AN ACT to allow public schools to use an additional three days of remote instruction for EXCESS EMERGENCIES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑84.3 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑84.3.  Remote instruction.

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(b)        A public school unit in a county that has received a good cause waiver, as provided in G.S. 115C‑84.2(d), for the school year may use up to 15 remote instruction days or 90 remote instruction hours when schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations and may use that time towards the required instructional days or hours for the school calendar.

(b1)      All other public school units may use not operating under a good cause waiver may:

(1)        Use up to five remote instruction days or 30 remote instruction hours when schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergency situations and may use that time towards the required instructional days or hours for the school calendar.

(2)        If a public school unit has used all remote instruction time allowed under subdivision (1) of this subsection, and the public school unit then experiences another emergency or is still experiencing an ongoing emergency, then the school may use up to an additional three remote instruction days or 15 remote instruction hours. A public school unit using additional remote instruction time shall comply with the reporting requirements of subdivision (d)(8) of this section.

(c)        Except as provided in Part 7 of Article 14A or Part 3A of Article 16 of this Chapter or subsection (b) or (b1) of this section, a public school unit shall not use remote instruction to satisfy the minimum required number of instructional days or hours for the school calendar.

(d)       A governing board that chooses to use remote instruction as provided in subsection (b) of this section shall submit to the State Board, by July 1 annually, a remote instruction plan that provides a detailed framework for delivering quality remote instruction to students for the upcoming school year and information on the number of remote instruction days or hours used in the prior school year to satisfy instructional requirements, when applicable. At a minimum, the plans submitted by governing boards shall include the following:

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(8)        For the prior school year, all of the following:

a.         The total number of remote instruction days or hours used.

b.         The number of additional remote instruction days or hours used pursuant to subdivision (b1)(2) of this section and a description of the emergency requiring the use of the additional remote instruction time.

c.         For any remote instruction time used, whether the school deviated from the remote instruction plan submitted for that school year and, if so, how.

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SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026‑2027 fiscal year for increased administrative costs and providing technical assistance associated with enforcing this act.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies beginning with the 2026‑2027 school year.