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

Maintains the act's whereas clauses. Deletes the substantive content of the act and replaces it with the following. 

Enacts new subsection (e) to GS 90-85.15B, authorizing immunizing pharmacists to administer FDA-approved drugs and biologicals via intramuscular or subcutaneous injection to human patients 18 years or older pursuant to a specific prescription order initiated by a prescriber following an exam of the individual patient that conforms to the standards of acceptable and prevailing medical practice in the State. Requires compliance with the rules jointly adopted by the NC Board of Pharmacy and the NC Medical Board. Provides that the new subsection does not limit the ability to administer vaccinations and immunizations in accordance with existing law. Effective July 1, 2022.

Directs the NC Board of Pharmacy and the NC Medical Board to, by April 1, 2022, to: (1) implement the act's provisions; (ii) establish and maintain a list of drugs and biologicals adopted pursuant to this act, including specific protocols for each drug or biological, that pharmacists may safely administer by injection; and (iii) develop record-keeping requirements, including a requirement that the pharmacist report administration of the drugs or biologicals authorized by this act to the prescriber within 72 hours. Requires drug- and biological-specific protocols to address the essential considerations and precautions the immunizing pharmacist must take before administering the drug or biological, as specified. 

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

Revises the definitions set forth for new Article 56B, Access to Prescription Drug Benefit Cost Information, in GS Chapter 58. Modifies health care services to include procedures or services rendered by a prescriber or health care provider that meet the specified criteria (was, limited to rendering by a health care provider). Includes a health maintenance organization that prescribes drugs to individuals or groups under contracts issued or delivered in the State in the defined term payor. Replaces the definition for real time to now define the term as exchange of patient eligibility, product coverage, and benefit financials for a choice product and pharmacy and identification of coverage restrictions and alternatives when they exist, delivered immediately after product selection using electronic prescribing platforms or systems (was, defined as delivered immediately after collection). Revises the criteria for the term therapeutically equivalent alternative to include that the prescription drug uses real-time prescription benefit standards developed by an organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute.

Revises the new Article as follows. Makes technical and clarifying changes to the required electronic provision of certain information relating to prescription price transparency and patient access to prescribed medications; corrects a statutory cross-reference. Adds prescribers to the electronic health record entities involved in the process of prescribing, dispensing, paying for, and exchanging information relating to prescription drugs which must partner with intermediaries to ensure the delivery of accurate patient-specific prescription price transparency information. Now requires prescribers, alternatively to providers, to communicate to a patient the most therapeutically appropriate treatment for the patient's diagnosis and the drug cost information, therapeutically equivalent alternatives, and delivery options. Adds that a pharmacist filling a prescription for a specific biological product can substitute an interchangeable biological product only if (1) the prescriber has not indicated that the pharmacist cannot substitute an interchangeable biosimilar biological product for the prescribed biological product and (2) the FDA has determined the biological product to be substituted is interchangeable with the prescribed biological product. Changes the act's effective date to January 1, 2023 (was, July 1, 2021).

House committee substitute deletes the content of the 2nd edition and instead provides the following.

Enacts GS 115C-81.61 as follows. States legislative findings and intent. Prohibits public school units from promoting seven specified belief concepts as follows: (1) one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; (2) an individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; (3) an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex; (4) an individual's moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex; (5) an individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; (6) any individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress; and (7) the belief that the United States is a meritocracy is racist or sexist or was created by members of a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex. Defines promote to include three types of actions: (1) compelling students or school employees to affirm or profess the seven described belief concepts; (2) including the described belief concepts in educational or professional settings in a way that reasonably appears to sponsor, approve or endorse them; or (3) contracting, hiring, or engaging persons for the purpose of advocating the described belief concepts. Specifies that the statute does not prohibit constitutionally protected speech; individually accessing materials that advocate the described belief concepts for research or independent study; or stating the described belief concepts or assigning materials that incorporate such concepts for educational purposes in contexts that make clear the public school unit does not sponsor, approve, or endorse such concepts or work.

