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

Changes the long title.

Amends GS 90-85.15, concerning the application and examination for licensure as a pharmacist, by making the language gender neutral in subsection (a).

Currently, GS 90-85.15(c) allows the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide a criminal record check to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy (Board) for an applicant, where, after an applicant consents to the criminal record check and use of their fingerprints and other identifying information, the Board must provide the applicant's fingerprints and other identifying information to DPS, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a complete check of the applicant's criminal history. Current law also requires the Board to keep all of the information pursuant to existing subsection (c) privileged and confidential, and establishes that that information is not public record under GS Chapter 132. Current law allows DPS to charge each applicant a fee for conducting the criminal history record checks.

Deletes the existing language of subsection (c), as described above, and instead provides that the Board may require an applicant to provide the Board with a criminal record report. Establishes that all applicants are required to obtain criminal record reports from one or more reporting services designated by the Board to provide criminal record reports. Requires applicants to pay the designated reporting service for the cost of those reports.