AN ACT to establish requirements for builder designations under the laws pertaining to general contractors.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 87‑15.4.  Builder designations created.
(a)	A licensee who successfully completes the educational requirements for accredited builder or accredited master builder, as established by the North Carolina Builders Institute (Institute), shall be designated by the Board as a 'North Carolina Certified Accredited Residential Builder' or 'North Carolina Certified Accredited Master Residential Builder,' respectively. The Institute shall provide to the Board written certification of those licensees who have successfully completed the requirements for the designations. The certification shall remain in effect as long as:  (i) the licensee's license is in effect pursuant to G.S. 87‑10; and (ii) the licensee completes at least eight hours of continuing education each calendar year as certified by the Institute.
(b)	The Board shall approve for designation a licensee who has successfully completed a course of study, deemed by the Board to be equivalent to the educational requirements under subsection (a) of this section, offered by a community college or by another provider, and who completes the requisite number of hours of continuing education required by the Board.
(c)	The Board may use all powers granted to it under this Article to enforce the provisions of this section and ensure that the designations created by this section are conferred upon and used only by a licensee who complies with the provisions of this section and any rules adopted by the Board."
SECTION 2.  Any individual currently licensed by the State Licensing Board of General Contractors (Board) who has successfully completed the requirements of G.S. 87‑15.4, as enacted by Section 1 of this act, before the effective date of this act may be designated by the Board as a "North Carolina Certified Accredited Residential Builder" or "North Carolina Certified Accredited Master Residential Builder" upon submitting to the Board certification from the North Carolina Builders Institute of successful completion of the requirements of G.S. 87‑15.4.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of July, 2007.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 2:59 p.m. this 21st day of August, 2007