A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Promote local sawmills by allowing the use of ungraded lumber in certain circumstances.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this act:
(1)	Dimension lumber. – Lumber that has not been grade‑stamped under the authority of a lumber grading bureau.
(2)	Local mill certification. – A written certification that lumber meets the requirements of the North Carolina Residential Code for One‑ and Two‑Family Dwellings issued by the person who milled the lumber or that person's authorized representative.
SECTION 1.(b)  The North Carolina Building Code Council shall amend the North Carolina Residential Code for One‑ and Two‑Family Dwellings in order to permit dimension lumber that has not been grade‑stamped under the authority of a lumber grading bureau to be used in the construction of one‑ and two‑family dwellings, when that use meets all of the following requirements:
(1)	The lumber is sold directly by the owner or employee of the sawmill that milled the lumber to the owner of the dwelling to be constructed, or that person's authorized representative.
(2)	The dimension lumber meets or exceeds the requirements of the North Carolina Residential Code for One‑ and Two‑Family Dwellings other than the requirements that only grade‑stamped lumber be used in residential construction.
(3)	The sawmill supplying the dimension lumber provides a local mill certification, of a form and contents that the Building Code Council may specify, to the owner of the dwelling to be constructed, or that person's authorized representative.
(4)	The appropriate code enforcement official reviews the framing of the dwelling to ensure that it meets the requirements of the North Carolina Residential Code for One‑ and Two‑Family Dwellings in all respects other than the requirements that only grade‑stamped lumber be used in residential construction. The code enforcement official shall not be liable for any structural failure that occurs as a result of the use of dimension lumber rather than grade‑stamped lumber.
SECTION 1.(c)  The Building Code Council may issue temporary rules to implement the requirements of this act.
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and expires when the Building Code Council has issued permanent rules substantially similar to Section 1 of this act.