Enacts new GS 15A-151 to prohibit a public employer from asking about or considering the criminal record or criminal history of an applicant for public employment until the applicant has been selected for an interview. Exempts custody staff of the Divisions of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety or public employees who have a statutory duty to conduct a criminal history record check for a position or to consider a potential employee's criminal history during the hiring process. Defines public employer to mean the state or a local political subdivision of the state. Applies to applications for employment submitted on or after July 1, 2015. 

Amends GS 75-61 adding new definitions to the Identity Theft Protection Act including protected consumer, protected consumer security freeze, protected consumer's file, representative, sufficient proof of authority, and sufficient proof of identification. Defines a protected consumer as an individual who is (1) under age 16 at the time a request for the placement of a security freeze is made or (2) incapacitated or for whom a guardian or guardian ad litem has been approved.

Enacts new section GS 75-63.1, Security freeze for protected consumers, which allows a consumer reporting agency to place a protected consumer security freeze (freeze) on the protected consumer's credit report or file within 30 days if specified conditions are met. Specifies procedures and actions for consumer reporting agencies when a freeze is required. Provides that a freeze must remain in effect until certain actions are taken, upon which the freeze must be removed within 30 days. These actions include: (1) the protected consumer or representative requests the consumer reporting agency to remove the freeze by following the specified process or (2) the consumer reporting agency determines that the freeze was placed based on a material misrepresentation of fact. Sets out provisions providing for and regulating the allowable reasonable fee that can be charged by consumer reporting agencies for the placement and removal of freezes. Provides that the fee cannot exceed $3 in most cases but also specifies several cases where a fee cannot be charged, including that the request for placement or removal of a freeze was made electronically or the protected consumer is over 62 years old. Provides that the placement of a freeze does not stop the release of a protected consumer's consumer report, file, or additional information to specified parties, including certain credit reporting services (when subscribed to). Provides that a violation of this section is considered a violation of GS 75-1.1, concerning unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices affecting commerce.

Enacts new GS 130A-101(h) concerning birth registration, providing that when a birth occurs, the individual responsible for preparing the birth certificate must also provide the mother with information regarding how to request a freeze for the child pursuant to the above provisions.  

Effective October 1, 2015. 

Creates new Article 17A, Healthy Schools, in GS Chapter 115C.

Healthy Schools Fund. Establishes the Healthy Schools Fund (Fund) as a nonreverting fund administered by the State Board of Education (SBoE) and funded by annual appropriations. Requires the Fund to be used as follows: (1) to provide additional funding for healthy school meals, the SBoE must reimburse public schools as follows: a. 10¢ for each breakfast meal served that meets specified requirements, b. 10¢ for each lunch meal served that meets the requirements of GS 115C-270.4 and GS 115C-270.5; (2) to eliminate the reduced price co-payment, SBoE must reimburse public schools 40¢ for each lunch served to students who qualify for reduced price meals; (3) to provide resources to implement the school breakfast program, for the 2015-16 school year, the SBoE must provide $7 per student to public schools in which more than 40% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals; (4) to encourage schools to serve local foods, the SBoE must provide an additional 5¢ per lunch meal reimbursement to public and public charter schools when at least one component of a reimbursable lunch meal is comprised entirely of locally grown and unprocessed foods; (5) to increase physical activity in schools, the SBoE must make grants available through a competitive process to public and public charter schools, provided that schools meet the requirements of GS 115C-270.14 and seek to increase the amount of physical activity in which their students engage; and (6) to support school gardens, the SBoE must make grants available through a competitive process to public schools and other organizations.

School Nutrition. Requires breakfast and lunch to meet or exceed the nutritional standards in applicable state and federal law. Also requires breakfast and lunch served to students in public schools to meet or exceed specified nutritional and serving requirements. Requires public schools to offer free breakfast to all students and provides additional requirements for schools where more than 40% of the students qualify for free or reduced price meals. Also requires schools to not charge students for meals if the student qualifies for reduced price meals, provide meals meeting the dietary needs of children diagnosed with medical conditions, solicit input from specified entities on nutritious meals that appeal to students, promote healthy eating, provide at least 30 minutes for children to eat lunch, and participate in federal nutritional and commodity foods programs when possible. Encourages providing cold, filtered water when meals are served. Requires each local school administrative unit to establish a central kitchen. Requires food service providers to provide specified information to public schools and requires public schools to inform parents and students of that same information, as well as the information that vegetarian food options and milk alternatives are available. Requires all beverages and snack foods provided by or sold in public schools, whether through vending machines, fund raisers, snacks, after-school meals, or other means, to meet the requirements of the Healthier US School Challenge program at the Gold Award Level. Provides exceptions. Prohibits third parties, other than school-related organizations and school meal service providers, from selling food or beverages to students 90 minutes before school until 90 minutes after the school day ends. Allows for a penalty, after the first warning, of $500 per day, paid to the Fund. Requires the Healthy Youth and Schools Commission to review school nutrition and the Article's requirements at least every three years and recommend improvements to the SBoE.

