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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ch. SL 2025-632025-07-07

Vote Breakdown

Plain Language Summary

This bill increases inspection fees for elevators, amusement devices, and ski lift equipment in North Carolina, and allows these fees to adjust annually based on inflation. It also authorizes the Department of Labor to develop an apprenticeship program for elevator inspectors and expands the timeframe for interim appointments to the Building Code Council and Residential Code Council.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue the fee increases are necessary because the Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau faces a backlog of over 3,000 overdue inspections and staffing shortages, particularly in growing urban areas.
• •The bill allows the Department to raise inspector salaries to competitive market rates, fund an apprenticeship program, and improve inspection timeliness—all while keeping the operation fully funded by user fees rather than taxpayer dollars.
• •The automatic inflation adjustments ensure fees stay current without requiring legislative action each year.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue that increased inspection fees will raise costs for building owners and operators who must pass these expenses to consumers or tenants.
• •Some may question whether the fee increases are reasonable or necessary, prefer alternative funding solutions, or believe the Department should operate more efficiently within existing resources.
• •The expansion of the interim appointment window for code council members (from 10 to 90 days) could be viewed as reducing legislative oversight of the appointment process.