A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow north carolina public schools to reduce costs by allowing the employment of licensed school maintenance plumbers.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 87‑21 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"§ 87‑21.  Definitions; contractors licensed by Board; examination; posting license, etc.
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(c)	To Whom Article Applies. – The provisions of this Article shall apply to all persons, firms, or corporations who engage in, or attempt to engage in, the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting, or any combination thereof as defined in this Article. The provisions of this Article shall not apply to those who make minor repairs or minor replacements to an already installed system of plumbing, heating or air conditioning, but shall apply to those who make repairs, replacements, or modifications to an already installed fire sprinkler system. Minor repairs or minor replacements within the meaning of this subsection shall include the replacement of parts in an installed system which do not require any change in energy source, fuel type, or routing or sizing of venting or piping. Parts shall include a compressor, coil, contactor, motor, or capacitor.
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(l)	A local board of education that regularly employs a licensee under this Article shall not be deemed to be engaged in the business of plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 87‑26 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"§ 87‑26.  Corporations; partnerships; persons doing business under trade name.
(a)	A license may be issued in the name of a corporation, provided, one or more officers, or full time employee or employees, or both, empowered to act for the corporation, are licensed in accordance with the provisions of this Article; and provided such officers or employee or employees shall execute contracts to the extent of their license qualifications in the name of the said corporation and exercise general supervision over the work done thereunder.
(b)	A license may be issued in the name of a partnership provided one or more general partners, or full time employee or employees empowered to act for the partnership, are licensed in accordance with the provisions of this Article, and provided such general partners or employee or employees shall execute contracts to the extent of their license qualifications in the name of the said partnership, and exercise general supervision over the work done thereunder.
(c)	A license may be issued in an assumed or designated trade name, provided the owner of the business conducted thereunder, or full time employee or employees empowered to act for the owner, are licensed in accordance with the provisions of this Article; and such owner or employee or employees shall execute contracts to the extent of their license qualifications, in the said trade name, and exercise general supervision over the work done thereunder.
(d)	A certificate of license may be issued in accordance with the provisions of this Article upon payment of the annual license fee by such corporation, partnership, or owner of the business conducted under an assumed or designated trade name, as the case may be, and the names and qualifications of individual licensee or licensees connected therewith shall be indicated on the aforesaid license.
(e)	It shall be necessary that persons licensed in accordance with the provisions of this section shall exercise general supervision over contracts to completion.
(f)	Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit the ability of a licensee under this Article who is regularly employed by a local board of education to maintain an individual license or to contract or perform work during the hours the licensee is off‑duty from the regular employer."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 115C‑524 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"§ 115C‑524.  Repair of school property; use of buildings for other than school purposes.
(a)	Repair of school buildings is subject to the provisions of G.S. 115C‑521(c) and (d).
(a1)	Local boards of education may employ personnel who are licensed to perform maintenance and repairs on school property for plumbing, heating, and fire sprinklers pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes.
(b)	It shall be the duty of local boards of education and tax‑levying authorities, in order to safeguard the investment made in public schools, to keep all school buildings in good repair to the end that all public school property shall be taken care of and be at all times in proper condition for use. It shall be the duty of all principals, teachers, and janitors to report to their respective boards of education immediately any unsanitary condition, damage to school property, or needed repair. All principals, teachers, and janitors shall be held responsible for the safekeeping of the buildings during the school session and all breakage and damage shall be repaired by those responsible for same, and where any principal or teacher shall permit damage to the public school buildings by lack of proper discipline of pupils, such principal or teacher shall be held responsible for such damage: Provided, principals and teachers shall not be held responsible for damage that they could not have prevented by reasonable supervision in the performance of their duties.
Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 115C‑263 and 115C‑264, local boards of education may adopt rules and regulations under which they may enter into agreements permitting non‑school groups to use school real and personal property, except for school buses, for other than school purposes so long as such use is consistent with the proper preservation and care of the public school property. No liability shall attach to any board of education, individually or collectively, for personal injury suffered by reason of the use of such school property pursuant to such agreements."
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2015.