Amends GS 115C-390.2 (Discipline policies) to require governing bodies use best practices to develop and enforce discipline policies that do not discriminate against a student on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability. Removes language outlining examples of conduct not deemed to be a serious violation of a governing body's Code of Student Conduct in subsection (f). Requires governing body policies to include measures that will be taken to support students during a suspension and procedures to be followed by school officials when assigning a student to in-school suspension. Encourages school officials to consider in-school suspension over punishment removing the student from the building. Applicable to changes made to policies established prior to July 1, 2023, and new policies established on or after July 1, 2023.

Amends GS 115C-390.11(a) to include clarifying language about the applicability of subdivisions. Repeals GS 115C-390.2(j), a subsection encouraging governing bodies to include research-based behavior management programs in their safe school plans adopted under already repealed GS 115C-105.47. Repeals GS 115C-390.5(b), a subsection requiring a principal to invoke the mechanism in the safe schools plan adopted under already repealed GS 115C-105.47(b) when a student accumulates more than 10 days of short-term suspensions.

Applicable beginning with the 2023-24 school year.  

Part I.

Enacts GS 143B-139.1A allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to adopt rules to implement the Emergency Solutions Grant Program. Require the rules to be enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Amends GS 108A-41 which sets out eligibility for State-County Special Assistance, under which assistance is given to persons residing in adult care homes, special care units, and in-home living arrangements for essential care. Amends that items that are excluded when determining if a person has sufficient resources to provide a reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health, to now excluded from consideration real property contiguous with the person’s primary place of residence (was, limited to the real property contiguous with the person’s primary place of residence in which the property tax value is less than $12,000).

Amends GS 108A-47.1 to set the amount of the monthly payment to individual enrolled in the Special Assistance in-home program at 100% of the monthly payment the individual would receive if the individual resided in an adult care home and qualified for Special Assistance, no longer allowing paying a lesser amount when determined to be appropriate by the local case manager. Requires the Special Assistance policies and procedures to include the use of an assessment (was, use of a functional assessment).

Part II.

Amends Section 2 of SL 2022-52, pertaining to contracting with nonprofit grantees receiving state and federal funds, by providing that this also include grantees receiving a combination of state and federal funds. Expands upon the instances in which DHHS is required to enter into a contract agreement for at least two years to also include nonprofit grantees receiving any combination of recurring and nonrecurring funds for each year of the fiscal biennium. Amends the provisions governing an automatic contract extension when a formal contract extension or renewal process has not been completed within 10 business days after the expiration of the original contract (was, within 10 business days of the subsequent contract start date), if the specified requirements are met. Adds that when there is an automatic contract extension, the terms of the expired contract govern the relationship and obligations of the party until the earlier of the end of three-month contract extension period or until execution of a formal contract extension or renewal. Amends the time within which the Fiscal Research Division must provide the specified information for non-state entities receiving directed grants, to be within 15 days after the date of the Current Operations Appropriations Act (was, the Appropriations Act of 2022). Amends the provisions governing the reimbursable amount of overhead, as follows. Provides that for grantees, including nonprofits, that (1) are receiving financial assistance and do not have a federally approved indirect rate from a federal agency or (2) have a previously negotiated but expired rate, DHHS may allow the grantee to use the de minimis rate or 10% of modified total direct costs. Allows the grantee, in the alternative, to negotiate or waive an indirect cost rate with DHHS. Provides that if state or federal law or regulations establish a limitation on the amount of funds the grantee may use for administrative purposes, then that limit controls. Changes language throughout to refer to grantees instead of grantee/recipients. Makes additional conforming, clarifying, and technical changes. Makes organizational changes to the section.

Part III.

Amends GS 7B-1402 and GS 7B-1404 to replace references to the Division of Maternal and Child Health with the Division of Child and Family Well-Being. Also includes the Division of Child and Family Well-Being among those entities int GS 122C-1123 that are responsible for intervention and treatment in non-school based programs. Adds the Division of Child and Family Well-Being to the membership of the Rapid Response Team in GS 122C-142.2.

Part IV.

