health services to any individual who is not a resident of the continuing care retirement community under contract to receive care services with lodging.

House amendment makes the following change to the 2nd edition.

Rewrites GS 15A-622(i)(2) by deleting from the list of offenses for which an investigative grand jury may be convened violations of Article 30A of Chapter 14 (secret listening) and violations of GS 14-234.1 (misuse of confidential information).

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Deletes the provisions of the 1st edition and replaces it with the following. Enacts new GS 143C-7-3 requiring the State Treasurer to accept monetary contributions to the General Fund to be sued for governmental services, spending, and appropriations. Updates the act's titles.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends GS 10B-61 to delete (c), concerning the awarding of attorneys' fees.