Section 1.

Requires the following ten State licensing boards (the Covered Boards) that set continuing education requirements by rule to reduce the hour requirements by 50% by either reducing the hours themselves or keeping the same number of hours and doubling the time allowed to achieve those credit hours:

• Board of Landscape Architects
• Board for Licensing of Soil Scientists
• State Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors
• Board for Licensing of Geologists
• Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners
• Locksmith Licensing Board
• Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners
• Pesticide Board
• Appraisal Board
• Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board

Specifies that if the reduction of continuing education rules would invalidate an accreditation, Interstate Compact, or federal law or rule for a type of license, certification, or permit of a Covered Board, then the requirement to reduce the continuing education rules for that specific license is suspended. Directs the Covered Board to submit a report to the specified NCGA committee by October 1, 2025, indicating the invalidation or conflict under the act and a proposed legislative recommendation to reduce the requirements of continuing education rules to the maximum extent allowed without invalidating the licensure, certification, or permit.  Defines continuing education rules.

Section 2.

Reduces the continuing education (CE) requirements set by the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (GC Board) in GS 87-10.2 so that instead of having to complete eight hours of CE annually, the GC Board can determine whether the licensee will have to complete five CE hours annually or ten hours biennially. Allows for three hours of electives if the CE requirement is annual and for six hours of elective courses if the CE requirement is biennial. Reduces the amount of course hours that carry over to the next CE period from four hours to two hours. Requires the GC Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially.

Sets a compliance period if CE requirements are biennial. Sets a CE requirement of sixteen hours for licensees seeking reinstatement for more than two years after the license has gone inactive if the CE compliance period is biennial, and eight hours if the compliance period is annual. Makes conforming changes. Requires the GC Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the NC Landscape Contractors’ Licensing Board (LC Board) in GS 89D-20 so that instead of having to complete seven hours of CE annually, the GC Board can determine whether the licensee will have to complete 3.5 CE hours annually or seven hours biennially. If the biennial option is selected and annual license renewals occur during the two-year period, then requires the LC Board to make sure the licensee is making satisfactory progress towards its CE requirement during the first renewal and has completed the CE hours during the second renewal.  Requires the LC Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the LC Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the NC Irrigation Contractors’ Licensing Board (IC Board) in GS 89G-9 so that instead of having to complete ten hours of CE annually, the GC Board can determine whether the licensee will have to complete five CE hours annually or ten hours biennially. If the biennial option is selected and annual license renewals occur during the two-year period, then requires the IC Board to make sure the licensee is making satisfactory progress towards its CE requirement during the first renewal and has completed the CE hours during the second renewal. Requires the IC Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the IC Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the NC Auctioneers Commission (Commission) in GS 85B-4 so that instead of having to complete six hours of CE annually, the Commission can determine whether the licensee will have to complete three CE hours annually or six hours biennially. Requires the Commission to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the Commission to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the NC Real Estate Commission (RE Commission) in GS 93A-38.5 so that instead of having to complete eight hours of CE annually, the Commission can determine whether the licensee will have to complete four CE hours annually or eight hours biennially. Requires the RE Commission to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the RE Commission to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Grants the NC Alarms Systems Licensing Board (Licensing Board) the power in GS 74D-5 to determine whether its licensees either (1) biennially, with licensees/registrants completing at least three CE hours during each two-year renewal period, with each registrant completing at least 1.5 hours in the biennium or (2) quadrennially, with licensees completing at least six CE hours during each four-year renewal period (spanning two renewal cycles), with each registrant completing three hours in the quadrennium. Requires the Licensing Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners (Barber Board) in GS 86B-58 so that instead of laser hair practitioners having to complete ten hours of CE annually, the Barber Board can determine whether a laser hair practitioner licensee or an electrologist licensee will have to complete five CE hours annually or ten hours biennially as a requirement for licensure renewal. Requires the Barber Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Permits the Barber Board to reduce the CE requirements by rule for licensees with substantial practice experience. Requires the Barber Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners (CAEB) in GS 88B-21 so that instead of all licensees having to complete eight hours of CE annually, CAEB can opt to issue rules that either reduce the number of CE hours required annually or extend the timeline required to complete the CE requirements as follows:

1. If CAEB opts for an annual CE requirement, then (1) a teacher, esthetician, natural hair care specialist, or manicurist will complete four hours per year and (2) a cosmetologist must complete a total of 12 hours of CE for the three-year licensing cycle and may complete these hours at any time within the cosmetologist's three-year licensing cycle.
2. If CAEB opts for an extended timeframe CE requirement, then (1) a teacher must complete a total of eight CE hours over a biennium; (2) an esthetician, natural hair care specialist, or manicurist must complete a total of eight CE hours over a biennium, with at least four hours completed each year; and (3) a cosmetologist must complete a total of 24 hours of CE over a six-year period, with a minimum of four hours completed each year.

