Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

Amends the categories of buildings that are exempt from the emergency responder communication coverage requirements by removing (1) apartment buildings not exceeding 75 feet in height, constructed using wood framing, if the building has fewer than 150 dwelling units, and all dwelling units discharge directly to the exterior or to an interior corridor providing required egress that leads directly to an exterior exit; (2) buildings or structures subject to the North Carolina Residential Code; and (3) buildings with a total gross floor area of less than 12,000 square feet and containing no story below grade plane or basement areas. Retains the exclusion for apartment buildings and transient public lodging establishments, including hotels and motels, not exceeding two stories above grade plane and that provide direct exterior egress from each dwelling unit or guest room, and adds an exclusion for R-2 Apartment Buildings of Type V construction that meet egress requirements. Allows an emergency communications coverage system installed before the act’s effective date in a building or structure meeting the exemptions criteria to be discontinued according to four specified requirements (was, must not be required to be removed, but allowed the systems to be deactivated).

Adds the following new content and makes conforming changes to the act's titles.

Section 2

Amends GS 130A-50(h) to require a vacancy in a sanitary district board to be filled by the remaining members until the next election for sanitary district board members. Requires a vacancy to be filled by a resident from the same residency district as the vacating commissioner. Specifies that the provisions of (h) apply only to a sanitary district that provides water and sewer services lying wholly within a county with more than 17 municipalities lying wholly within that county.

Section 3

Amends GS 143-214.1A to require that for projects eligible for a Nationwide Permit or Regional General Permit that are not subject to (a) (setting out requirements for applications for certification under section 401 of the Clean Water Act filed for maintenance dredging projects partially funded by the Shallow draft navigation channel Dredging and Aquatic Weed Fund, projects involving the distribution or transmission of energy or fuel, and projects involving construction of an upland basin marina) that are required or elect to be covered under an Individual Water Quality Certification, that DEQ review the application according to the specified requirements. Those requirements address notification of the required fees, determining completeness of the application and providing notice of incompleteness, holding any necessary public hearings, a timeline for approval or denial of an application, issuance of a certification (which may include conditions if the proposed discharges into navigable waters subject to the Clean Water Act will comply with State water quality requirements), conditions under which a certification can be denied, and allowing a certification to be granted, denied, or waived, but prohibiting requiring withdrawal of an application. Requires DEQ, upon receiving an application for certification under section 401 of the Clean Water Act, to notify the applicant of required fees within five business days; if it fails to send the fee request within that time, the fee is waived. Effective October 1, 2025.