A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide further regulatory relief to the citizens of north carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

CLARIFY REQUESTING BOARD FOR RESIDENCY LICENSE
SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 115C‑270.20 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑270.20.  Licensure requirements.
(a)	Teacher Licenses. – The State Board shall adopt rules for the issuance of the following classes of teacher licenses, including required levels of preparation for each classification:
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(5)	Residency License or RL. – A one‑year license, renewable twice, that meets both of the following requirements:
a.	Is requested by the governing body of a public school unit and accompanied by a certification of supervision from the recognized educator preparation program in which the individual is enrolled.
b.	The individual for whom the license is requested meets all of the following requirements:
1.	Holds at least one of the following:
I.	A bachelor's degree.
II.	An advanced degree.
2.	Has either completed coursework relevant to the requested licensure area or passed the content area examination relevant to the requested licensure area that has been approved by the State Board.
3.	Is enrolled in a recognized educator preparation program.
4.	Meets all other requirements established by the State Board, including completing preservice requirements prior to teaching.
…."
SECTION 1.(b)  This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to individuals seeking licensure on or after that date.

TOLLING THE TERMS OF CHARTERS TO ALLOW TIME TO OBTAIN LAND USE APPROVALS
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑218.5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(g)	A charter school shall be entitled to automatically extend any deadline to begin operations or commence the term of its charter until the next school year if it notifies the State Board by June 30 that it is seeking land use or development approvals for its selected site or facilities or if it is challenging the denial of any requested land use or development approvals. The term of the charter issued by the State Board shall be tolled during the period of any extension or extensions issued under this section."

AUTHORIZE SANITARY DISTRICTS TO CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES
SECTION 3.  G.S. 130A‑55 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑55.  Corporate powers.
A sanitary district board shall be a body politic and corporate and may sue and be sued in matters relating to the sanitary district. Notwithstanding any limitation in the petition under G.S. 130A‑48, but subject to the provisions of G.S. 130A‑55(17)e, each sanitary district may exercise all of the powers granted to sanitary districts by this Article. In addition, the sanitary district board shall have the following powers:
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(4a)	To provide for the creation, maintenance, and operation of parks and recreation programs and facilities with all the powers provided to cities and counties in G.S. 160A‑353. However, a sanitary district may not exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire real property for parks and recreation programs or facilities.
…."

CLARIFY NC VETERINARY MEDICAL BOARD AUTHORITY TO ISSUE CERTAIN CIVIL PENALTIES
SECTION 4.(a)  G.S. 90‑187.8 reads as rewritten:
"§ 90‑187.8.  Discipline of licensees.
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(b)	The Board may impose and collect from a licensee, or a veterinary facility permittee, a civil monetary penalty of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each violation of this Article or a rule adopted under this Article. The clear proceeds of these civil penalties shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C‑457.2.
The amount of the civil penalty, up to the maximum, shall be determined upon a finding of one or more of the following factors:
(1)	The degree and extent of harm to the public health or to the health of the animal under the licensee's care.
(2)	The duration and gravity of the violation.
(3)	Whether the violation was committed willfully or intentionally or reflects a continuing pattern.
(4)	Whether the violation involved elements of fraud or deception either to the client or to the Board, or both.
(5)	The prior disciplinary record with the Board of the licensee.
(6)	Whether and the extent to which the licensee profited by the violation.
…."
SECTION 4.(b)  This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to civil penalties issued on or after that date.

