Amends GS 143B-6, which establishes principal state departments (cabinet agencies), to remove the Department of Information Technology (department) as a principal state department under the direction and control of the Governor and establishes the department as an executive branch agency operating independently from the Governor and General Assembly.

Amends GS 143B-1320(a)(18), making the State Chief Information Officer (CIO) an independent officer and not a member of the Governor's cabinet.

Amends GS 143B-1322(a) repealing the Governor's authority to appoint the CIO and vesting appointment authority in the Lieutenant Governor subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, and requiring the Lieutenant Governor to submit the nomination to the General Assembly by May 1st in the year of appointment; establishes the CIO's term as five years beginning on July 1, 2017.  Makes other technical and conforming changes.

Amends GS 143B-1342 repealing the Governor's role in the dispute resolution process involving departmental decisions to deny or suspend information technology projects and vesting the CIO with the sole authority to render dispute resolution determinations.

Amends GS 143B-1335 to make technical and conforming changes.

Provides that the current CIO shall continue to serve in this position on an interim basis until June 30, 2017.

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

Amends GS 115C-11 to no longer require that the Superintendent of Public Instruction provide staff to the State Board of Education through the Department of Public Instruction. Makes conforming changes to GS 115C-21.

Amends GS 126-5 to make a clarifying change.

Amends GS 115C-218 to remove the requirement that the Chair of the State Board of Education appoint a member of the State Board to serve as a nonvoting member of the North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory Board. 

Adds a new section to the act transferring the Center for Safer Schools to the Department of Public Instruction, Division of Safe and Healthy Schools Support, effective December 15, 2016. Enacts new GS 115C-105.55 creating a 25-member Task Force for Safer Schools (Task Force) within the Department of Public Instruction. Sets out the membership of the Task Force, including three at-large members appointed by the Governor. Requires the Governor to appoint a Chair and a Vice-Chair. Sets membership terms at four years. Gives the Governor the authority to remove any member of the Task Force for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance. Sets out the Task Force's duties, including serving as an advisory board to the Center for Safer Schools and to assist the Center for Safer Schools in collecting and disseminating information on recommended best practices and community needs related to creating safer schools.

Deletes Section 40 of the act, which required the Office of State Human Resources to begin the implementation phase of the Statewide Compensation System Project no later than December 31, 2016. Makes conforming changes to the act's long title.

As title indicates.