House amendments make the following changes to the 3rd edition.

Sec. 3.1 Current Operations and Expansion/Highway Fund

Amendment 1 amends funding allocations in the Highway Fund by decreasing funding for aviation by $8.7 million and increasing funding for highway maintenance by $8.7 million.

Amendment 2 amends funding allocations in the Highway Fund by increasing funding for construction by $2.5 million and decreasing funding for highway maintenance by $2.5 million.

Sec. 5.3 Intent to Provide Funding for SBI Airplane

Amendment 1 adds a new Sec. 5.3 stating the intent of the General Assembly to provide funding for a state plane to be used by the SBI.

Sec. 8.13 Virtual Charter School Changes

Amendment 16 amends Sec. 8.13 revising the eligibility requirements for virtual charter schools by restoring the withdrawal rate criteria to that already established in Sec. 8.35(c)(4) of SL 2014-100.

Amendment 21 amends Sec. 8.13 (as amended by Amendment 16) specifying that a student will not be counted in measuring a virtual charter school’s withdrawal rate when the student (1) expressed intent to be enrolled for less than the full school year prior to enrolling; (2) is withdrawn from the school; (3) is no longer eligible to attend a North Carolina public school; (4) withdraws for a family, personal, or medical reason; or (5) withdraws within the first 30 days after enrollment.

Sec. 8.21 Pilot Program to Raise the High School Dropout Age from Sixteen to Eighteen

Amendment 11 amends Sec. 8.21 by deleting the five-year timeframe for the pilot program and authorizing the pilot program to continue for subsequent school years.  Also makes conforming change to reporting deadlines.

Sec. 12A.8.(a) Revise List Of Initiatives/Competitive Grants/Nonprofit Organizations

Amendment 8 amends SL 2015-241 to decrease the 2016-17 appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Central Management and Support, from $10,653,911 to $5,315,118.

Sec. 12C.1 Child Welfare System Changes

Amendment 22 amends Sec. 12C.1 requiring the Division of Social Services to include in its statewide strategic plan for child protective services measures to ensure that Native American children are served in a culturally appropriate manner, including adoption and foster care placements.

Sec. 12C.4 Funding For Child Welfare Grant Program for State-Recognized Tribes

Amendment 22 adds new Sec. 12C.4 allocating $60,000 from the Child Welfare Program Improvement Plan Fund to the Division of Social Services to establish a grant program for State-recognized tribes to recruit foster parents, increase the number of foster homes for tribal children, and train county social services workers on culturally appropriate services for tribal children.

Sec. 12F.1.(c) Medication-Assisted Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Pilot Program

Amendment 3 clarifies that the priority for pilot program selection given to participating federally qualified health centers is for those that have received supplemental grant funds from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, for opioid use disorders.

Sec. 12F.6 Improve Controlled Substances Reporting System Access and Utilization

Amendment 8 makes a technical change to citation of section to now read Sec. 12F.6(d).

Sec. 12H.13 Study Rates Paid to Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics

Amendment 7 adds a new Sec. 12H.13 requiring the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance, to study the Medicaid and NC Health Choice rates paid to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. Specifies items that must be included in the study. The Department’s report and findings must be submitted to the House and Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittees by March 1, 2017.

Sec. 12H.13 ACOS Participating in Medicare Programs

Amendment 9 adds new Sec. 12H.13, which amends Article 3 of GS Chapter 58 by adding a new GS 58-3-5.1, which exempts from insurance regulation any accountable care organization approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in Medicare programs.  The exemption is limited to activities performed by an accountable care organization under its agreement with CMS for Medicare programs.

Sec. 12H.13 Evaluate Medicaid and NC Health Choice Behavioral Health Provider Classification

Amendment 19 adds a new Sec. 12H.13, requiring the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Medical Assistance to evaluate the classification of agencies providing behavioral health services as high categorical risk provider types and propose an evaluation tool to be used to classify the categorical risk of different categories of behavioral health agencies.  Report must be submitted to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid and NC Health Choice by December 1, 2016.

Sec. 15.4 Regional Food Commercialization Centers

Amendment 10 adds new Sec. 15.4, which decreases funding for state water and wastewater infrastructure grants by $250,000 and allocates this amount to the Department of Commerce for regional food commercialization centers.

Sec. 15.6 Extend Reporting Deadline for Broughton Hospital Study

Amendment 18 adds a new Sec. 15.6, amending SL 2014-100, by extending the final report deadline for the Broughton Hospital facility study to June 30, 2016, and designating the Department of Commerce as the lead agency for the study and site control and disposition strategies.

Part XVII-D. National Guard, Section 17 D.1

Amendment 13 adds new Sec. 17D.1, which decreases funding for National Guard armory and facility development programs by $69,000 and allocates this sum for planning of helipads at the Joint Forces headquarters in Raleigh.

Sec. 27.3 Connect NC Bond Administration

Amendment 15 adds new Sec. 27.3, requiring the Office of State Budget and Management to allocate funds from the Reserve Connect NC Bond Administration to support the North Carolina Community College System Office and State Construction Office in providing oversight and assistance for capital improvement projects funded from the Connect NC Bond.

Sec. 35.11A DOT/Moratorium On Restructuring And Outsourcing

Amendment 20 adds a new Sec. 35.11A imposing a moratorium on the Department of Transportation (DOT) eliminating filled positions or increasing outsourcing until February 1, 2017, when DOT must report on cost savings from position elimination and outsourcing to the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Transportation.

Sec. 35.17 Division of Aviation/Memorandum Of Understanding With The State Bureau Of Investigation

Amendment 1 deletes Sec. 35.17, which required the Division of Aviation to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the State Bureau of Investigation for use of a state plane.

Sec. 35.17A Reserve for General Maintenance & Secondary Road Maintenance and Improvement Fund

Amendment 1 adds new Sec. 35.17A, which increases by $4.35 million the funding for both the Reserve for General Maintenance Fund and the Secondary Road Maintenance and Improvement Fund. 

Sec. 35.19(a) Restore Funding for Small Construction Projects

Amendment 2 adds new Sec. 35.19(a) amending SL 2015-241 to provide that $2.5 million in nonrecurring funding shall be allocated each fiscal year for small transportation construction projects. Requires the appropriations for 2016-17 to the Reserve for General Maintenance and the Secondary Road Maintenance and Improvement Fund each be reduced by $1.25 million.

Sec. 36.19A Delay Statewide Compensation System Project Implementation

Amendment 6 adds a new Sec. 38.19A, which delays implementation of the Statewide Compensation System Project until no earlier than February 1, 2017.

Sec. 37.7(d) Enhance Oversight Of Certain Capital Projects

Amendment 5 deletes proposed new GS 146-29.2(g), which would have required leases and rentals of state-owned property for communications towers and equipment be approved by the Governor and Council of State.

Sec. 39.6 Appropriations Limitations And Directions Apply

Amendment 8 makes technical changes.