Bill > S445

This bill, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2026, aims to provide regulatory relief by making several changes across various sectors in North Carolina. Key provisions include repealing certain record-keeping requirements related to fisheries, extending a study deadline and moratorium on surface water transfers until August 1, 2028, and shifting Arbor Week from March to November. The bill also increases the civil penalty for water theft to up to $10,000 and adds attorneys' fees for violations related to water pipes, while also allowing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refills during qualifying emergencies, with stricter penalties for tampering with LPG systems. Furthermore, it establishes a five-year timeframe for determining the risk of discharges from noncommercial underground storage tanks (USTs) and limits further remediation requirements for low-risk discharges if not addressed within that period. In education, the bill allows students to complete surveys associated with nationally norm-referenced college admissions tests, with parental opt-out options, and modifies rules for educator preparation programs. For businesses and development, it extends the duration of site-specific vesting plans for development projects to five or eight years, allows developers more flexibility in providing performance guarantees for driveway and encroachment projects, permits local governments to delegate zoning approval authority to planning boards (specifically for Winston-Salem), mandates the allowance of residential uses in commercial zoning districts with a minimum height restriction, and requires local governments to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) with specific limitations on local government restrictions. The bill also clarifies that courts will apply a de novo review to the interpretation of state rules and regulations in administrative cases, and prohibits local governments from requiring employers to bargain with labor organizations or set wages/benefits in consultation with them. Finally, it exempts certain nonconforming on-premises signs from amortization requirements if they met specific criteria, adds the North Carolina Concealed Carry Association as an approved entity for firearm safety courses, expands the State Bureau of Investigation's (SBI) subpoena authority for electronic communication records, allows municipalities and counties to contract with third-party vendors for criminal history record checks until December 1, 2026, and expands the allowable use of PESA (Personal Education Student Account) scholarships to include services from a one-to-one classroom aide.