A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to create the Commercial Poultry House Fire Code Legislative Study Commission.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Commission Created. – There is created the Commercial Poultry House Fire Code Legislative Study Commission ("Commission").  The Commission shall consist of 12 voting members appointed as follows:
(1)	Four members appointed by the Governor, to include:
a.	One person who is a farmer engaged in the production of chickens.
b.	One person who is a representative of the State Building Codes Council.
c.	Two members of the general public.
(2)	Four members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	Three members of the Senate.
b.	One member of the general public.
(3)	Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	Three members of the House of Representatives.
b.	One member of the general public.
SECTION 2.(a)  Purposes. – The Commission shall do the following:
(1)	Study the applicability, feasibility, and cost‑effectiveness of current requirements for fire ratings, inspections, and fire flow under both the North Carolina Fire Code and under guidelines of the Insurance Services Office. For purposes of this section "North Carolina Fire Code" means the 2006 International Fire Code with 2009 North Carolina Amendments adopted by the State Building Code Council.
(2)	Study any other matters that the Commission deems relevant.
(3)	Make an interim report to the General Assembly by the convening of the 2012 Regular Session of the 2011 General Assembly.
(4)	Make a final report to the 2013 General Assembly that includes findings, recommendations, and legislative proposals relating to fire codes for commercial poultry houses.
SECTION 2.(b)  Termination. – The Commission shall terminate upon filing its final report.
SECTION 2.(c)  Committee Operations. – The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each appoint a cochair for the Commission. The Commission may contract for consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. Upon approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist in the work of the Commission. Clerical staff shall be furnished to the Commission through the offices of the House of Representatives and the Senate Directors of Legislative Assistants. The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building upon the approval of the Legislative Services Commission. Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances at the rate established in G.S. 120‑3.1. The appointing authority shall fill vacancies. The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under the provisions of G.S. 120‑19 through G.S. 120‑19.4, including the power to request all officers, agents, agencies, and departments of the State to provide any information, data, or documents within their possession, ascertainable from their records, or otherwise available to them and the power to subpoena witnesses.
SECTION 3.  Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2011‑2012 fiscal year and the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2012‑2013 fiscal year to fund the work of the Commercial Poultry House Fire Code Legislative Study Commission created by this act.
SECTION 4.  Effective Date. – This act becomes effective July 1, 2011.