Amends the following statutes and session law to require charter schools, regional schools, laboratory schools, and renewal school systems to comply with new GS 115C-81.61: GS 115C-218.85; GS 115C-238.66; GS 116-239.8; and Section 6 of SL 2018-32.

Effective July 1, 2021. Changes the act's titles.

House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Deletes the content of the act with the exception of Section 3 concerning the restoration of a permit or license that was revoked due to ineligibility for a driving eligibility certificate. Provides that changes in this section apply to revocations resulting from notifications of ineligibility received by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) dated on or after March 1, 2020, through the section's effective date (was, applicable to revocations resulting from notifications of ineligibility received by the Division dated on or after the first day of the 2020-21 school year through the effective date of this section). Makes conforming organizational changes. 

Adds the following. Requires a person required to sign a driving eligibility certificate to issue the certificate without requiring the person to whom it is issued to be making progress toward obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent, and no school authority shall notify the DMV that a person no longer meets the requirements for a driving eligibility certificate because the person is not making progress toward obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent. Expires June 30, 2022. 

Amends the act's long title.

House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Further amends GS 20-179.3, amending the requirements and restriction set forth in subsection (g5) that a court must include in a limited driving privilege order for a person whose driver's license is revoked for an impaired driving conviction under GS 20-138.1. Now requires the court to order the designated motor vehicle equipped with a functioning ignition interlock system be set to prohibit driving with an alcohol concentration of greater than 0.02 (was 0.00). 

Further amends GS 20-19(c3), which places additional restrictions on drivers licenses which are restored following revocation pursuant to the following statutes, as applicable: GS 20-13.2(a) (revocation of a provisional license following a conviction for driving while impaired under 21); GS 20-23 (revocation following out-of-State impaired driving convictions); GS 20-23.2 (revocation following federal impaired driving convictions); GS 20-17(a)(2) (revocation for impaired driving under GS 20-138.1 or impaired driving in a commercial vehicle under GS 20-128.2 if the alcohol concentration was .06 or higher); GS 20-17(a)(1) or (9) (revocation for manslaughter, felony or misdemeanor death by vehicle, or serious injury by vehicle, when the offense involved impaired driving); GS 20-138.5(d) (permanent revocation for habitual impaired driving); or subsection (c3). Adds a new additional restriction of a license restored after certain impaired driving convictions pursuant to GS 20-17.8 requiring an ignition interlock system that the person not operate a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more at any relevant time after the driving during the period that the ignition interlock is required. 

Revises proposed GS 20-179.5 to explicitly place the cost of installation and monitoring of an ignition interlock system required by a court or the Division of Motor Vehicles (Division) pursuant to the Chapter (was Article 3) on the person ordered to install the system, collected by agreed terms with the vendor. 

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

Makes further conforming changes throughout Article 8, GS Chapter 90, which regulates chiropractic licensure, to refer to the North Carolina State Board of Chiropractic Examiners throughout (was, referred to as the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Board of Chiropractic Examiners), specifically amending the following statutes: GS 90-139; GS 90-141; GS 90-143.1; GS 90-143.2; GS 90-143.4; GS 90-144; GS 90-145; GS 90-146; GS 90-147; GS 90-148; GS 90-151; GS 90-154; GS 90-154.3; GS 90-155; and GS 90-156.

Revises the proposed changes to powers and duties of the NC State Board of Chiropractic Examiners in GS 90-142 to include establishing by rule a process to assess civil penalties pursuant to GS 90-157.4 (was, establishing a schedule and assessing such civil penalties). 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends proposed GS 20-7(q3) to no longer require the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to, at the request of a person with autism spectrum disorder, place a unique symbol on the front of the person's license. Makes conforming deletions. Now requires DMV, at the request of a person with autism spectrum disorder, to enter the designation into the electronic record of any motor vehicle registered in the same name of the person with the autism spectrum disorder.

