North Carolina Legislative Report - June 5, 2015
June 5, 2015
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session on January 14. Lawmakers returned to Raleigh on January 28 to begin the session in earnest. The MVA Public Affairs Legislative Report on North Carolina will be distributed on a weekly basis to keep you up to date on the latest legislative issues facing the state.
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On The Floor
For legislative action lookup by day, click below:
Committees
House Commerce and Job Development Committee
The House Commerce and Job Development Committee met on Wednesday, June 3, and approved S 7, Food Stand Seating & Outdoor Food Service. The bill would a) allow a food stand to provide tables and seats for eight or fewer customers to use while eating or drinking on the premises; and b) allow pushcarts or mobile food units to prepare and serve food on the premises provided they are based from a permitted commissary or restaurant that is located on the premises of a facility containing at least 3,000 permanent seats.
House Rules Committee
The House Rules Committee met on Wednesday, June 3, and approved H 562, Amend Firearm Laws. The bill would make numerous amendments to the State’s firearms laws including the following: a) amend the exemptions to carrying a concealed weapon to allow additional government officials or employees to concealed carry at work; b) allow a person with a concealed handgun permit to carry concealed on their person within a locked vehicle on educational property; c) authorize the Commissioner of Agriculture to prohibit the carrying of firearms on the State Fairgrounds during the State Fair; d) expand the shooting range protection act to provide that shooting ranges are only subject to noise ordinances that were in effect at the time the shooting range began operation; e) modify the firearm rights restoration statute to ensure recognition of the restoration by federal law; f) eliminate some misdemeanors from the list of misdemeanor convictions that prohibit a person from obtaining a concealed handgun permit; g) authorize the use of suppressors on short-barreled rifles for hunting; h) reduce the offense of carrying a concealed handgun on private posted property from a Class 1 misdemeanor to an infraction; i) repeal the pistol purchase permit requirement effective October 1, 2021 and would make various changes to the pistol purchase permit statutes pending that repeal; j) expand statewide uniformity of firearm regulation to specifically prohibit local governments from adopting any regulation relating to taxation, manufacture, or transportation of firearms; k) require certain State officials authorized by federal law to complete certifications required by federal law for transfer of certain weapons to complete those certifications within 15 days of request; l) require a sheriff to make the request for any records concerning the mental health of an applicant for a concealed handgun permit within 15 days of receipt of the permit application and prohibit denial of the permit unless the applicant is determined to be ineligible pursuant to statute; m) amend G.S. 14-415.23, which limits local government regulation of carrying concealed handguns to allow a person to bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief against the local government for violation of the statute; n) require any written questionnaire or other written form a health care provider asks a patient to complete that contains any question regarding the patient's lawful ownership, possession, handling, storage, maintenance of, or other conduct involving firearms and ammunition to clearly and conspicuously contain or have attached to it a notice that the patient is not required to answer those questions; and o) authorize a permanent resident of the United States to obtain a North Carolina concealed handgun permit.
House Health Committee
The Committee met on Wednesday, June 3, and passed three bills. S 487, Health Choice Technical Revisions, would amend the North Carolina Health Choice insurance program. S 366, Amend Certain Reqs/ Permanency Innovation Committee would clarify that the Committee report should be submitted by February 15 and the Committee must meet twice a year. S 423, Foster Care Family Act, would create a “reasonable and prudent parent standard” that allows foster parents to make decisions for their foster children. It would also allow foster children to obtain a driver’s license and seeks to provide liability insurance to foster families. The bill received a favorable report and was referred to Judiciary III.
House Finance Committee
The House Finance Committee met on Thursday, June 4. On Thursday, the Committee approved seven bills. H 266, City of Lenoir/Satellite Annexation; H 400, Town of Mint Hill/Annexations; H 426, Town of Weldon/Deannexation; H 493 Lake Lure Deannexation/Referendum; and H 526, Town of Norwood/Deannexation are local bills dealing with the annexation or deannexation of property from municipal limits. H 192, Compliance Court Costs, would establish compliance court costs and direct the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to establish a system for the electronic payment of compliance court costs. Compliance court costs could be assessed when a person charged with certain offenses is allowed to obtain a dismissal of the offense by the district attorney upon proof of compliance. H 615, Probation Violation Court Costs, would establish a new $50 court cost charged to probationers if a court hearing occurs and the court finds a violation of probation.
In The News
Wilmington Star News: Squabbling up as N.C. Senate prepares to vote on budget
Charlotte Observer: Finally! Last segment of I-485 opens
Greensboro News & Record: McCrory talks transportation, higher ed bonds at N.C. A&T
Raleigh News & Observer: Veto override on marriage bill postponed again
WRAL: Lawmakers override McCrory veto on controversial 'ag-gag' bill
Charlotte Observer: On I-77, state would convert 2 small stretches of free lanes into toll lanes
Charlotte Observer: Sales tax bill worries some lawmakers
Calendar
| Mon, June 08, 2015 | ||
| 1:30 PM | Session Convenes (Senate) | |
| 3:00 PM | Regulatory Reform -- CORRECTED (House) Zoning/Design & Aesthetic Controls. (S25) | |
| 7:00 PM | Session Convenes (House) | |
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| 11:00 AM | Commerce (Senate) Agenda: to be determined | 1027/1128 LB |
| 11:00 AM | Sen Comm Commerce | 1027/1128 LB |
| 12:00 PM | State and Local Government -- CORRECTED (Senate) Town of Cary/Release Unneeded Easements. (H337) | 423 LOB |
| 1:00 PM | Finance -- CORRECTED (Senate) Cary Annexation. (H73) | |
| 1:00 PM | Agriculture (House) North Carolina Farm Act of 2015. (S513) | |
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| 10:00 AM | Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources (Senate) Agenda: to be determined | |