Amends GS 131D-2.11 to make the provisions that apply to annual and biennial licensure inspections of adult care homes also applicable o triennial licensure inspections. Allows the Division of Health Service Regulation to waive the required adult care home annual inspection for one year for any adult care home that has achieved the highest rating according to rules adopted by the North Carolina Medical Care Commission and allows waiving the annual inspection for two years for any adult care home that has achieved the highest rating for five consecutive years. Makes conforming deletions. Removes outdated language. Effective October 1, 2023.

Amends GS 143B-165 concerning the DHHS North Carolina Medical Care Commission (Commission), as follows. Gives the Commission the power to adopt rules (was, promulgate rules and regulations) for the construction and maintenance of public and private hospital, medical, centers, and facilities regulated under GS Chapters 131D and 131E (previously did not require that the facilities be regulated under those GS Chapters). Gives the Commission the power to adopt, amend and rescind rules as necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the individuals served by those facilities. Provides that the Commission must adopt rules establishing standards for the licensure, inspection, and operation of, and the provision of care and services by the different types of licensed hospitals. Provides that the Commission may adopt rules necessary to establish standards for the licensure, inspection, and operation of, and the provision of care and services (was, rules necessary to carry out he specified provisions) by, specified licensed facilities. Removes references to the adoption of temporary rules for the accreditation of facilities performing mammography procedures and for labs evaluating screen pap smears. Requires the Commission to adopt rules establishing standards for the provision of care and services by (in addition to the already allowed licensure, inspection, and operation of) adult care homes. Adds the requirement that the Commission adopt rules establishing standards for the following with respect to facilities used as multiunit assisted housing with service: registration and deregistration, disclosure statements, agreements for service, personnel requirements, and resident admissions and discharges. Updates internal statutory cross references. Makes additional conforming, clarifying, and technical changes.

Part V.

Amends GS 122C-115 to require, beginning on July 1, 2021, that LME/MCOs cease managing Medicaid services for recipients who are enrolled in a standard benefit plan. Makes conforming changes. Makes conforming changes to GS 108D-60. Amends GS 122C-3, setting out the definitions of terms used in GS Chapter 122C, by making organizational and technical changes. Removes the term state or local consumer advocate. Adds and defines standard benefit plan as it is defined in GS 108D-1.

Directs the Revisor of Statutes to replace Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services with Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. Makes that change in GS 143B-138.1. Also requires the Revisor of Statutes to replace MH/DD/SAS with MH/DD/SUS.

Part VI.

Amends GS 130A-125 by expanding the allowable uses of funds from the Newborn Screening Equipment Replacement and Acquisition Fund, to also allow maintaining or supporting lab instruments, equipment, and information technology systems used in the Newborn Screening Program.

Amends GS 130A-382 by expanding upon the types of individuals who may be appointed as county medical examiners to also include NC licensed dentists, physical therapists (also requires the already listed physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses to be licensed in this state), (2) pathologists’ assistants certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology;  and (3) pathologists' assistants or medicolegal death investigators certified by a nationally recognized certifying body determined by the Chief Medical Examiner to have an appropriate certification process for pathologists' assistants or medicolegal death investigators to demonstrate readiness to serve as a county medical examiner. Also requires the already listed medical technicians (now, emergency medical technicians) and paramedics to be credentialed. Adds that during a state of emergency the Chief Medical Examiner may appoint temporary county medical examiners to serve for the duration of the declared state of emergency. Requires such an appointee to have the appropriate training, education, and experience to serve as a county medical examiner during a declared state of emergency.

Part VII.

Amends the following statutes to refer to county TANF plans as being triennial instead of biennial: GS 108A-24, GS 108A-27.3, and GS 108A-27.4.

Amends GS 115C-12 which requires a document and display providing information to public school students in grades 6-12 about child abuse and neglect, by no longer requiring the information to include available resources developed under the specified statute, which included an anonymous safety tip line app.

