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North Carolina House Bill H768

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H768 Compare Versions

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11 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
22 SESSION 2025
3-H 2
3+H 1
44 HOUSE BILL 768
5-Committee Substitute Favorable 4/17/25
65
7-Short Title: Clarify Emerg. Comm. Exemptions/Fire Code. (Public)
8-Sponsors:
9-Referred to:
6+
7+Short Title: Clarify Radio Coverage Exemptions/Bldg Code. (Public)
8+Sponsors: Representatives Brody, Cotham, Zenger, and Winslow (Primary Sponsors).
9+For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10+Referred to: Housing and Development, if favorable, Emergency Management and Disaster
11+Recovery, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
1012 April 7, 2025
11-*H768 -v-2*
13+*H768 -v-1*
1214 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
1315 AN ACT TO DIRECT THE NORTH CAROLINA BUILDING CODE COUNCIL TO ADOPT 2
14-RULES TO AMEND THE S TATE BUILDING CODE A ND STATE FIRE CODE TO 3
15-CLARIFY EXEMPTIONS F ROM IN-BUILDING EMER GENCY RESPONDER 4
16-COMMUNICATION COVERA GE REQUIREMENTS. 5
16+RULES TO AMEND THE STATE BUILDING CODE AND STATE FIRE PREVENTION 3
17+CODE TO CLARIFY EXEM PTIONS FROM IN -BUILDING EMERGENCY 4
18+RESPONDER RADIO COVE RAGE REQUIREMENTS. 5
1719 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
1820 SECTION 1.(a) Definitions. – For purposes of this section, the following are 7
1921 defined: 8
2022 (1) Code. – The North Carolina State Building Code collection, including the 9
21-North Carolina Fire Code, and amendments thereto, as adopted by the 10
22-Council. 11
23+North Carolina Fire Prevention Code, and amendments thereto, as adopted by 10
24+the Council. 11
2325 (2) Council. – The North Carolina Building Code Council. 12
24-(3) Emergency responder communication coverage requirements. – The 13
25-requirements for in-building emergency responder communications coverage 14
26-systems specified under Section 510 of the North Carolina Fire Code. 15
26+(3) Emergency responder radio coverage requirements. – The requirements for 13
27+in-building emergency responder communications enhancement systems 14
28+specified under Section 510 of the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code. 15
2729 SECTION 1.(b) Exemptions Established. – Notwithstanding the emergency 16
28-responder communication coverage requirements of the Code, the following buildings and 17
29-structures, whether existing, newly constructed, or altered after the effective date of this act, are 18
30-exempt from those requirements: 19
30+responder radio coverage requirements of the Code, the following buildings and structures, 17
31+whether existing, newly constructed or altered after the effective date of this act, are exempt from 18
32+those requirements: 19
3133 (1) Apartment buildings not exceeding 75 feet in height, constructed using wood 20
3234 framing, provided the building has fewer than 150 dwelling units, and all 21
3335 dwelling units discharge directly to the exterior or to an interior corridor 22
3436 providing required egress that leads directly to an exterior exit. 23
3537 (2) Apartment buildings and transient public lodging establishments, including 24
3638 hotels and motels, not exceeding two stories above grade plane and that 25
3739 provide direct exterior egress from each dwelling unit or guest room. 26
38-(3) Buildings or structures subject to the North Carolina Residential Code. 27
39-(4) Buildings with a total gross floor area of less than 12,000 square feet and 28
40-containing no story below grade plane or basement areas. 29
41-SECTION 1.(c) Treatment of Existing Systems in Exempted Buildings. – 30
42-Notwithstanding Section 901.6 of the North Carolina Fire Code or any other provision of the 31
43-Code that might require the removal of nonrequired, obsolete, or abandoned systems, an 32
44-emergency responder communication coverage system installed prior to the effective date of this 33
45-act in a building or structure that meets the exemption criteria established in subsection (b) of 34
46-this section shall not be required to be removed. Such systems may be deactivated. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47-Page 2 House Bill 768-Second Edition
48-SECTION 1.(d) Rulemaking Required. – The Council shall adopt rules to amend 1
49-the Code, specifically Section 510 of the North Carolina Fire Code and any related sections 2
50-addressing emergency responder communication coverage, to incorporate the exemptions listed 3
51-in subsection (b) of this section and the provisions regarding existing systems in subsection (c) 4
52-of this section. Notwithstanding G.S. 150B-19(4), the rules adopted by the Council pursuant to 5
53-this section shall be substantively identical to the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this 6
54-section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are not subject to Part 3 of Article 2A of Chapter 7
55-150B of the General Statutes. Rules adopted pursuant to this section shall become effective as 8
56-provided in G.S. 150B-21.3(b1), as though 10 or more written objections had been received as 9
57-provided in G.S. 150B-21.3(b2). 10
58-SECTION 1.(e) Interim Application of Exemptions. – Until the effective date of the 11
59-permanent rules that the Council is required to adopt pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, 12
60-the Council and local governments enforcing the Code shall not enforce the emergency responder 13
61-communication coverage requirements against buildings and structures that meet the exemption 14
62-criteria established in subsection (b) of this section and shall apply the provisions regarding 15
63-existing systems established in subsection (c) of this section. 16
64-SECTION 1.(f) Sunset. – This section expires when permanent rules adopted as 17
65-required by subsection (d) of this section become effective. 18
66-SECTION 2. Effective Date. – This act is effective when it becomes law. 19
40+(3) Buildings defined as one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and 27
41+townhouses regulated by the North Carolina Residential Code. 28
42+(4) Buildings with a total gross floor area of less than 12,000 square feet and 29
43+containing no story below grade plane or basement areas. 30
44+SECTION 1.(c) Treatment of Existing Systems in Exempted Buildings. – 31
45+Notwithstanding Section 901.6 of the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code or any other provision 32
46+of the State Building Code that might require the removal of nonrequired or abandoned systems, 33
47+an emergency responder radio coverage system installed prior to the effective date of this act in 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48+Page 2 House Bill 768-First Edition
49+a building or structure that meets the exemption criteria established in subsection (b) of this 1
50+section shall not be required to be removed. Such systems may be deactivated. 2
51+SECTION 1.(d) Rulemaking Required. – The Council shall adopt rules to amend 3
52+the Code, specifically Section 510 of the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code and any related 4
53+sections addressing emergency responder radio coverage, to incorporate the exemptions listed in 5
54+subsection (b) of this section and the provisions regarding existing systems in subsection (c) of 6
55+this section. Notwithstanding G.S. 150B-19(4), the rules adopted by the Council pursuant to this 7
56+section shall be substantively identical to the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section. 8
57+Rules adopted pursuant to this section are not subject to Part 3 of Article 2A of Chapter 150B of 9
58+the General Statutes. Rules adopted pursuant to this section shall become effective as provided 10
59+in G.S. 150B-21.3(b1), as though 10 or more written objections had been received as provided 11
60+in G.S. 150B-21.3(b2). 12
61+SECTION 1.(e) Interim Application of Exemptions. – Until the effective date of the 13
62+permanent rules that the Council is required to adopt pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, 14
63+the Council and local governments enforcing the Code shall not enforce the emergency responder 15
64+radio coverage requirements against buildings and structures that meet the exemption criteria 16
65+established in subsection (b) of this section, and shall apply the provisions regarding existing 17
66+systems established in subsection (c) of this section. 18
67+SECTION 1.(f) Sunset. – This section expires when permanent rules adopted as 19
68+required by subsection (d) of this section become effective. 20
69+SECTION 2. Effective Date. – This act is effective when it becomes law. 21