 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends GS 143B-1200 by further revising the definition given for the term forensic medical examination to include facility fees. Makes additional technical changes. 

Adds that the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission may, of the funds appropriated to the Administrative Office of the Courts, pay up to $14,000 for 2020-21 for litigation services provided by outside council if the services were approved by the Governor under GS 147-17. Makes conforming changes to the act's long title. Makes conforming and clarifying changes to act's effective date.

 

House committee substitute amends the 1st edition as follows.

Amends the proposed exemption to GS 90-187.10 (exemptions from need for veterinary license) to now add an exemption allowing emergency medical services personnel to provide emergency medical transport or services to an injured certified search and rescue dog deployed by or contracted to work with a federal, State, or local agency or department at the scene of an emergency, in addition to an injured K-9 police unit animal at the scene of an emergency. Specifies that emergency medical dispatchers are not considered emergency medical services personnel for purposes of this exemption.

Revises proposed GS 131E-155.2 to expand the immunity granted to emergency medical services personnel providing emergency medical services to a K-9 police unit animal at the scene of an emergency to also include providing such services to an injured search and rescue dog, defined as a dog certified by any national certification organization that is deployed by or contracted to work with a federal, State, or local agency or department, and emergency medical dispatchers are not considered emergency medical services personnel. Makes conforming changes.

Makes conforming changes to the act's long title.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Deletes the proposed changes to GS 60D-703 (Zoning districts) and instead provides that if a local government establishes conditional districts, the local government must not impose conditions or standards other than the following for permit approval if the development contains affordable housing units for families or individuals with incomes below 80% of area median income: (1) height, number of stories, and size of buildings and other structures; (2) the percentage of lots that may be occupied; (3) the size of yards, courts, and other open spaces; (4) the density of population; and (5) the location and use of buildings, structures, and land (previously only prohibited local governments from imposing harmony requirements or other subjective standards in districts where multifamily housing is allowed if the development includes affordable housing).

House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.
Revises proposed GS 143B-181.1C, now more specifically directing the county board of commissioners of each county to set the maximum rates for adult day care and adult day health services funded by the county’s allocations from the Home and Community Care block grant or the State Adult Day Care Fund (previously, directed to set the maximum rates of services funded, including adult day care and adult day health services).

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

Revises the proposed changes to GS 130A-125, now requiring new conditions listed on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) be added to the Newborn Screening Program within three years (was two years) after being added to the RUSP. Adds a new requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide a report to the specified NCGA committee 18 months after a condition is added to the RUSP. Also requires DHHS to provide a report to the specified NCGA committee on the status and reason for any delay in adding an RUSP identified condition to the Newborn Screening Program exceeding three years, for every six months following the three-year delay. 

Makes conforming changes to the act's long title. 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends GS 14-401.4, which prohibits willfully removing, defacing, destroying, altering or covering over the manufacturer's serial or engine number or any other manufacturer's number or other distinguishing number or identification mark on any machine or other apparatus, including, but not limited to, farm equipment, machinery and apparatus, and prohibits placing or stamping any serial, engine, or other number or mark upon such machinery, apparatus, or equipment or possessing or giving away or disposing of such machinery, apparatus, or equipment after the serial or engine number or mark has been willfully removed, defaced, destroyed, altered, or covered up. Makes clarifying changes to the proposed changes, making it a Class H felony for violations where the machine or other apparatus (was, the farm machinery, farm equipment, or farm apparatus) was valued at $1,000 or more at the time of the offense.

House committee substitute amends the 1st edition as follows. 

Revises proposed GS 131D-10.9C, which explicitly recognizes that foster parents have the 14 identified rights. Now includes the right of the foster parent to serve as a respected member of the child welfare team and requires foster parents to honor children placed in their home (no longer qualifying that the foster parents' right applies regardless of religion, race, color, creed, gender, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, physical handicap, or sexual orientation, and that the duty to honor children placed in the home includes respecting the child's respecting their values, confidentiality, culture, religion, and sexual orientation and gender identity).

