Amends GS 130A-383 to specify a county medical examiner's jurisdiction includes the death of any person resulting from motor vehicle crash in their respective county. Such jurisdiction requires that the appropriate medical examiner be notified by a physician in attendance, hospital employee, law-enforcement officer, funeral home employee, emergency medical technician, relative, or any other person having suspicion of such a death, and that the body not be disturbed at the scene of death until authorized by the appropriate medical examiner, with a limited exception for law enforcement as specified in existing law. 

Amends GS 130A-385 to include death by motor vehicle crash as an external cause of death to be included on the certificate of death completed by the medical examiner, if appropriate. Makes clarifying changes.

Applies to all deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2021. 

Amends GS 15A-534 to no longer mandate judicial officials to require a defendant to execute a secured appearance bond when imposing house arrest with electronic monitoring as a condition of pretrial release. Additionally, no longer mandates a judicial official to require a defendant who has failed to appear on one or more prior occasions to answer the charge(s) to which pretrial conditions apply to execute a secured appearance bond in an amount at least double the amount of the most recent previous secured or unsecured bond, or $1,000 if no bond has been required of the charges. Instead, requires the judicial official to impose conditions of pretrial release provided by the statute, which includes imposing restrictions on travel, associations, conduct, or place of abode of the defendant. Effective December 1, 2021, and applies to conditions of pretrial release imposed on or after that date.

Section 1

Amends GS 96-14.15, which provides for unemployment benefits payable in response to the coronavirus emergency, including eliminating the waiting week and work-search requirements, allowing employers to attach claims, and not charging such benefits paid to the account of any base period employer of the individual. Makes clarifying changes to subsection (b) to specify that the exceptions allowed apply only to claims and benefits payable in response to the coronavirus emergency defined in subsection (a). Changes the sunset of the act to now apply to employment benefits filed for period beginning on or after March 10, 2020, and expiring for unemployment benefits filed for period beginning on or after the earlier of the date the Governor signs an order rescinding Executive Order No. 116, or December 31, 2021 (was December 31, 2020).

In determining whether the State is in an extended benefits period from November 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, directs that the State disregard the prohibition of GS 96-14.14(b)(3) that bars an extended period from beginning before the fourteenth week following the end of a prior extended period which was in effect with respect to the State, thereby permitting back to back extended benefit periods with no waiting period.

Formally elects the option by which the State will coordinate the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (PEUC) and regular unemployment compensation program for individuals meeting four criteria specified in the identified December 31, 2020, Department of Labor Letter. Elects option one for the State to require exhaustion of certain PEUC claims prior to payment of new regular unemployment compensation claims for individuals whose benefit year has expired and must file a regular unemployment initial claim.

Sets the base contribution rate for an experienced-rated employer at 1.9% for the 2021 calendar year.

Section 2

Amends GS 96-14.14 to specify that extended benefits payable under GS 96-14.14(b)(5)c., which set unemployment thresholds that trigger an "on indicator" for extended benefits in the State for a certain week, are not required under federal law and can be paid only if 100% federally funded (previously, only covered extended benefits payable under GS 96-14.14(b)(5)b., which sets a percentage unemployment over a time period that triggers an "on indicator" for extended benefits in the State for a certain week).

Section 3

Amends GS 96-14 to require reduction of partial unemployment weekly benefit amounts by the amount of any wages earned by the individual (rather than by the amount of any wages the individual receives) during the benefit week in excess of 20% of the benefit amount applicable to total unemployment. 

Sections 4 and 5

Makes a technical correction to GS 96-15. Further amends the statute to consistently refer to rules adopted by the Division of Employment Security (DES) concerning disputed claims.

Section 6

Further amends GS 96-15 to make the Board of Review's decision of an appealed claim final upon the earlier of 30 days after the date of notification or mailing of the decision, unless judicial review is sought (previously, the general rule made decisions final 30 days after the date of mailing unless judicial review was sought). Specifies that DES must furnish the names and address of the parties as found in DES records upon request of the petitioner seeking judicial review (previously did not specify that the party names and addresses must be found in DES records). Applies to decisions made on or after June 1, 2021.

Establishes the 23-member Joint Legislative Study Committee on Uniform Pretrial Release Procedures (Committee) to study and develop recommendations for: (1) uniform statewide standards and procedures regarding pretrial release programs; (2) uniform statewide standards and procedures for the treatment of criminal defendants that have failed to appear in court or have failed to comply with a judgment that ordered the payment of monies; (3) uniform statewide standards and procedures for conditions of pretrial release imposed upon criminal defendants that have been arrested for a crime for which there is no possibility of jail time, whether due to the crime charged or the defendant's prior criminal history; and (4) uniform statewide procedures and cost estimates for a house arrest and electronic monitoring program funded entirely by the State. Sets out membership requirements of the Committee, including appointment authority. Allows the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to each appoint a co-chair. Provides for a quorum, staffing, meeting space, Committee powers, and the filling of vacancies. Allows the Committee to make an interim report to the specified NCGA Committee by April 1, 2022, and requires a final report by December 1, 2022. Terminates the Committee upon the earlier of December 1, 2022, or the filing of the final report.

Identical to S 78, filed 2/10/21.

Includes whereas clauses. Mandates that all public school units provide the option of in-person instruction to K-12 students of their unit for the remainder of the scheduled 2020-21 school year beginning no later than the first weekday that occurs 21 days following the date the act becomes law. Defines in-person instruction to require meal service and transportation services. Details criteria for the provision of in-person instruction, including compliance with the most current guidance in the Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit for implementation of Plan A (Minimal Social Distancing) and Plan B (Moderate Social Distancing) as appropriate for reopening. Requires instruction under Plan A or Plan B to all elementary school students (grades K-5), including those with an individualized education program or a section 504 plan, with the governing board determining whether in-person instruction under Plan A, Plan B, or both Plans is appropriate. Requires the use of Plan B for all middle and high school students in 6-12, including those with an individuated education program or a section 504 plan. Authorizes the governing board to provide in-person instruction under Plan A, Plan B, or both Plans to grades 6-12 students if the Department of Health and Human Services issues guidance for those students to return to school under Plan A. Requires inclusion of a remote instruction option for a student's parent or guardian to elect for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year to be available for all students.

Requires provision of in-person instruction and related services to students with an individualized education program in accordance with the student's program or 504 plan. Encourages local boards to prioritize daily in-person instruction to certain at-risk students, including students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms, as defined, students with excessive absenteeism, and students who are identified as at risk for academic failure. 

Grants governing boards of education flexibility in school assignments to comply with Plan requirements and ensure efficiency in use of resources, and day-to-day shifts from in-person instruction to remote instruction due to COVID-19 exposures resulting in insufficient school personnel or required student quarantines. Requires a local board to report any shift by a school or classroom to remote instruction to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) within 72 hours of the shift.

Encourages governing boards to coordinate with local health departments and vaccine providers to facilitate scheduling COVID-19 vaccination events for frontline K-12 school-based employees. 

Directs the Department of Public Instruction to coordinate with DHHS to examine the impacts of reopening schools in the various Plans and report to the specified NCGA committee by June 15, 2021. 

Appropriates $250,000 in nonrecurring funds for 2021-22 from the General Fund to Surry Medical Ministries Foundation, Inc., to be used to support the organization's mission. Effective July 1, 2021.