Amends GS 110-129, which sets out and defines terms that are used in Article 9, Child Support, of GS Chapter 110 by adding and defining financial management service, internal revenue service, and offset. Amends GS 110-129.1to add to DHHS's powers and duties: (1) certify obligors to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) for the Passport Denial Program (discussed below); (2) certify to the federal OCSE determinations that an obligor in a IV-D case owes support arrears in an amount equal to or greater than the federally mandated thresholds for offset of federal income tax refunds under the specified provision depending upon whether the arrears are assigned to the State; and (3) certify obligors to the federal OSCE for the Administrative Offset Program (discussed below). Enacts new GS 110-143 requiring DHHS to participate in the federal Passport Denial Program for the denial, revocation, or limitation of an obligor's passports under the specified federal provisions. Requires DHHS to annually certify to the OSCE an obligor in a IV-D case whose support arrears exceed the federally mandated threshold. Requires OSCE to then transmit the certification to the US Department of State. Sets out items that must be included in a written notice of the certification sent to the obligor. Allows the obligor, in limited circumstances, to appeal through a contested case petition with the NC Office of Administrative Hearings. Requires notifying OCSE when the obligor's support arrears are paid in full. Enacts GS 110-144 requiring DHHS to participate in the federal Administrative Offset Program for the offset of certain federal payments. Requires DHHS to annually certify to OCSE an obligor in a IV-D case whose support arrears are (1) equal to or greater than $150 if the arrears are assigned to the State and (2) equal to or greater than $500 if the arrears are not assigned to the State. Sets out items that must be included in a written notice of the certification sent to the obligor. Allows the obligor, in limited circumstances, to appeal through a contested case petition with the NC Office of Administrative Hearings. 

Amends GS 131D-10A by adding an exemption from the required training for child welfare services staff for child welfare workers who have child welfare work experience in another state and have completed child welfare training equivalent to this State's training. Makes organizational changes to the statute.

Amends GS 143B-153 by specifying that the county department of social services or a designee of the board of county commissioners set the maximum daily rate for adult day care services, adult day health services, and associated transportation services (was, they are more generally set at the local level).

Part VIII.

Makes changes in the following statues to refer to the Division of Inclusive Employment and Independence instead of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services: GS 108A-26, GS 111-11.1, GS 122C-22, GS 131D-2.3, GS 143-545.1, GS 143-547, and GS 143-548.

Part IX.

Amends GS 90A-53 by amending the educational requirements to met for certification as a registered environmental health specialist  or registered environmental health specialist intern, to now require meeting any of the following combinations of education and practice: (1) graduated with a bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree from a program accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council; (2) graduated with a bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree and earned a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in the physical, biological, natural, life, or health sciences and has one or more years of experience in the field of environmental health practice, or (3) graduated with a bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree in public health and has one or more years of experience in the field of environmental health practice. Allows issuing a certificate to a person serving as a registered environmental health specialist intern without the person meeting the full requirements for experience for a period not to exceed two years (was, three year) from the date of initial registration, as long as the person meets the educational requirements and is in the field of environmental health practice. Effective October 1, 2023.

Part I

Amends GS 143C-8-12 (capital improvement projects from sources other than the General Fund) to allow the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) to approve expenditures for its capital project(s) if (1) the project will be funded entirely with agency receipts or federal funds and (2) any operating costs associated with the project will be paid  entirely with agency receipts or federal funds. Makes other conforming changes.  Effective July 1, 2023.

Current law (GS 75A-3) requires the owners of certain water vessels to obtain a certificate of number from the WRC (which can be for either one year or for three years) and sets forth the fee for each type of license. The WRC is also required to transfer certain amounts of these collected fees to the Navigation Channel Dredging and Aquatic Weed Fund. Amends GS 75A-3 to allow the WRC to retain $100,000 per quarter of the transferred funds for WRC-directed dredging projects, effective July 1, 2023.

Effective June 30, 2023, authorizes the use of funds appropriated by SL 2021-180 (the Appropriations Act) for the removal of high-hazard dams in the mountain region of the State for dams not categorized as high-hazard but otherwise prioritized for removal by the WRC utilizing data-driven criteria that take into account beneficial impacts on restoration of fisheries and wildlife resources; accessibility of the areas to be restored by dam removal to the public for recreational, hunting, and fishing activities; and other relevant criteria. Specifies that the funds will not revert at the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year but will remain available for expenditure until June 30, 2023.

