GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 559
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/15/25
Short Title: Make Elevators Great Again.-AB (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 31, 2025
*H559 -v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIO US FEE MODIFICATIONS TO THE STATE LABOR 2
REGULATIONS. 3
Whereas, the North Carolina Department of Labor's Elevator and Amusement Device 4
Bureau is a fully receipt-supported operation that receives no State appropriations and is currently 5
facing a backlog of over 3,000 overdue inspections and critical staffing shortages, particularly in 6
North Carolina's fast-growing urban regions; and 7
Whereas, outdated statutory fee caps have constrained the Department's ability to 8
modernize operations, attract qualified inspectors, and deliver timely inspections; and 9
Whereas, authorizing modest, common-sense fee adjustments will empower the 10
Department to eliminate the inspection backlog, raise inspector pay to market rates, and launch 11
an in-house apprenticeship program to train the next generation of safety professionals; and 12
Whereas, this Act ensures that all fee increases remain capped, transparent, and tied 13
to inflation, while keeping the Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau fully receipt-supported, 14
free from new taxpayer burdens, and operated with the accountability and efficiency of a small 15
business; and 16
Whereas, it is in North Carolina's best interest to modernize the Department in a way 17
that is accountable, fiscally responsible, and tailored to the needs of our fast-growing State; Now, 18
therefore, 19
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 20
21
PART I. FEE MODIFICATIONS 22
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 95-107 reads as rewritten: 23
"§ 95-107. Assessment and collection of fees; certificates of safe operation. 24
The assessment of the fees adopted by the Commissioner pursuant to G.S. 95-69.11, 25
95-110.5, 95-111.4 95-110.5A, 95-111.4A, and 95-120 95-120A shall be made against the owner 26
or operator of the equipment and may be collected at the time of inspection. If the fees are not 27
collected at the time of inspection, the Department must bill the owner or operator of the 28
equipment for the amount of the fee assessed for the inspection of the equipment and the amount 29
assessed is payable by the owner or operator of the equipment upon receipt of the bill. Certificates 30
of safe operation may be withheld by the Department of Labor until such time as the assessed 31
fees are collected." 32
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 95-108 reads as rewritten: 33
"§ 95-108. Disposition of fees. 34
All fees collected by the Department of Labor pursuant to G.S. 95-69.11, 95-110.5, 95-111.4 35
95-110.5A, 95-111.4A, and 95-120 95-120A shall be deposited with the State Treasurer and shall 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 559-Second Edition
be used exclusively for inspection inspection, permitting, and certification purposes. Fees 1
deposited pursuant to this section that have not been expended or encumbered at the end of the 2
fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for uses consistent with this section." 3
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 95-110.5(20) is repealed. 4
SECTION 1.(d) Article 14A of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes is amended by 5
adding a new section to read: 6
"§ 95-110.5A. Fees. 7
(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department shall charge fees not to exceed the following: 8
Special Inspection Fee – Expedited $1,000 9
Temporary Limited Certificate for Construction Use Only; Less than 10 Floors $200.00 10
Temporary Limited Certificate for Construction Use Only; 10 or More Floors $300.00 11
Reinspection Fee of Failed New and Repair/Alteration Inspections $1,000 12
Routine/Annual Elevator Inspections; Less than 10 Floors $200.00 13
Routine/Annual Elevator Inspections; 10 or More Floors $300.00 14
Routine/Annual Wheelchair Lift and Dumbwaiter Inspections $100.00 15
Routine/Annual Escalator and Moving Walk Inspections $500.00 16
(b) Upon application to the Department for a new or alteration construction permit for a 17
device subject to this section, an applicant shall submit a permit application fee. The amount of 18
the permit application fee shall be the greater of (i) two hundred dollars ($200.00) or (ii) one 19
percent (1%) of the contract price for the alteration or installation of the device being permitted. 20
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for fiscal years beginning on or 21
after July 1, 2026, the Department shall adjust the fee amounts listed in subsection (a) of this 22
section in accordance with the percent change in the annual Consumer Price Index computed by 23
the Bureau of Labor Statistics using the most recent 12-month period for which data is available. 24