Requires CAEB to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or during an extended timeframe. Makes conforming changes. Modifies the CE hours required to revive an inactive license so that (1) if CAEB has opted for reduced hours for active licensees then authorizes CAEB to require four to 12 hours of CE for revival or (2) if CAEB has opted to extend the timeframe to complete CE hours then allows CAEB to require eight to 24 hours as described in bullet 2, above. Requires CAEB to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Board of Registration for Foresters (Foresters Board) in GS 89B-11 so the Foresters Board must opt to either reduce the CE hours per annual registration period from 12 hours to six hours or to cap the CE requirement at 12 hours over a two-year period, with compliance determined at the end of each CE cycle. Maintains current registration renewal cycle under the statute. Requires the Foresters Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially.  Requires the Foresters Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Board of CPA Examiners (CPA Board) in GS 93-12 so that instead of requiring a minimum of 20 CE hours per year and a maximum of 40 CE hours per year, the CPA Board must either: (1) set an annual CE requirement of a minimum of 10 hours per year and a maximum of 20 hours per year; or (2) set a biennial CE requirement requiring a minimum of 20 CE hours and a maximum of 40 CE hours per biennium. Requires the CPA Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the CPA Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (EC Board) in GS 87-44.1 so that the EC Board has the option to require the qualified individuals described in the statute to complete its CE requirements in 12 or 24 months. Limits the EC Board from requiring more than five CE hours per 12 months (currently limit of 10 hours per year) or more than ten hours per 24-month period, depending on the option the EC Board selects. Modifies the CE carryover provisions so that a qualified individual may carry forward not more than 50% of the required CE hours, not to exceed 2.5 for an annual cycle or five hours for a biennial cycle, to the next applicable cycle (currently, the individual may accumulate and carry forward not more than two years of the annual CE requirement). Requires the EC Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the EC Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the Well Contractors Certification Commission (WCCC) in GS 87-98.12 from two CE hours to one CE hour per year or, at WCCC’s option, a total of three CE hours over the first six years of certification. Requires WCCC to provide notice, as described, to contractors when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or over a six-year period, as described. Requires WCCC to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Reduces the CE requirements set by the NC Code Officials Qualification Board (COQB) in GS 143-151.13A so that instead of licensees having to complete six CE hours annually, COQB can opt for licensees to either (1) complete three CE hours per year or (2) complete six CE hours in a two-year period. Requires COQB to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Reduces the CE hours required to revive an inactive license for individuals whose licenses have been inactive for more than two years and who have not been employed by a city or county inspection department during that time from a cap of six hours to a cap of three hours. Reduces the CE hours required to revive an inactive license for those persons whose licenses have been inactive for more than two years and who have had such employment from three hours to 1.5 hours. Reduces the CE requirement for persons whose licenses have been inactive for two years or less from two hours to one hour. Requires COQB to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board (Home Board) in GS 143-151.64 so that instead of requiring a minimum of 12 CE hours per year and a maximum of 20 CE hours per year, the Home Board must either: (1) set an annual CE requirement of a minimum of six hours per year and a maximum of ten hours per year; or (2) set a biennial CE requirement requiring a minimum of twelve CE hours and a maximum of twenty CE hours per biennium. Requires the Home Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the Home Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above. Makes conforming changes.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Manufactured Housing Board (MH Board) in GS 143-143.11B so the MH Board must opt to either reduce the annual CE hours per annual registration period from eight hours to four hours or to cap the CE requirement at eight hours over a two-year period. Requires the MH Board to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires the MH Board to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Modifies the CE requirements set by the NC Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board (TTLB) in GS 90D-8 so that instead of licensees having to complete two hours of CE annually, TTLB can determine whether a licensee will have to complete one CE hour annually or two hours biennially. Requires the TTLB to provide notice, as described, to licensees when it determines whether CE requirements should be completed annually or biennially. Requires TTLB to adopt rules to implement the statutory changes discussed above.

Section 3.

Authorizes each occupational licensing board subject to the act to adopt or amend its rules to allow licensees to carry over continuing education or professional development hours from one compliance window to the next, provided all of the following conditions are met: (1) preservation of the 50% reduction in CE hours; (2) carryover does not allow for double counting; and (3) that any hours earned prior to the act’s effective date that are carried forward to a future compliance window are treated uniformly for all similarly situated licenses, as described.

Section 4.

Effective October 1, 2025, and applies to all applications for and renewals of licensure, certification, and permits on or after that date.