Farm to School Program. Requires schools to serve locally grown, locally processed, and unprocessed foods from growers engaged in sustainable agriculture whenever possible, with preference given to products grown in the state or in contiguous states. Requires the Department of Public Instruction, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and other entities to develop programs to promote locally grown and unprocessed foods from growers engaged in sustainable agriculture. Requires the SBoE to report to the General Assembly, by September 30 each year, on the farm-to-school initiatives.

Physical and Health Education. States the goal of children engaging in physical activity for 60 minutes each day; requires public and public charter schools to promote this goal. Specifies means thorough which physical activity is to be maximized. Establishes physical education requirements for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. Also establishes health education requirements for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Requires adapted physical education for students with disabilities and prohibits requiring or withholding physical activity as punishment. Requires the SBoE to report to the General Assembly, by September 30 each year, on issues concerning the physical and health education requirements.

Environment. Establishes an environmental programs office in the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to perform specified duties, including contracting with vendors to recycle all materials required by law at all public schools, develop a master recycling plan, and test drinking water in public schools for lead and promptly take any required remedial action. Requires local school administrative units to use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and prepare a plan to use sustainable products in serving meals to students on or before December 31, 2015. Requires the SBoE, on or before December 31, 2015, to prepare and transmit to the General Assembly a report on the implementation of recycling, composting, energy reduction, pest management, air quality, and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies programs. Requires DPI, in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to develop an environmental literacy plan. Establishes a School Gardens Program within DPI to perform specified functions, including establishing a Garden Advisory Committee, providing schools with horticultural guidance and technical assistance, and coordinating curricula for school gardens. Requires the program to issue a report about school gardening in the state, plans for expanding them, and recommendations for approval by June 30, 2016. Allows, when tests show the soil is safe and produce is safely handled, for produce grown in school gardens to be served to students. Also allows the sale of the produce.

Health and Wellness. Requires local school administrative units to collaborate with specified entities to develop a comprehensive local wellness policy, revised every three years. Requires the policies to include goals for improving environmental sustainability of schools, increasing the use of locally grown, locally processed, and unprocessed foods from growers engaged in sustainable agriculture, and increasing physical activity. Also requires schools to report to DPI, by January 15 of each year, on specified issues concerning health programs, nutrition programs, physical and health education, and wellness policy. Provides for sharing of the information. Requires DHHS, in conjunction with local school administrative units, charter schools, and DPI, to develop a plan to establish and operate school health centers in public and public charter schools by December 31, 2020. The plan must include (1) a needs assessment to determine where school health centers must be located and (2) a proposal for financial sustainability for the centers. Requires the plan to be submitted to the General Assembly by December 31, 2015.  Prohibits the size of a nurse's suite from being a determining factor as to whether a nurse is placed at a public charter school.

Healthy Youth and Schools Commission. Establishes the 10-member Healthy Youth and Schools Commission (Commission) to advise the SBoE and the General Assembly on the health, wellness, and nutritional issues concerning youth and schools in the state. Specifies the Commission's functions and requires a report to the SBoE by September 30 of each year. Provides that members serve three-year staggered terms and provides for appointment, naming of chairs, and rules of procedure.

Green Cleaning Supplies. Requires all elementary and secondary public and nonpublic schools with 50 or more students to, when economically feasible, establish a green cleaning policy and purchase and use environmentally sensitive cleaning products. If adopting such a policy is not economically feasible, requires annual notification of such to the Commission. Requires specified entities, including the Commission, to establish guidelines for environmentally sensitive cleaning products. Allows a school to deplete its existing cleaning and maintenance supply stocks and implement the new requirements for the following school year. Provides that no state funds are to be appropriated to implement these requirements.

Adds new Article 23A, Death With Dignity Act, to GS Chapter 90.

