AN ACT TO ALLOW SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION BY A RETIRED SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE HANDGUN QUALIFICATIONS FOR ACTIVE SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR PURPOSES OF A CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT. Enacted June 24, 2015. Effective October 1, 2015.

AN ACT TO MAKE CERTAIN VETERANS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS ENTITLED TO FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS UNDER 38 U.S.C. CHAPTER 30 OR 38 U.S.C. CHAPTER 33 WHO ENROLL IN ANY OF THE STATE'S PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ELIGIBLE FOR IN STATE TUITION BY WAIVING THE TWELVE MONTH STATE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT AND TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM. Enacted June 24, 2015. Effective July 1, 2015.

House committee substitute to the 2nd edition deletes the contents of the previous edition and replaces it with the following. 

The provisions of the act are effective July 1, 2015, and expire August 14, 2015, at 11:59 PM.

Allows the Governor to continue to allocate funds for recurring expenditures for current operations by State departments, institutions, and agencies at the level at which these operations were authorized on a recurring basis in SL 2014-100 (Appropriations Act of 2014), as amended, except that current operations funded on a nonrecurring basis in the 2014-15 fiscal year that are funded at the same level in the 5th and 7th editions of House Bill 97 (2015 Appropriations Act) may continue to receive funds, unless the items are capital expenditures or related to capital grants. Allows the allocation of funds for the Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles Tag and Tax Together Program, for the forty-four time-limited positions. Requires the Governor to implement the budget reductions set out in the 5th and 7th editions of House Bill 97 that are not in controversy. Prohibits implementing any transfers set out in House Bill 97. Appropriates to the extent necessary to implement this authorization, from the appropriate State funds and cash balances, federal receipts, and departmental receipts for the 2015-16 fiscal year funds necessary to carry out this section, except that cash balances subject to proposed transfer in the 5th or 7th editions of House Bill 97, 5th edition, must not be expended. Prohibits filling vacant positions subject to proposed budget reductions in the 5th or 7th edition of House 97 after June 30, 2015. Requires that state employees employed in positions subject to elimination in both the 5th and 7th editions of House Bill 97 because of a reduction in the funds used to support the job or its responsibilities be given written notification of termination of employment 30 days before the effective date of the termination. Prohibits state agencies from making grant awards with that portion of funds that is subject to proposed budget reductions in the 5th or 7th editions of House Bill 97. Provides that the limitations and directions for the 2014-15 fiscal year in SL 2013-360, as amended, and in SL 2014-100, as amended, that applied to appropriations to particular agencies or for particular purposes apply to the funds appropriated and authorized for expenditure under these provisions. Requires that funds that would not otherwise revert that were appropriated on a nonrecurring basis in prior fiscal years remain available for expenditure in the 2015-16  fiscal year.

Requires the salary schedules and specific salaries established for the 2014-15 fiscal year by or under SL 2014-100 and in effect on June 30, 2015, to remain in effect until the effective date of the 2015 budget. Prohibits moving state employees subject to specified provisions in GS Chapters 7A and 20 up on salary schedules or from receiving automatic increases until authorized by the General Assembly. Prohibits state employees from receiving any automatic step increases, annual, performance, merit, bonuses, or other increments until authorized by the General Assembly. Prohibits public school employees paid on the teacher salary schedule or school-based administrator salary schedule and other employees from moving up on salary schedules or receiving automatic step increases, annual, performance, merit, or other increments until authorized by the General Assembly, except that effective July 1, 2015, (1) the monthly salary on the "A" salary schedule that corresponds to zero to four years of experience is  increased to (2) a teacher who received a bonus under section 9.1(e) of SL 2014-100 must not be paid less under these provisions than the teacher was paid in salary and bonus for the 2014-15 school year, and (3) a school administrator who received a bonus under section 9.11(i) of SL 2014-100 must not be paid less under these provisions than the school administrator was paid in salary and bonus for the 2014-15 school year.

Sets the state's employer contribution rates budgeted for retirement and related benefits for the 2015-16 fiscal year as what is provided for in Section 35.15 of SL 2013-360 and Section 35.13 of SL 2014-100. Makes the employer contribution rates effective until the 2015 budget becomes law and makes them subject to changes in that act. Provides further instructions for when the 2015 budget modifies these rates.

Provides that if the provisions of either the 5th or 7th edition of House Bill 97 direct that funds shall not revert, the funds shall not revert on June 30, 2015. Unless these funds are encumbered on or before June 30, 2015, these funds must not be expended after June 30, 2015, except as provided by a law enacted after June 30, 2015. Effective June 30, 2015.

Specifies that for 2014-15, funds must not be reserved to the Repairs and Renovations Reserve Account, and the State Controller must not transfer funds from the unreserved credit balance to the Repairs and Renovation Reserve Account on June 30, 2015. Specifies that for 2014-15, funds must not be reserved to the Savings Reserve Account, and the State Controller must not transfer funds from the unreserved credit balance to the Savings Reserve Account on June 30, 2015. Effective June 30, 2015.

Requires the Governor to continue to allocate federal block grant funds at the levels provided in Section 12J.1 of SL 2014-100, Section 15.14 of SL 2013-360, and as otherwise provided by law, and provides that appropriations from federal block grants are hereby made.

Effective July 1, 2015, appropriates $100,236,542 for 2015-16 from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction to fully fund changes in average daily membership in public schools, subject to adjustment by the General Assembly. Requires local boards of education to use funds available to them to offer noncredit driver education courses. Allows local school administrative units to transfer funds between allotment categories under GS 115C-105.25. Allows the Watauga Career Academy, Pitt Early College, Wilson Academy of Applied Technology, Academy at High Point Central, the Academy at Ben L. Smith High School, STEM Early College at NC A&T State University, Middle College at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, and the Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience to operate as cooperative innovative high schools approved under GS 115C-238.51A(c) and makes them subject to the evaluation requirements of GS 115C-238.55.

Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to achieve the proposed budget reductions or expansions for the 2015-17 fiscal biennium, to prepare the necessary state plan amendments and waivers for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that reflect the Medicaid reduction or expansion items in the 5th or 7th editions of House Bill 97, so that the state plan amendments and waivers can be submitted to CMS at the earliest possible date after the 2015 budget becomes law.

Changes the act's short and long titles.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO SEND MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION RENEWAL NOTIFICATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS UPON RECEIVING WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE OWNER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE. Enacted June 24, 2015. Effective January 1, 2016.