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

Changes the short and  long title.

Deletes language that referred to overseeing safety in accordance with the MAP-21 Act. Now provides that oversight of fixed guideway public transportation systems not regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration will be done pursuant to 49 USC 5329 and 5330.  Makes technical changes.

Adds new language that requires the NC Department of Transportation (DOT) to inspect rail fixed guideway public transportation systems, notifying the system of any deficiencies that require necessary repairs.

Allows DOT to conduct a program of accident prevention and public safety for rail fixed guideway public transportation systems, including requiring any such system involved in an accident to report the accident to DOT.

Requires DOT to oversee the implementation of the federally required rail fixed guideway public transportation system safety plan.

Directs DOT to audit each rail fixed guideway public transportation system at least every three years in regards to its compliance with the federally required safety plans.

Directs DOT to provide, at the minimum, an annual report on the status of the safety of the rail fixed guideway public transportation systems that DOT oversees, with reports being submitted to the Federal Transit Administration, the Governor, and the Board of Directors of any rail fixed guideway public transportation system that is overseen by DOT.

Provides that DOT cannot receive any funding for the above requirements from any rail fixed guideway public transportation system.

 

House amendment makes the following changes to the 3rd edition:

Enacts new subsection in proposed GS 75-141, concerning remedies and damages for abusive patent assertions, that provides that a court may award a defendant who prevailed in actions pursuant to this section certain costs and fees, including reasonable attorneys' fees, if the court finds that the action was not well grounded in fact and warranted by existing law, or was interposed for any improper purposes.

Makes conforming changes.

The House committee substitute to the 1st edition make the following changes. 

Amends the whereas clauses.

Deletes the directives to the State Board of Education (Board) in Section 1 and instead amends GS 115C-12 as follows. Requires the Board to, when developing a plan to revise content standards and the standard course of study in the core academic areas, involve and survey a representative sample of parents, teaches, and the public to help determine academic content standards that meet and reflect North Carolina's priorities and the usefulness of the content standards. Also adds that the process of the development of content standards must also include a review of age and developmentally appropriate standards. Adds that the Board must collaborate with the Academic Standards Review Commission when revising content standards and the standard course of study in English Language Arts (english) and in math. Also requires consultation with the Academic Standards Review Commission to complete the alignment process for english and math content standards. Requires that the Board ensure that no official, employee, agency, or board enter into any agreement with any federal agency or private entity which cedes or limits state control over the development, adoption, or revision of the NC Standard Course of Study and relate student assessments in the public school system. 

Specifies four specific duties of the State Board for the 2014-15 school year, including a review of all english and math standards and proposed modifications, and determining and adopting any necessary changes in consultation with the Academic Standards Review Commission.

Codifies the establishment of the nine member (was, 17 member) Academic Standards Review Commission (Commission) in new GS 115C-83.30. Requires that appointees be citizens of the state with expertise in the development or implementation of standards or psychometrics, members of the business community, or members of the post-secondary education community who are qualified to assure the alignment of standards to career and college readiness. Provides for member terms. Amends the Commission's duties.

Requires the Commission to report replacement standards for english and math to the State Board, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and to the 2015 General Assembly by March 15, 2015. Requires the Commission to continue working with the State Board and Department of Public Instruction to review academic standards during the regular review period implemented every five years, and report recommended changes to the english and math standards to the State Board, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the General Assembly before convening. Deletes the Commission termination date.

Amends GS 115C-12(39) to direct the State Board to to adopt rigorous and appropriate academic standards (was, rigorous standards) for school accreditation.

Prohibits the State Board from considering assessments developed by the Smarter Balanced Consortium Assessments or the Partnership for Assessments of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) for use as nationally normed assessments of student learning. Does assert that the assessments must be nationally normed, aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and field tested. Provides as examples of appropriate assessment models the SAT, ACT Aspire, and NAEP.

Directs local boards of education to continue to approve and use textbooks not adopted by the State Board, and to provide for the efficient teaching of the course content required by the Standard Course of Study as provided under GS 115C-47(12) and GS 115C-47(33a). Provides that the Standard Course of Study remains in effect until official notice is provided to all public school teachers, administrators, parents or guardians of students enrolled in public schools of any changes to the Standard Course of Study made by the State Board.

Enacts new GS 115C-401.2 to prohibit collecting any personally identifiable student data to be used to develop commercial products or services.

Appropriates $75,000 (was, $250,000) from the General Fund to the Department of Administration for the 2014-15 fiscal year to implement Section 2 of this act which establishes the Academic Standards Review Commission. 

House amendments make the following changes to the 2nd edition:

Amendment #1

Makes a conforming change, deleting language in GS 143-138(b2)(1) that required carbon monoxide alarms to be OSHA-approved, now providing that they just must be approved alarms, reflecting previous changes in the act that allows for alarms approved by other entities than OSHA.

Amendment #2

Requires the Building Code Council, by March 31, 2015, to adopt a rule to amend the NC State Building Code, in regards to structures required to comply with the provisions of GS 143-138(b2)(2), that includes the standards for carbon monoxide alarms contained in the 2015 International Fire Code provided by the International Code Council. Requires the effective date of this rule to be no later than June 1, 2015.