Defines terms as they apply in this Article. Specifies that an adult, defined in this act as a person 18 years or older, who meets all of the delineated criteria may make a written request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner under the provisions of this Article. Provides that no person qualifies to make a written request for medication to end his or her life under this Article solely because of age or disability.

Requires that a valid request for medication under this Article to end one's life must be in substantially the form described in new GS 90-325.21, signed and dated by the patient in the presence of two witnesses who attest that to the best of their knowledge and belief that patient is (1) capable, (2) acting voluntarily, and (3) is not being coerced to sign the request. Includes specifications regarding individuals who may not be one of the two witnesses.

Specifies the responsibilities of the attending physician. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the attending physician may sign the patient's death certificate.

Requires that there must be a confirmation from a consulting physician, as defined in this act, who examines the patient and the patient's relevant medical records and makes a written confirmation of the attending physician's diagnosis that the person suffers from a terminal disease and verifies that the patient is capable, acting voluntarily, and has made an informed decision.

Requires the attending or consulting physician to refer a patient for counseling if in the opinion of either the patient may be suffering from a psychiatric or psychological disorder or depression causing impaired judgment.

Prohibits a patient from receiving a prescription for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner unless the patient has made an informed decision as defined in this act.

Requires the attending physician to recommend that the patient notify the next of kin of the patient's request for medication under this Article but prohibits denying a patient's request for medication under this Article solely on the refusal or inability of a patient to notify next of kin.

Requires a patient seeking a prescription for medication to end the patient's life to make both an oral and a written request and requires that the patient reiterate the oral request to the attending physician no less than 15 days after making the initial oral request. Requires the attending physician to offer the patient the opportunity to rescind the request at the time that the patient makes the second oral request. Additionally, specifies that a patient may rescind a request at any time and in any manner. Directs an attending physician not to write a prescription under this Article without offering the qualified patient an opportunity to rescind the request for a prescription medication to end the patient's life. Prohibits less than 15 days elapsing between a patient's initial oral request and the writing of a prescription under this Article and prohibits less than 48 hours elapsing between the patient's written request and the writing of a prescription under this Article.

Specifies all of the data and information that must be documented or filed in the patient's medical record.

Requires that only requests by North Carolina residents are to be granted under this act. Provides that factors demonstrating residence equal: (1) possession of a North Carolina driver's license, (2) registration to vote in North Carolina, (3) evidence that a person owns or leases property in North Carolina, and (4 ) filing a North Carolina tax return for the most recent tax year.

Makes the NCDepartment of Health and Human Services (DHHS) responsible for the reporting requirements under this act. Provides that except as otherwise required by law, the information collected under rules developed by DHHS does not constitute a public record under GS Chapter 132 and will not be made available for inspection by the public.

Provides that no provision, written or oral, in a contract, will, or other agreement that affects whether a person may make or rescind a request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner, is valid. Provides that no obligation owed under any currently existing contract is to be conditioned or affected by the making or rescinding of a request by a person for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. Also provides that a person choosing to act under the provisions of this Article does not have an effect on a life, health, or accident insurance or annuity policy.

Prohibits this Article from being construed to authorize a physician, health care provider, or any other person to end a patient's life by lethal injection, mercy killing, or active euthanasia. Specifies that actions taken in accordance with this Article do not constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing, or homicide under North Carolina laws.

Provides for immunity from civil or criminal liability or professional disciplinary action for a person participating in good-faith compliance with the provisions of this Article. Provides that this Article imposes no duty on a health care provider to participate in providing a qualified patient with medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner.

Permits a health care provider to subject another health care provider to sanctions, as stated in this act, if the sanctioning health care provider has given prior notice to the health care provider who is being sanctioned of its policy against participation in activities authorized by this Article.

Provides that a person who willfully alters or forges a request for medication or destroys or conceals a rescission of such a request without authorization from the patient is guilty of a Class A felony. Also makes coercing or exerting undue influence on a patient to request medication to end the patient's life, or destroying a rescission of such a request, a Class A felony. Provides that the penalties in this Article do not prohibit application of criminal penalties under other law for conduct that violates the provisions of this Article. Declares that nothing in this Article limits liability for civil damages resulting from other negligent conduct or intentional misconduct by any person.

Permits a governmental entity that incurs costs as a result of a person ending his or her life under the provisions of this Article in a public place to have a claim against the estate of that person to recover costs and reasonable attorneys' fees related to enforcing the claim.