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

Revises the proposed changes to GS 143-128.1A, which governs design-build contracts. Modifies the alternative options for the statement a design-builder must include in its response to a governmental entity's request for qualifications, now referring to project team selection options instead. Allows the governmental entity to specify which one of the project team selection options must be used in the design-builder's response, or if not specified, allows for the response to consist of either of the project team selection options. Modifies the first option, which includes a list of licensed contractors, licensed subcontractors, and design professionals whom the design-builder proposed to use for the project's design and construction, to specify that the authority of the design-builder to enter into negotiated contracts with subcontractors, without bidding, whether or not on the list, includes contracting with unlicensed subcontractors. Now requires the design builder to obtain written approval from the governmental entity prior to changing key personnel listed in either project team selection option (was, required of the first option only) after the contract has been awarded. Adds a definition for key personnel based on the project team selection option, with (1) licensed contractors, licensed subcontractors and design professionals identified in the response to the request for qualifications under the first option (subsubdivision (c)(8)a.); and (2) licensed contractors and design professionals identified in the response to the request for qualifications under the second option (subsubdivision (c)(8)b.). 

Revises the proposed definition of general conditions set forth in GS 143-128.1B concerning public design-build bridging contracts. Now specifies that the examples given are included in the term, but not required to be included as previously described. No longer explicitly excludes costs of the subcontractor work. Additionally revises proposed subsection (b1) to no longer permit the design-builder to be required to disclose the costs of subcontractor work after the contract has been executed. Revises the proposed changes to subsection (c) to specify that the design criteria package cannot require the design builder to include the costs of the subcontractor work in its response (was, that the package cannot include the costs of subcontractor work).

Makes clarifying changes to proposed GS 22B-5.

House committee substitute to the 1st edition amends the act's titles.

House committee substitute deletes the content of the 1st edition and replaces it with the following. 

Enacts GS 160D-403.1 to prohibit local governments from conditioning issuance of a certificate of occupancy on the imposition in the sealed commercial plans of any additional requirement other than those required by an applicable code when plans for commercial buildings are submitted under the seal of any licensed design professional and the plans are reviewed by the local government with development authority or by a private engineering or architectural firm contracted by the local government, if authorized. 

Enacts GS 160D-407, establishing eight requirements that apply to a local government's evaluation and approval of permits related to site construction and land use permitting. Includes (1) requiring all standards or requirements for issuance of a construction permit to be in writing and based on a policy, standard procedure, or ordinance adopted or authorized by the governing body and available to the public, such as formal land-use maps, capital improvement plans, or fiscally constrained road improvement requirements; (2) requiring the governing body to adopt a written policy, standard, procedure, or ordinance designating a department to establish a schedule (subject to board approval) that must be used by the department in reviewing permit applications, including a timeline to approve or deny a complete application, which must be made publicly available and published on its website, with exceptions permitted if noted in the required quarterly report to the governing board regarding schedule compliance; and (3) authorizing a local government to establish an online permit application and review process and to require its use.

Subject to HB 489 becoming law, appropriates $20,000 from the General Fund to the NC Building Code Council for 2021-22 to be used to implement the act.

Changes the act's long title. 

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends GS 143-215.1C(b), to require the notice provided by an owner or operator of any wastewater collection or treatment works which primarily collects or treats municipal or domestic wastewater and is permittee, to require when there is a discharge of 1,000 gallons or more of untreated wastewater to require the notice to be on the website for three months (was, 12 months) from the last date of discharge.

Amends the required acts of an owner or operator of any wastewater collection or treatment works which primarily collects or treats municipal or domestic wastewater and is permittee upon discharging 15,000 gallons or more of untreated wastewater to the surface waters of the State, by removing the proposed requirement of providing notice on or with the customer's wastewater bill within 60 days following discharge. 

