AN ACT TO CREATE A STATE BUILDING CODE PERMIT TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 143‑151.12 reads as rewritten:

§ 143‑151.12.  Powers.

In addition to powers conferred upon the Board elsewhere in this Article, the Board shall have the power to:

(1)        Adopt rules necessary to administer this Article;

(1a)      Require State agencies, local inspection departments, and local governing bodies to submit reports and information about the employment, education, and training of Code‑enforcement officials;

(2)        Establish minimum standards for employment as a Code‑enforcement official: (i) in probationary or temporary status, and (ii) in permanent positions;

(3)        Certify persons as being qualified under the provisions of this Article to be Code‑enforcement officials, including persons employed by a federally recognized Indian Tribe to perform inspections on tribal lands under G.S. 153A‑350.1;

(3a)      Certify persons as being qualified under the provisions of G.S. 143‑151.22 to be State Building Code Permit Technicians;

(4)        Consult and cooperate with counties, municipalities, agencies of this State, other governmental agencies, and with universities, colleges, junior colleges, community colleges and other institutions concerning the development of Code‑enforcement training schools and programs or courses of instruction;

(5)        Establish minimum standards and levels of education or equivalent experience for all Code‑enforcement instructors, teachers or professors;

(6)        Conduct and encourage research by public and private agencies which shall be designed to improve education and training in the administration of Code enforcement;

(7)        Adopt and amend bylaws, consistent with law, for its internal management and control; appoint such advisory committees as it may deem necessary; and enter into contracts and do such other things as may be necessary and incidental to the exercise of its authority pursuant to this Article; and,

(8)        Make recommendations concerning any matters within its purview pursuant to this Article; [and]

(9)        Establish within the Department of Insurance a marketplace pool of qualified Code‑enforcement officials available for the following purposes:

a.         When requested by the Insurance Commissioner, to assist in the discharge of the Commissioner's duty under G.S. 143‑139 to supervise, administer, and enforce the North Carolina State Building Code.

b.         When requested by local inspection departments, to assist in Code enforcement.

SECTION 2.  Article 9C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 143‑151.22.  State Building Code Permit Technician; certification program; professional development requirements; renewal of certificates; fees; exam waivers.

(a)        State Building Code Permit Technician Certification Program. – The Board shall develop a State Building Code Permit Technician certification program and State Building Code Permit Technician Certificate. To obtain a certificate, a person must pass an examination, as prescribed by the Board, that is based on the North Carolina State Building Code, administrative procedures applicable to permit administration, and relevant topics in support of Code‑enforcement officials and local inspection departments. The Board may issue a certificate to each person who successfully completes the examination. The certificate shall bear the signatures of the chairman and secretary of the Board.

(b)        Professional Development Standards for Renewal. – The Board may establish professional development requirements for State Building Code Permit Technicians as a condition of the renewal of their certificates. The purpose of these professional development requirements is to assist in maintaining professional competence. A certificate holder subject to this section shall present evidence to the Board at each certificate renewal after initial certification that during the 12 months before the certificate expiration date, the certificate holder has completed the required number of credit hours in courses approved by the Board. Annual continuing education hour requirements shall be determined by the Board but shall not be more than three credit hours. The Board may, for good cause shown, grant extensions of time to certificate holders to comply with these requirements.

(c)        Renewal Application. – A State Building Code Permit Technician certificate must be renewed annually on or before the first day of July.

(d)       Fee Authorization. – The Board shall establish a schedule of fees to be paid by each applicant for initial certification and renewal certification as a State Building Code Permit Technician. A fee of not more than twenty dollars ($20.00), as determined by the Board, must be paid by any applicant to the Board for the issuance of an initial certification. A fee of not more than ten dollars ($10.00), as determined by the Board, must be paid by any applicant to the Board for the issuance of a renewal certification. The Board is authorized to charge an extra four dollar ($4.00) late renewal fee for renewals made after the first day of July each year.

(e)        Qualified Code‑Enforcement Official Exam Waiver. – The Board shall, without requiring an examination, grant a certificate pursuant to this section to any person who, at the time of application, possesses a Building Inspector standard certificate issued by the Board and who is in good standing. The Board may assess a fee for a certificate issued pursuant to this subsection, to the extent authorized by subsection (d) of this section for an initial certification.

(f)        Comity. – The Board may, without requiring an examination, grant a certificate pursuant to this section to any person who, at the time of application, is similarly certified as a permit technician in good standing by a similar board of another jurisdiction or certified as a permit technician in good standing by the International Code Council, where standards are acceptable to the Board. The certificate granted under this subsection shall expire after one year unless, within that time period, the holder completes a short course, as prescribed by the Board, based on the North Carolina State Building Code and administrative procedures described in subsection (a) of this section. The Board may assess a fee for a certificate issued pursuant to this subsection, to the extent authorized by subsection (d) of this section for an initial certification.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.