STATE AUDITOR TECHNICAL CHANGE
SECTION 5.  G.S. 143C‑6‑23 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143C‑6‑23.  State grant funds: administration; oversight and reporting requirements.
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(d)	Office of State Budget Rules Must Require Uniform Administration of State Grants. – The Office of State Budget and Management shall adopt rules to ensure the uniform administration of State grants by all grantor State agencies and grantees or subgrantees. The Office of State Budget and Management shall consult with the Office of the State Auditor and the Attorney General in establishing the rules required by this subsection. The rules shall establish policies and procedures for disbursements of State grants and for State agency oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of grantees and subgrantees. The policies and procedures shall:
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(6)	Establish mandatory periodic reporting requirements for grantees and subgrantees, including methods of reporting, to provide financial and program performance information.
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CONFORMING CHANGE TO LEAD DUST STANDARDS
SECTION 6.(a)  G.S. 130A‑131.7 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑131.7.  Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Part:
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(4)	"Department" means the Department of Health and Human Services or its authorized agent.
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(7)	"Lead poisoning hazard" means any of the following:
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c.	Any concentration of lead dust that is equal to or greater than 10 micrograms per square foot on floors, 100 micrograms per square foot on interior windowsills, or 250 micrograms per square foot on vinyl miniblinds, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, or lavatories.
…."
SECTION 6.(b)  G.S. 130A‑131.9C(i), as amended by S.L. 2021‑69, reads as rewritten:
"(i)	All remediation plans shall require that the lead poisoning hazards be reduced to the following levels:
(1)	Less than 10 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on floors.
(2)	Less than 100 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on interior windowsills.
(2a)	Less than 250 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on vinyl miniblinds, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, and lavatories.
(3)	Less than 400 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on window troughs.
(4)	Less than 400 parts per million for lead in bare soil in play areas, gardens, pet sleeping areas, and areas within three feet of the residential housing unit or child‑occupied facility. Lead in bare soil in other locations of the yard shall be reduced to less than 1,200 parts per million.
(5)	Less than 10 parts per billion for lead in drinking water."
SECTION 6.(c)  This section becomes effective on December 1, 2022.

SENSITIVE PUBLIC SECURITY INFORMATION PUBLIC RECORDS CHANGES
SECTION 7.(a)  G.S. 132‑1.7 reads as rewritten:
"§ 132‑1.7.  Sensitive public security information.
(a)	Public records, as defined in G.S. 132‑1, shall not include sensitive public security information, which means any of the following:
(1)	Information containing specific details of public security plans and arrangements or the detailed plans and drawings of public buildings and infrastructure facilities, including detailed plans and drawings contained in, or capable of being produced from, information storage systems or geographic information system databases.
(2)	Plans, schedules, or other documents that include information regarding patterns or practices associated with executive protection and security.
(3)	Specific security information or detailed plans, patterns, or practices associated with prison or local confinement facilities operations.
(4)	Specific security information or detailed plans, patterns, or practices to prevent or respond to criminal, gang, or organized illegal activity.
(5)	Specific engineering, vulnerability, or detailed design information about proposed or existing critical infrastructure, whether physical or virtual, for the production, generation, transmission, or distribution of energy.

…."
SECTION 7.(b)  G.S. 130A‑304 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A‑304.  Confidential information protected.
(a)	The following information received or prepared by the Department in the course of carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this Article is confidential information and shall not be subject to disclosure under G.S. 132‑6:
(1)	Information which the Secretary determines is entitled to confidential treatment pursuant to G.S. 132‑1.2. If the Secretary determines that information received by the Department is not entitled to confidential treatment, the Secretary shall inform the person who provided the information of that determination at the time such determination is made. The Secretary may refuse to accept or may return any information that is claimed to be confidential that the Secretary determines is not entitled to confidential treatment.
(2)	Information that is confidential under any provision of federal or state law.
(3)	Information compiled in anticipation of enforcement or criminal proceedings, but only to the extent disclosure could reasonably be expected to interfere with the institution of such proceedings.
(4)	Sensitive public security information, as defined in G.S. 132‑1.7.
(b)	Confidential information may be disclosed to officers, employees, or authorized representatives of federal or state agencies if such disclosure is necessary to carry out a proper function of the Department or the requesting agency or when relevant in any proceeding under this Article.
(c)	Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section or as otherwise provided by law, any officer or employee of the State who knowingly discloses information designated as confidential under this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and shall be removed from office or discharged from employment."
SECTION 7.(c)  G.S. 143‑215.3C reads as rewritten:
"§ 143‑215.3C.  Confidential information protected.
(a)	Information obtained under this Article or Article 21A or 21B of this Chapter shall be available to the public except that, upon a showing satisfactory to the Commission by any person that information to which the Commission has access, if made public, would divulge methods or processes entitled to protection as trade secrets pursuant to G.S. 132‑1.2, or would divulge sensitive public security information, as defined in G.S. 132‑1.7, the Commission shall consider the information confidential.
(b)	Effluent data, as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations § 2.302 (1 July 1993 Edition) and emission data, as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations § 2.301 (1 July 1993 Edition) is not entitled to confidential treatment under this section.
(c)	Confidential information may be disclosed to any officer, employee, or authorized representative of any federal or state agency if disclosure is necessary to carry out a proper function of the Department or other agency or when relevant in any proceeding under this Article or Article 21A or Article 21B of this Chapter.
(d)	The Commission shall provide for adequate notice to any person who submits information of any decision that the information is not entitled to confidential treatment and of any decision to release information that the person who submits the information contends is entitled to confidential treatment. Any person who requests information and any person who submits information who is dissatisfied with a decision of the Commission to withhold or release information may request a declaratory ruling from the Commission under G.S. 150B‑4 within 10 days after the Commission notifies the person of its decision. The information may not be released by the Commission until the Commission issues a declaratory ruling or, if judicial review of the final agency decision is sought by any party, the information may not be released by the Commission until a final judicial determination has been made."