The adjustment for fees under this subsection shall be rounded to the nearest dollar ($1.00), and 25
the Commissioner shall publish any increase in fees under this subsection in the North Carolina 26
Register and on the Department's website at least 60 days prior to any increase." 27
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 95-111.4(19) is repealed. 28
SECTION 1.(f) Article 14B of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes is amended by 29
adding a new section to read: 30
"§ 95-111.4A. Fees. 31
(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department shall charge fees not to exceed the following: 32
Advance Location Notice (ALN) Application Fee $25.00 33
Special Inspection Fee – Expedited $1,000 34
Amusement Major Ride Inspections $250.00 35
Amusement Return Trip Inspections $500.00 36
Holiday/Weekend Inspections $500.00 37
Kiddie Ride Inspections $100.00 38
Go Kart Inspections (per cart) $50.00 39
Go Kart Track Inspections $200.00 40
Amusement Rock Wall Inspections $100.00 41
Roller Coaster (permanent and portable) Inspections $500.00 42
Simulators $100.00 43
Bungee Trampoline Inspections $100.00 44
Water Slide Inspections $300.00 45
Train Inspections $250.00 46
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for fiscal years beginning on or 47
after July 1, 2026, the Department shall adjust the fee amounts listed in subsection (a) of this 48
section in accordance with the percent change in the annual Consumer Price Index computed by 49
the Bureau of Labor Statistics using the most recent 12-month period for which data is available. 50
The adjustment for fees under this subsection shall be rounded to the nearest dollar ($1.00), and 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 559-Second Edition Page 3
the Commissioner shall publish any increase in fees under this subsection in the North Carolina 1
Register and on the Department's website at least 60 days prior to any increase." 2
SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 95-120(9) is repealed. 3
SECTION 1.(h) Article 15 of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes is amended by 4
adding a new section to read: 5
"§ 95-120A. Fees. 6
(a) Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department shall charge fees not to exceed the following: 7
Gondolas, Chairlifts, Inclined Railroad Inspections $500.00 8
J or T Bars and Conveyors Inspections $300.00 9
Rope Tow Inspections $200.00 10
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for fiscal years beginning on or 11
after July 1, 2026, the Department shall adjust the fee amounts listed in subsection (a) of this 12
section in accordance with the percent change in the annual Consumer Price Index computed by 13
the Bureau of Labor Statistics using the most recent 12-month period for which data is available. 14
The adjustment for fees under this subsection shall be rounded to the nearest dollar ($1.00), and 15
the Commissioner shall publish any increase in fees under this subsection in the North Carolina 16
Register and on the Department's website at least 60 days prior to any increase." 17
SECTION 1.(i) The Commissioner shall publish notice of the changes in fees created 18
by this section in the North Carolina Register and on the Department's website no later than 30 19
days after the effective date of this act. 20
21
PART II. REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY MODIFICA TIONS 22
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 95-110.5(13) reads as rewritten: 23
"(13) To adopt, modify or revoke rules and regulations governing the qualifications 24
of inspectors;inspectors. The Commissioner may waive or amend the 25
American National Safety Standards from the American National Standards 26
Institute as those standards relate to the qualifications of inspectors in this 27
State if the Commissioner sets alternative standards that are reasonably 28
equivalent, as determined by the Commissioner;" 29
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 95-111.4(13) reads as rewritten: 30
"(13) To adopt, modify or revoke rules and regulations governing the qualifications 31
of inspectors. The Commissioner may waive or amend the American National 32
Safety Standards from the American National Standards Institute as those 33
standards relate to the qualifications of inspectors in this State if the 34
Commissioner sets alternative standards that are reasonably equivalent, as 35
determined by the Commissioner." 36
37
PART III. MISCELLANEOUS 38
SECTION 3. The Department of Labor (Department) shall consult with the North 39
Carolina Community College System to develop an in-house training and apprenticeship 40
program (Program) for elevator inspectors. The Department shall utilize the Program to fill 41
vacancies in receipt-supported inspector positions within the Elevator and Amusement Device 42
Division of the Department. 43
44
PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE 45
SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law. 46