HB 661: Building Industry Efficiency Act of 2025. - North Carolina

A3: ACJ-14-V-2 → Edition 1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The document changed from a House Bill amendment version to the full bill text. The amendment version focused on adding criminal prosecution authority for the State Licensing Board for General Contractors, while the full bill text includes broader building industry efficiency provisions including inspection fee restrictions, street design standards, and pedestrian facility requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single amendment about contractor violations to a comprehensive bill covering multiple building industry topics including inspection fees, street design standards for municipal and private streets, and pedestrian facility requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Added new Section 1.1 prohibiting inspection departments from charging fees or failing inspections when permit holders cancel scheduled inspections more than one business day in advance.

Added Section 1.2 limiting municipal street design standards to match North Carolina Department of Transportation standards when using non-municipal funds.

Added Section 1.3 limiting design standards for private streets to match state DOT standards, with disclosure requirements if engineered designs don't meet minimum standards.

Added Section 1.4 requiring municipalities to accept pedestrian facilities and street improvements built by developers in extraterritorial jurisdictions.

Added Section 1.5 requiring counties to seek agreements before accepting developer-built pedestrian facilities and street improvements into public road systems.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the amendment provision authorizing the State Licensing Board for General Contractors to refer violations for criminal prosecution.

TIMELINE

Changed effective dates from October 1, 2025 for the removed amendment to July 1, 2025 for the new street design and pedestrian facility sections.

A2: ABC-60-V-1 → A3: ACJ-14-V-2 · 3 edits

MINOR

The amendment was updated from version A2 to A3 with minor formatting changes and a sponsor name correction. The substantive policy content remains unchanged, as the original amendment text was removed and replaced with a different amendment entirely that authorizes the State Licensing Board for General Contractors to refer violations for criminal prosecution. This represents a significant policy shift from a warehouse construction amendment to a contractor licensing enforcement amendment.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from amending provisions related to ABC warehouse construction to adding new authority for the State Licensing Board for General Contractors to refer violations for criminal prosecution.

FISCAL

Removed amendment text regarding ABC warehouse construction and public-private partnerships for the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Warehouse facility.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new section authorizing the State Licensing Board for General Contractors to refer violations for criminal prosecution, including provisions for sharing records with law enforcement and adopting implementing rules.

TECHNICAL

Changed amendment version number from A2 to A3 and corrected sponsor name from B. Jones to Budd.

Filed → A2: ABC-60-V-1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to add a new section requiring the Alcoholic Beverage Control agency to consider public-private partnerships for constructing a new warehouse facility, with a focus on automating functions and processes. The original text of the bill, which addressed local development regulations and street construction standards, was removed entirely.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from regulating municipal and private street design standards to focusing exclusively on a specific state agency's construction project.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions related to inspection fees, municipal street design standards, private street design standards, and pedestrian facility requirements for developers.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the Alcoholic Beverage Control agency to enter into a public-private partnership for a new warehouse facility, prioritizing expedited completion and automation of functions.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the bill from a general industry efficiency act to a specific amendment targeting one state agency's construction project.

Edition 3 → Edition 4 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from Edition 3 to Edition 4 with updated committee substitute dates. The substantive legislative content remains unchanged between the two editions, with no new policy provisions, requirements, or modifications to the Building Industry Efficiency Act of 2025.

TECHNICAL

Bill version number changed from Edition 3 to Edition 4, with updated committee substitute dates (4/10/25 and 6/17/25) and engrossed date (6/18/25). The actual legislative text and policy provisions remain identical between editions.

Edition 2 → Edition 3 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill version was updated from Edition 2 to Edition 3, changing the effective date of key provisions from July 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026. The bill also renumbered sections and significantly rewrote the requirements for pedestrian facilities and street improvements in extraterritorial jurisdictions, shifting from a mandate that municipalities must accept developer-built facilities to a requirement that local governments coordinate with the Department of Transportation to assume maintenance responsibilities when facilities cannot be accepted by the state.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from applying only to municipalities to applying to all local governments, and the requirements for accepting pedestrian facilities and street improvements were substantially modified to require coordination agreements rather than automatic acceptance.

TIMELINE

The effective date for Sections 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 was changed from July 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, delaying when these provisions apply to new projects.

REQUIREMENT

Section 1.4 was rewritten to require local governments to coordinate with the Department of Transportation and enter into agreements to assume maintenance responsibilities for pedestrian facilities that cannot be accepted by the state, rather than mandating automatic acceptance of all developer-built facilities.

Section 1.5 was renumbered and rewritten to address the public street dedication and abandonment process, changing the statute reference from § 160D-1505 to § 136-96.

SCOPE

The language was changed from requiring 'municipalities' to requiring 'local governments,' expanding the applicability beyond just cities and towns to include counties and other local entities.

TECHNICAL

Bill version numbers were updated from H661-v-2 to H661-v-3, and the committee substitute date was updated from 4/10/25 to 6/17/25.

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 1 edit

MINOR

This bill was amended to add a requirement for counties seeking to require developers to build pedestrian facilities or road improvements outside project boundaries. Counties must now obtain an agreement with either the North Carolina Department of Transportation or the municipality before requiring such improvements, whereas the original version did not include this requirement.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a new procedural requirement for counties, while municipalities and other provisions remain unchanged.

REQUIREMENT

Counties must now obtain an agreement with either the North Carolina Department of Transportation or the municipality before requiring developers to construct pedestrian facilities or public road improvements outside of a construction project boundary.

Building Industry Efficiency Act of 2025.

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