Part II

Enacts new GS 143-254.6 requiring the WRC to do the following with respect to the design, construction, or renovation of property developments at boating access  areas, public fishing areas, and game lands of the Commission that require the estimated expenditure of non-General Fund money of $750,000 or  less: (1) conduct fee negotiations for all design contracts and supervise the letting of all construction and design projects and (2) develop procedures governing the responsibilities of the WRC to perform the duties of the Department of Administration and the Director or Office of State Construction under GS 133-1.1(d) (setting forth certain instances when a certificate of compliance with the state building code is required) and GS 143-341(3) (governing architecture and engineering). Requires WRC to use contracting standards for State capital improvement projects by the Office of State Construction of the Department of Administration.  Specifies that a contract cannot be divided to evade the monetary limit set forth above.  Bars the Department of Administration from acting as the awarding authority for any contracts issued under GS 143-254.6. Sets forth annual reporting requirements to the State Building Commission from the WRC on the following: (1) a list of projects under GS 143-254.6, (2) estimated project costs along with actual cost, (3) name of each person or business awarded a contract under the new law, (4) whether that person or business is a “minority business” or “minority person” under state law.  Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends GS 113-270.3 to add  a new special activity hunting license, “Bonus CWD Deer license,” to allow individuals with valid North Carolina hunting licenses for big game or those exempt from the hunting license requirement to take two deer of either sex in an area identified by the WRC for special management due to the presence of or potential for Chronic Wasting Disease during seasons and by methods authorized by the WRC. Sets license expiration date as June 30.  

Amends the special license provisions of GS 113-291.2 (permitting the WRC to fix hunting seasons and bag limits) as follows.  Changes the term "license" to "permit."  Deletes the requirement for a $50 application fee. Authorizes both Executive Director (ED) and the ED’s designee to issue a special permit and deer tags for hunting (currently, just the ED). Adds addressing disease management in deer populations as a reason for either the ED or their designee to issue such special permit. (Currently, licenses may be issued to achieve the property owner’s deer population goals on their property, or to correct an imbalance in deer population.) Makes conforming changes. Allows ED or their designee to define manner of take and disease testing requirements on this special hunting permit (currently, just hunt dates). Specifies that when deer are killed for whom special tags are issued, the kill must be reported using the WRC’s requirements for big game harvest reporting (currently, must report in the wildlife cooperator tagging book issued with the tags).

Amends GS 75A-13.3 by specifying that persons riding on or being towed by a personal watercraft must wear a personal flotation device approved by the US Coast Guard. (Currently, persons must be wearing a type I, type II, type III, or type V personal flotation device approved by the Coast Guard.)

Amends GS 100-2.1(c) (setting forth exceptions to requirement of approval by the North Carolina Historical Commission to move or otherwise alter a landmark) by adding an object of remembrance commemorating law enforcement officers of the WRC killed in the line of duty to the list of exceptions.

Makes clarifying changes to GS 75A-34(a) and GS 75A-41.

As title indicates, amends GS 84-34.2 (Specific statutory authority for certain fees) to permit the Council of the North Carolina State Bar to impose administrative fees on attorneys under noncompliance suspensions or participating in diversion programs offered by the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar. 

Effective October 1, 2023.

Amends GS 143B-1373 to require applications submitted for Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology grants include a listing of areas in the State that are being served with broadband access by the applicant. Requires that protests to grant applications submitted under subsection (e) include a listing of areas in the State that are being served broadband access by the protestor. Permits the Broadband Infrastructure Office in the Department of Information Technology (Office) to deny any application or protest for being incomplete, in addition to the current ground of inaccurate information. Directs the Office to distribute federal grant funds for broadband expansion in accordance with the section, GS 143B-1373.1 (Completing Access to Broadband program), or as otherwise directed by the General Assembly. No longer provides that the federal funds for expansion remain unexpended until appropriated by an act of the NCGA. Defines broadband expansion. 

Amends Section 38.5 of SL 2021-180, as amended, to include businesses, state facilities, and community anchor institutions, along with the current households, in the list of unserved and underserved locations justifying grants from the Department of Information Technology to broadband providers for the installation and provision of broadband service. Amends Section 38.4(b) to include digital equity planning and grant funds received by the Department of Information Technology in the list of appropriated federal funds that the Department may use for broadband programs.