Includes a severability clause to provide that if any provisions of the proposed act or its application are held to be invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications.

Includes a form for a person to make a request to end his or her life with prescription medication under this Article and includes penalties for altering, forging, concealing, or destroying the form or a revocation of the decision in the form.

Effective December 1, 2015, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

Amends GS 136-32(f) to allow a city to enforce the provisions of GS 136-32(b) through (e) (regulating the placement of political signs) on rights-of-way of streets that are located in the city's corporate limits and that are maintained by the city and on the rights-of-way of those parts of the state highway system that are located within the city. Also allows removal of signs that violate (b) through (e).

Enacts new GS 7A-304.1 to require a probationer to be assessed $50 in court costs whenever a hearing is held under GS 15A-1344 (Response to violations; alteration and revocation) or GS 15A-1345 (Arrest and hearing on probation violation) in response to a probation violation.

Makes conforming changes to GS 15A-1344 and GS 15A-1345.

Applies to probation violations occurring on or after July 1, 2015.

Amends GS 120C-405(b) concerning the reporting of reportable expenditures by lobbyists, providing that, no later than July 1, 2016, the Secretary of State must implement a searchable web-based database of the reports completed and filed under GS Chapter 120C, as well as the reports completed and filed under GS Chapter 163, Subchapter VIII (previously, did not provide a deadline date for implementation and also required coordination with the State Board of Elections; also only required reports filed to be available, not completed and filed). Requires the database to be searchable by the covered person's name as well as the filing entity.

Amends GS 120C-401(i), concerning lobbyist reports generally, adding language which requires a lobbyist or principal, upon the request of a legislator, to provide an invoice or other document indicating the fair marker value of the reportable expenditure. The required invoice or document must be provided within 15 days of the legislator's request. 

Effective October 1, 2015.

Requires the Department of the Secretary of State, Division of Lobbying Compliance to provide a preliminary report to the Joint Commission on Governmental Operations regarding the implementation of the database by January 1, 2016, with a final report due on May 1, 2016. 

Enacts a new Article 5B in GS Chapter 62 to be known as the Appalachian Mountains Preservation Act. Includes findings and purpose regarding the negative impact of mountaintop removal coal mining on the Appalachian Mountains.

Prohibits electric public utilities that operate coal-fired generating units in North Carolina from purchasing or using coal that is extracted by mountaintop removal coal mining. Authorizes the NC Utilities Commission (Commission) to adopt rules to implement proposed new Article 5B. Defines coal-fired generating unit as defined in GS 62-133.6 and mountaintop removal coal mining to mean any method of surface coal mining that removes a mountaintop or ridgeline, whether or not the mined area will be returned to its approximate original contour.

Requires each electric public utility that operates a coal-fired generating unit located in the state to secure the sworn statement of an authorized officer from the coal provider attesting that the coal the utility agrees to purchase or use was not, nor will be, extracted using mountaintop removal coal mining. Specifies information that must be included in the sworn statement. Directs each public utility to provide the Commission, on the fifteenth of each month, a report itemizing its costs for purchasing or using coal extracted by a method other than mountaintop removal coal mining. Requires that as a part of its annual report, each electric public utility operating a coal-fired generator in North Carolina submit to the Commission copies of each required sworn statement and each purchase contract. Provides additional guidelines regarding information regarding rate determinations, determining compliance, and confidentiality of information.

Provides for penalties for any electric public utility company that is in violation of the prohibition against contracting to purchase or use coal extracted by mountaintop removal coal mining or in violation of the monthly or annual reporting requirements. Enacts new GS 62-133.10 in Article 7 of GS Chapter 62 to provide for cost recovery through an annual rider for the incremental cost of purchasing or using coal extracted by a method other than mountaintop removal coal mining.

The above provisions are effective January 1, 2016, and apply to contracts to purchase coal entered into on or after that date.

Creates The Electric Utility Ratepayers Relief Act (Relief Act). Enumerates findings by the General Assembly to support its finding that for a certificate issued before the current recession, construction of a new coal-fired generating unit is no longer in the public interest. Provides that the purpose of the Relief Act is to promote economic relief to public utility rate payers by temporarily prohibiting the issuance of any new certificate authorizing the construction of a coal-fired generating unit by the North Carolina Utilities Commission and requiring the suspension of any certificate issued before July 1, 2013, for any generating unit not in operation by July 1, 2013, unless the new or pre-July 1, 2013, certificate is for a coal-fired generating unit that is carbon neutral. Provides definitions as follows: (1) carbon neutral means emitting no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and includes employing a technique to absorb carbon dioxide so that it is not emitted into the atmosphere, (2) certificate as defined in GS 62-3, (3) coal-fired generating unit as defined in GS 62-133.6, and (4) public utility as defined in GS 62-3.

