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

Changes the long title. 

Amends language that previously directed the State Board of Education to transfer $100,000 to the Office of Administrative Hearings so that the Rules Review Commission can pay for litigation costs associated with the defense of the North Carolina State Board of Education v. The State of North Carolina filed November 7, 2014, now directing the Department of Public Instruction to allocate funds for the above transfer out of the funds appropriated to it for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Makes technical changes. 

Amends GS 89C-3 concerning the definition of  the practice of engineering, adding language providing that the term does not include the development of an Emergency Action Plan pursuant to GS 143-215.31. Amends SL 2014-22 concerning coal ash management, clarifying that Emergency Action Plans for high hazard dams and intermediate hazard dams not associated with coal combustion residuals surface impoundments must be submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Safety no later than December 31, 2015 (previously, required Emergency Action Plans for all high hazard dams and intermediate hazard dams to be submitted no later than March 1, 2015). Adds clarifying language that provides that only Emergency Action Plans for high hazard dams and intermediate hazard dams associated with coal combustion residuals surface impoundments must be submitted no later than March 1, 2015. Effective retroactively to September 20, 2014.

Amends GS 143B-431.01(d)(2)(c) to provide that state officers are allowed to serve on boards of North Carolina nonprofits that are contracted with or desire to contract with the NC Department of Commerce for the fostering and retaining of jobs and business development (previously, state officers could not serve on the nonprofit boards that seek or have such contracts with the Department of Commerce). 

Provides that the $2 million allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Central Management and Support for the health information exchange for fiscal year 2014-15, is nonrecurring. Further provides that the $2 million can only be used for the purposes expressly authorized in SL 2014-100. Amends SL 2014-100, deleting intent language of the General Assembly regarding the funding of the North Carolina Health Information Exchange (NC HIE). Further provides that from the nonrecurring $2 million, DHHS and the State Chief Information Officer (SCIO) will allocate to the NC HIE an amount reasonably necessary to fund the specified monthly expenses incurred from February 1, 2015, to June 30 2015, including costs for software vendor maintenance, hosting, and licensing; NC HIE payroll costs; and contract labor costs. Provides that none of the above allocated funds can be used for such expenses that were incurred before February 1, 2015. Provides that the nonrecurring funds can also be used to make debt payments on behalf of the NC HIE which are determined by DHHS and the SCIO to be reasonably necessary to sustain operations of the software vendor, and to fund the following, specified assessment. By May 1, 2015, DHHS must submit, to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight committees on Health and Human Services and Information Technology, and the Fiscal Research Division an assessment of the existing functionality, structure, and operation of the NC HIE Network, as specified. DHHS must also submit a report on all state appropriations allocated to or on behalf of the NC HIE. Makes technical and conforming changes, deleting the report required on March 1, 2015. Directs DHHS, in conjunction with the Office of the SCIO and the North Carolina Government Data Analytics Center to submit the following to the Joint Legislative Oversight committees on Health and Human Services and Information Technology: (1) an assessment of the best business model and operational structure for administering a statewide health information exchange network and (2) a recommendation as to whether the NC HIE should continue to oversee and administer the NC HIE Network. Effective when this bill becomes law or June 30, 2015, whichever is earlier.