To be summarized.

To be summarized.

Amends GS 135-3(8)f (pertaining to membership in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System [TSERS]) as follows. Amends repayment provisions to TSERS following reemployment in the six months immediately following retirement by providing the member with an option, if they are unable to make a lump-sum reimbursement payment, to elect to have the entirety of their monthly retirement benefit withheld until TSERS has recovered three times the amount of compensation earned during the six months immediately preceding following the effective date of retirement. 

Amends GS 135-4 (pertaining to creditable service for TSERS) to specify that an employee must be on approved leave of absence for provision to apply. (Currently, an employee must only be on “leave of absence.”) 

Amends GS 135-4(ff) (TSERS) and GS 128-26(v) (Local Government Retirement System) pertaining to retroactive membership services, by making technical changes to provisions governing reinstatement by voluntary settlement agreement.

Amends GS 135-5(l) (pertaining to the definition of last day of actual service under the TSERS death benefit plan) by (1) making technical changes by referring to when the “employee” has been terminated (currently, refers to termination of employment); (2) making language gender neutral; and (3) changing the phrase “participant’s employment is interrupted” to “when the member’s service is interrupted” in prong discussing interruption due to service in the Uniformed Services.

Amends GS 135-8(b)(5) (TSERS) and GS 128-26(y)(3) (Local Government Employees’ Retirement System [LGERS]) by correcting statutory cross-references.

Makes technical change to GS 128-27(e)(6) (pertaining to LGERS disability retirement). 

Amends GS 128-26(g) (pertaining to allowance for service in LGERS) to specify that a member must be on approved leave of absence for provision to apply. (Currently, a member must only be on “leave of absence.”) 

Amends GS 128-27(l) (pertaining to the definition of last day of actual service under the LGERS death benefit plan) by (1) making technical changes by referring to when the “employee” has been terminated (currently, refers to termination of employment); and (2) changing the phrase “participant’s employment is interrupted” to “when the member’s service is interrupted” in prong discussing interruption due to service in the Uniformed Services.

Amends GS 128-30(b2) (pertaining to retroactive adjustment in compensation or underreporting of compensation in LGERS) by removing statutory reference to GS 135-1(definition of average final compensation under TSERS) and replaces it with statutory reference to definition of average final compensation under LGERS (GS 128-21).

Amends GS 135-102(a) to indicate that the Disability Income Plan of North Carolina should be administered by the Department of State Treasurer and TSERS except where otherwise provided in law. (Currently, there is no reference to any exception to administration.) Amends GS 135-105(a)(4)  to remove reference to “attending physician” in short-term disability certification and replaces it with “physician.”

Amends GS 146-30 (pertaining to the application of net proceeds for State lands) by requiring the deposit of net proceeds to be, amongst other things not changed by the act, in accordance with Article 6A of GS Chapter 147 (was, required deposit of net proceeds with the State Treasurer.) Amends provisions governing net proceeds derived from the sale of land and timber and other products of land under the supervision and control of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) so that the net proceeds for land are deposited in a capital improvement account to the credit of DCAS and the net proceeds for timber and other products of land are deposited in accounts to the credit of DACS (was, net proceeds for land are deposited with the State Treasurer in a capital improvement account and for timber deposited in DACS accounts).   

Amends provisions governing net proceeds derived from the sale of park land owned or under the supervision and control of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources so that the net proceeds are deposited in a capital improvement account to the credit of the Department of Administration (was, net proceeds for park land are deposited with the State Treasurer in a capital improvement account to the credit of the Department of Administration).

Amends provisions governing net proceeds derived from the sale of land owned by the State in the Camp Butner reservation so that the net proceeds for land are deposited in a capital improvement account to the credit of the Department of Health and Human Services (was, net proceeds are deposited with the State Treasurer in a capital improvement account to the credit of the Department of Health and Human Services).

Specifies that DCAS, the Department of Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Public Safety are subject to Article 6A of Chapter 147 of the General Statutes with respect to net proceeds required to be deposited as provided by GS 146-30.

Effective January 1, 2024.

To be summarized.