Deletes proposed new subsection (d) that required notice to customers by prepaid mail or email for those who opt into a discharge notification mailing list, required owners or operators subject to the notice requirements of subsection (b) to inform customers of the opportunity to sign up for an emailed notification, at least twice per year, and required maintaining records of notifications for 36 months from the date of notice. 

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

Revises the proposed new power granted to the Department of Transportation (DOT) under GS 136-18, authorizing DOT to enter into agreements with the SBI for the placement and use of automatic license plate reader systems within land or rights-of-way owned by DOT, to no longer specify that that the land must be encumbered by utility easements or extend the authority to land that is otherwise being lawfully occupied by a public utility. Additionally authorizes a public utility (was, DOT only) to relocate the system to access utilities or facilities, with liability limited to gross negligence or willful misconduct, subject to notification of the SBI. Makes technical changes. 

Makes technical changes to proposed GS 20-183.33.

Part I.

Amends GS 115C-218.1 to require an application for a charter to have the school's plans for providing transportation for any enrolled student who resides in the local school administrative unit in which the school will be located. Applies to a new or renewed charter submitted on or after July 1, 2021.

Amends GS 115C-218.40, requiring charter schools to provide transportation for any enrolled student who resides in the local school administrative unit in which the school is located (previously, required to develop a transportation plan so that transportation is not a barrier to any student residing in the unit). Eliminates the provision explicitly providing that charter schools are not required to provide transportation to any student who lives within one and one-half miles of the school. Adds that transportation must comply with policies adopted by the State Board of Education (State Board) and applicable transportation safety provisions from Article 17 (Supporting Services), including four identified statutory provisions such as the rules the State Board must adopt pursuant to GS 115C-240(c) governing construction, equipment, color, and maintenance of school buses, pupil limits on buses, and qualifications of bus drivers. Applies beginning with the 2021-23 school year.

Amends GS 115C-12, expanding the authority of the State Board to promulgate policies, rules, and regulations for the operation of a public transportation system by each charter school in the State.

Directs the State Board to adopt transportation safety requirements for charter schools consistent with Section 1 by December 31, 2021.

Part II.

Further amends GS 115C-218.1 to require an application for a charter to include the school's plan for providing food services for any enrolled student. Applies to a new or renewed charter submitted on or after July 1, 2021.

Enacts GS 115C-218.42, requiring charter schools to provide food service for any enrolled student and participate in the National School Lunch Program. Applies beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

Part III.

Amends Part I of SL 2021-7 to expand the required school extension learning recovery and enrichment program to charter schools, requiring charter schools to provide in-person instruction on specific subjects and offer enrichment activities to students in all grades K-12 offered by the charter school to address learning losses and negative impacts students have experienced due to COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year (previously, charter schools were only encouraged to implement a plan required of local school administrative units). Requires implementation within available funds, including federal funds received to respond to COVID-19. Incorporates statutory cross-references comparable for charter schools regarding identification of at-risk students, who are to be prioritized for participation in the program (reference to GS 115C-218.87, as enacted). Makes changes throughout the Part's requirements to extend relevant requirements of program implementation and employment to charter schools, including required signing bonuses and performance bonuses for teachers under the program.

Additionally, authorizes charter schools in the same manner as local school administrative units are authorized to use funds allocated to the units for reading camps for the 2020-21 fiscal year to support the operation of reading instruction for grades 1-3 in the school extension and recovery and enrichment program, but not enrichment activities. Includes charter schools in the permissible program assessments for grades K-8 made available by the State Board. Finally, makes the reporting requirements under the program applicable to charter schools.

Enacts GS 115C-218.87, directing charter schools to identify enrolled students who are at-risk for academic failure and are not successfully progressing toward grade promotion and graduation. 

Part IV.

Enacts new subsection (f1) to GS 115C-218.45 requiring charter schools which enroll a smaller percentage of qualifying students than the local school administrative unit in which the charter school is located to give enrollment priority to qualifying students until the enrollment percentage of qualifying students is equal to or greater than the enrollment percentage of qualifying students in the local school administrative unit in which the charter school is located. Defines qualifying student to mean a student who either (1) resides in a household with an income level not in excess of the amount required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, or (2) qualified as an identified student under the Common Eligibility Provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. 