Declares a moratorium on the issuance of a certificate to operate a coal-fired generating unit pursuant to any application filed with the NC Utilities Commission (Commission) on or after July 1, 2015, unless the unit is carbon neutral. Temporarily suspends any certificate issued prior to July 1, 2015, for construction of any coal-fired generating unit that has not begun operations as of July 1, 2015, unless the coal-fired unit is carbon neutral. Provides that the suspension is to be in place until July 1, 2020. Does not prohibit cost recovery for an electric public utility. Provides for penalties for construction of a coal-fired generating unit in violation of this act.

Provides that a governing body of a city can appropriate funds for a public campaign financing program for city office in that city's jurisdiction, if the city has held at least one public hearing on the program before adopting it, as well as having received approval by the State Board of Elections (SBE). Directs the SBE to develop guidelines as specified, laying out the basic components needed in such a program. 

Directs the governing bodies of a city appropriating funds for such a program to prepare a report and submit it to the SBE no later than six months after the second election in which it appropriates funds. The report must include an analysis of the implementation of the public campaign financing program up to that date, as specified. 

Sets out provisions defining and describing what comprises a public campaign financing program, providing that it is a uniform program of a governmental entity that offers support for the campaigns of candidates for elective office within the jurisdiction of that governmental entity under five specified conditions including, that the candidates participating in the program must demonstrate public support and voluntarily accept strict fundraising and spending limits in accordance with government-established requirements and that any public funds provided to candidates are restricted to use for campaign purposes in accordance with SBE guidelines. Exempts the funds provided by a city from being subject to the various contribution limitations found in GS 163-278.13, 163-278.15, and 163-278.19.

Provides that this act applies to the Town of Chapel Hill, the City of Asheville, and any municipality with a total population of 50,000 or more that is selected by the State Board of Elections for participation in this pilot program. Includes provisions for determining the population of a city for eligibility in the pilot program. Provides guidelines and limitations for the SBE in regards to it determining which and how many municipalities are selected for the pilot program. Directs the SBE to closely monitor the pilot program and report its findings and recommendations by June 30, 2020, to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Fiscal Research Division, the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee, and the committees in the House of Representatives and Senate to which election-related bills are primarily referred. Requires interim reports to be submitted to those same entities by June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2018. 

Effective when the act becomes law and expires July 1, 2021. 

Adds new subsection (b1) to GS 90-85.22, as the title indicates. Requires that each holder of a device or medical equipment permit, or each applicant for such a permit, must maintain the following: (1) at least one physical location within this state or within 40 miles of the border of this state and (2) a sufficient inventory to respond to orders or requests within this state in a timely manner. Provides that subsection (b1) does not apply to a disposable medical supply mail order company and defines that term as it is used in GS 90-85.22, as amended in this act.

Clarifies that GS 90-85.22, as amended, does not apply to either of the following: (1) a pharmaceutical manufacturer registered with the Food and Drug Administration and (2) a wholly owned subsidiary of a pharmaceutical manufacturer registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

Becomes effective October 1, 2015.

Amends GS 18B-1104, concerning brewery permits, adding language which provides that breweries can receive and sell malt beverages made in or outside of the state under contract at the brewery as well as at affiliated retail outlets of the brewery. Sets out other provisions regarding the sale of malt beverages. Makes conforming changes. Also provides that breweries can, in any area where the sale of any type of alcoholic beverage is authorized, sell unfortified wine that has been approved by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission for sale.

Amends GS 18B-1001(3) concerning on-premises unfortified wine permits, adding "retail business" to the list of entities that can receive an on-premises unfortified wine permit. 

Enacts new GS 18B-903(c1) concerning the duration of ABC permits and renewal and transfer of such permits, which provides that nothing in this statute limits alternating brewery proprietorships where the holder of a brewery permit leases or otherwise makes available its facility to another holder of a brewery permit. Sets out provisions concerning the issue of title to the malt beverages during the different stages of the brewing process. Authorizes alternating brewery proprietorships as long as there is no common ownership or affiliation between breweries except for the contract brewery agreement.