EXEMPT OFF‑FRAME MODULAR HOMES FROM CERTAIN DESIGN ELEMENTS REQUIRED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA BUILDING CODE
SECTION 9.  G.S. 143‑139.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143‑139.1.  Certification of manufactured buildings, structures or components by recognized independent testing laboratory; minimum standards for single‑family, on‑frame modular homes.
(a)	Certification. – The State Building Code may provide, in circumstances deemed appropriate by the Building Code Council, for testing, evaluation, inspection, and certification of buildings, structures or components manufactured off the site on which they are to be erected, by a recognized independent testing laboratory having follow‑up inspection services approved by the Building Code Council. Approval of such buildings, structures or components shall be evidenced by labels or seals acceptable to the Council. All building units, structures or components bearing such labels or seals shall be deemed to meet the requirements of the State Building Code and this Article without further inspection or payment of fees, except as may be required for the enforcement of the Code relative to the connection of units and components and enforcement of local ordinances governing zoning, utility connections, and foundations permits. The Building Code Council shall adopt and may amend from time to time such reasonable and appropriate rules and regulations as it deems necessary for approval of agencies offering such testing, evaluation, inspection, and certification services and for overseeing their operations. Such rules and regulations shall include provisions to insure that such agencies are independent and free of any potential conflicts of interest which might influence their judgment in exercising their functions under the Code. Such rules and regulations may include a schedule of reasonable fees to cover administrative expenses in approving and overseeing operations of such agencies and may require the posting of a bond or other security satisfactory to the Council guaranteeing faithful performance of duties under the Code.
The Building Code Council may also adopt rules to insure that any person that is not licensed, in accordance with G.S. 87‑1, and that undertakes to erect a North Carolina labeled manufactured modular building, meets the manufacturer's installation instructions and applicable provisions of the State Building Code. Any such person, before securing a permit to erect a modular building, shall provide the code enforcement official proof that he has in force for each modular building to be erected a $5,000 surety bond insuring compliance with the regulations of the State Building Code governing installation of modular buildings.
(b)	Minimum Standards for Single‑Family, On‑Frame Modular Homes. – To qualify for a label or seal under subsection (a) of this section, a single‑family, on‑frame modular home must meet or exceed the following construction and design standards:
(1)	Roof pitch. – For homes with a single predominant roofline, the pitch of the roof shall be no less than five feet rise for every 12 feet of run.
(2)	Eave projection. – The eave projections of the roof shall be no less than 10 inches, which may not include a gutter around the perimeter of the home, unless the roof pitch is 8/12 or greater.
(3)	Exterior wall. – The minimum height of the exterior wall shall be at least seven feet six inches for the first story.
(4)	Siding and roofing materials. – The materials and texture for the exterior materials shall be compatible in composition, appearance, and durability to the exterior materials commonly used in standard residential construction.
(5)	Foundations. – The home shall be designed to require foundation supports around the perimeter. The supports may be in the form of piers, pier and curtain wall, piling foundations, a perimeter wall, or other approved perimeter supports."

EXTEND DEADLINE FOR SMALL MUNICIPALITIES TO ADOPT COMPREHENSIVE LAND‑USE PLANS
SECTION 10.  Section 2.9(c) of S.L. 2019‑111 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 2.9.(c)  Any local government that has adopted zoning regulations but that has not adopted a comprehensive plan shall adopt such plan no later than July 1, 2022, in order to retain the authority to adopt and apply zoning regulations, except that municipalities with a population of 1,500 or less according to the most recent federal decennial census shall adopt such plan no later than July 1, 2023."

EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 12.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.