Part V.

Enacts GS 115C-218.77, establishing a new requirement for charter schools which contract with a charter management organization to annually report the name of that organization to the State Board. Prohibits entering into a subcontract to avoid the statute's requirements. Directs the State Board to maintain a list of all charter management organizations in operation in the State and their affiliated charter school(s) and annually publish the list on its website. Defines charter management organization.

Amends GS 115C-218.25 to additionally subject to the the Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Law any records and meetings related to the operation of the charter school of any charter management organization that contracts with the charter school. Makes inspection of charter school personnel records of employees of the charter school, and employees who work at the charter school and are employed by any charter management organization that contracts with the charter school, subject to the personnel record privacy requirements of Article 21A. Additionally, subjects any charter management organization that contracts with the charter school to the same schedule established by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for retention and disposition of records of local school administrative units. 

Amends GS 115C-218.45, regarding charter school enrollment priority, to remove priority for children of persons employed by an education management organization.

Amends GS 115C-218.90 to no longer provide for a charter school's board of directors to contract with an education management organization as an alternative to a charter management organization to employ and provide teachers.

Part VI.

Directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to establish the Charter School Transportation Grant Pilot Program (Program) to award grant funds to a charter school meeting specified requirements for up to 65% reimbursement of the eligible student transportation costs incurred by the school, including transportation fuel, vehicle maintenance, contracted transportation services, and transportation personnel salaries. Limits eligibility to a charter school that has student enrollment in a semester of the school year of at least 50% of its students either (1) reside in households with an income level not in excess of the amount required for the student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, or (2) qualify as identified students under the Common Eligibility Provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Directs DPI to establish criteria and guidelines for the grant application process for the upcoming school year by August 1, 2021, and accept applications until December 31, 2021, for eligible transportation costs incurred during the fall semester of the school year and until May 30, 2022, for costs incurred during the spring semester. Requires award of funds by January 15, 2022, and June 15, 2022, respectively. Caps grants at $100,000. Directs DPI to report to the specified NCGA committees and division by March 15, 2022. Details required content of the report. 

Appropriates $2.5 million from the General Fund to DPI for 2021-22 to operate the Program. 

Effective July 1, 2021.

Part VII.

Further amends GS 115C-218.90, now requiring 100% of the teachers employed by the charter school or by a contracted charter management organization to hold teacher licenses (currently, at least requires 50%, with a requirement for core subject teachers to be college graduates). Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

Part VIII.

Amends GS 115C-218.85 to require charter schools to align their opening and closing dates for the school year with those for the school year of the local school administrative unit in which the charter school is located. Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

Part IX.

Amends GS 115C-218.75 to require rather than encourage charter schools to adopt a policy against bullying or harassing behavior consistent with the provisions of Article 29C and provide the policy to staff, students, and parents at the beginning of each school year. Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

Part X.

Further amends GS 115C-218.1 to require an application for a charter to include a description of the programs that implement each purpose of a charter school stated in GS 115C-218(a) (was, a description of a program that implements one or more of the purposes of GS 115C-218). 

Part IX.

Repeals GS 115C-218.3, which provides for fast-track replication of high-quality charter schools.

Part XII.

Amends GS 115C-218.110, establishing a new annual reporting requirement for charter school to report to the State Board on different and innovative teaching methods implemented by the charter school pursuant to GS 115C-218(a)(3). Additionally, regarding the State Board's annual report to the specified NCGA committee on the evaluation of charter schools, requires the report on the best practices resulting from charter school operations to include an analysis of the different and innovative teaching methods implemented by charter schools and reported by the State Board pursuant to the new reporting requirement.

Part XIII.

Amends GS 115C-218.7, deeming any enrollment growth beyond the enrollment growth outline in the charter to be a material revision of the charter that requires the State Board approval (previously, enrollment growth greater than 20% was considered a material revision for charters identified as low-performing, and 30% for charters not identified as low-performing). Now restricts State Board authority to approval of additional enrollment growth of  greater than 20% (was 30%), provided the five specified criteria are met. No longer prohibits the State Board from approving a material revision for enrollment growth of greater than 20% for a charter currently identified as low-performing.

Part XIV.

Amends GS 115C-218.75 to require charter schools which enroll all or part of grades K-3 to comply with the class size requirements of GS 115C-301. 

Part XV.

Amends GS 115C-218.15 to mandate that all board of directors members of the private nonprofit operating a charter school reside in the State (currently, allows for members to reside outside of the State, and authorizes the State Board to require a majority of the board and all officers to reside in the State).

Part XVI.

Provides that the act is effective on the date the act becomes law, except as otherwise provided.

Establishes the Opioid Abatement Fund (Fund) and directs that all funds received by the State resulting from a final consent judgement in State of North Carolina, ex rel. Joshua H. Stein, Plaintiff v. McKinsey and Company, Inc. in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, Wake County be deposited in the Fund. Provides that monies in the fund are to be used to cover the costs of investigating and pursuing the claims in this case and to remediate the harms caused to the State and its citizens by the opioid epidemic. Provides that funds deposited into the Fund do not constitute an “appropriation made by law,” as used in Article V, Section 7(1) of the North Carolina Constitution (requiring withdrawals from the State Treasury be made pursuant to an appropriations made by law). Directs that all funds in the Fund remain unspent until appropriated by the General Assembly.
Appropriates from the Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse $4 million in non-recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Directs DHHS to use the funds to establish a one-year opioid overdose prevention pilot program to educate the public on opioid use disorder and overdose prevention. Directs DHHS to study and report on the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Joint legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by March 1, 2023. Provisions of this bill directing DHHS to establish the pilot program and report on its effectiveness are effective July 1, 2021, and the remainder of the bill is effective upon becoming law.

Includes whereas clauses. Appropriates $2.9 million in non-recurring funds from the General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of State History Museums for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to create a master plan for the construction of a Museum of Western North Carolina History and Culture. Provides these funds do not revert until June 30, 2023. Effective July 1, 2021.

Appropriates $10 million in non-recurring funds from the General Fund to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) in each year of the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to be allocated to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, half of which is for natural surface and paddle trails and the other half for paved trails. Provides that funds allocated for natural surface and paddle trails may be used by the State Park System, State recreational forests, local governments, or public authorities for:
(1) Land and easement acquisition for trails,
(2) Construction of trails and trail facilities,
(3) Rehabilitation of trails and trail facilities,
(4) Design and related environmental assessments for trails and trail facilities,
(5) Meeting federal grant matching requirements, up to 50%, for natural surface and paddle trail projects.
Provides that no more than 20% of the funds allocated for natural surface and paddle trails may be allocated for trail design/environmental assessment and federal grant matching. Provides that funds allocated for paved trails must be used for paved trails and greenway projects conducted by municipalities and rural transportation planning organizations (RPO’s) located in development Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties (see GS 143B-437.08 for definition of tier 1 and tier 2 counties). Requires that the local match for these projects be $1 per every $4 of State funds. Directs that the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority will partner with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to leverage any federal funding available for paved trails/greenways.
Appropriates $3 million in non-recurring funds to DNCR for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to fund grants for trail maintenance and for signage on components of the State Trails System (STS). Directs that DNCR will enter into memorandums of agreement with local governments and non-profits receiving funds under this provision which include a three to five year trail maintenance plan.
Appropriates $100,000 in recurring funds to DNCR for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to support a STS coordinator position that will oversee of components of the STS and local trails connecting to or complementing the STS.
Directs the STS to develop a master plan for coordination between DNCR and DOT to prioritize and coordinate paved trail/greenway planning and funding in a manner that will maximize use of federal funding for paved trail/greenway construction and that will not compromise federal funding for road construction and maintenance. Directs the STS to report to the Chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources by December 1, 2022.
Appropriates $530,000 in non-recurring funding from the Highway Fund to DOT for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative. Provides that funds appropriated under this provision are available to municipalities and RPO’s located in development tier 1 and tier 2 counties. Provides eligible entities can request funding for a project’s feasibility study, which is evaluated based on community support, overall concept, and contribution to an existing or planned trail network. Requires that feasibility studies include, at minimum, recommendations for trail segment alignments, preliminary design/construction cost estimates, easement acquisition strategies, and documentation of community support. Requires a 5% match by local governments and RPO’s for funding under this provision.
Effective July 1, 2021.

Appropriates 4.68 billion in non-recurring funds from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to local school administrative units to make the following improvements:
(1) $1.18 billion allocated to make energy efficient improvements to school buildings, such as weatherizing doors/windows, insulating pipes, installing energy efficient lighting, upgrading HVAC systems, upgrading water systems, installing building management systems, upgrading plug load management systems, and upgrading electric water coolers;
(2) $2 billion allocated to install solar panels on school buildings and make necessary roof repairs related to solar panel installation; and
(3) $1.5 billion allocated to replace qualifying school buses (buses that are 10 years or older by model year and that run on motor fuel in whole or in part) with electric school buses assembled in North Carolina.
Effective July 1, 2021.

Directs the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill (Collaboratory) to study emerging energy generation sources issues and trends, including small modular reactors and their development in the United States, projected costs, technology options, production capabilities, and deployment scenarios.
Appropriates $100,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund to the UNC Board of Governors for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to the Collaboratory to implement this study.
Effective July 1, 2021.

Substantively identical to S 603, filed 4/6/21.

Includes whereas clauses.

States the NCGA's intent to use American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds for the Department of Revenue (DOR) to provide economic support to low-income families and families with employment interruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creates the Individual and Family Relief Grant Program (Program) to be administered by DOR, to provide one-time grants to eligible individuals. Defines an eligible individual as one whose application is postmarked on or before July 1, 2021, and meets all of the following: (1) the applicant has either a filing status of single and an adjusted gross income of less than $35,000 or any other filing status and an adjusted gross income of $53,000 and (2) the applicant provides a name, mailing address, and any other required information. Sets the grant amount at $1,000 for an eligible individual who received benefits from the Division of Employment Security for unemployment for at least three months during the 2020 taxable year, and $250 for any other eligible individual. Requires grants to be awarded by October 1, 2021. Sets out the process for distributing the grant funds.

The above provisions are effective when an act appropriating funds for implementation becomes effective.

Enacts new GS 105-153.11 giving a credit to a taxpayer who has one or more qualifying relatives, as determined according to Table 5 of Publication 501 of the Internal Revenue Service, in the amount of $250. Requires a nonresident or part-year resident claiming the credit to reduce the credit amount as specified. Effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021. Repeals the credit, effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

Amends GS 105-153.5 to allow a taxpayer to deduct from the taxpayer's adjusted gross income the amount of a grant from the Program paid to the taxpayer during the taxable year. This is effective when the act becomes law and is repealed for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

Substantively identical to S 512, filed 4/5/21.

Includes whereas clauses.

Enacts new GS 105-129.16K, allowing a tax credit to an eligible small business that hires an employee who is a North Carolina resident. Defines an eligible small business as a business, other than an eligible restaurant, with cumulative gross receipts from business activity for the taxable year not in excess of $1 million, that has fewer than 99 employees, and is subject to income tax. Sets out the formula for calculating the amount of the credit, which is based on whether an employee is full time or part time. 

Allows an eligible restaurant that hires a delivery driver who is a North Carolina resident a tax credit and sets out the formula for calculating the amount of the credit, based upon whether the driver is full time or part time. Defines eligible restaurant as a restaurant properly registered and licensed to do business as a restaurant in the state that is subject to income tax.

Effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, and expires for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.