Construction Support Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1100

Short Title: Construction Support Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Reives.
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 30, 2026
*H1100-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE COMMUNITY COLLEG E CONSTRUCTION 2
WORKFORCE PROGRAM AN D TO APPROPRIATE FUN DS FOR THAT PURPOSE, 3
TO CREATE THE CONSTR UCTION MATERIALS PRODUCER INCENTIVE GRAN T 4
PROGRAM AND TO APPRO PRIATE FUNDS FOR THA T PURPOSE, TO REQUIRE 5
THE BUILDING CODE CO UNCIL AND THE RESIDE NTIAL CODE COUNCIL T O 6
UPDATE THE NORTH CAR OLINA STATE BUILDING CODE TO ALLOW 7
PORTLAND-LIMESTONE C EMENT AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CEMENT 8
SUBSTITUTES, AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 9
INFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO LOCAL 10
GOVERNMENTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF E-PERMITTING SYSTEMS. 11
Whereas, the General Assembly finds that rises in housing costs stem primarily from 12
bottlenecks in labor and materials; and 13
Whereas, the most effective way to reduce housing costs in North Carolina is to 14
reduce these bottlenecks; and 15
Whereas, investments in construction training, material production, and permitting 16
modernization will strengthen North Carolina's economy, enhance housing affordability, and 17
promote regional equity in growth; Now, therefore, 18
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 19
20
PART I. COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE PROGRAM 21
SECTION 1.(a) Program Established. – There is established the Community College 22
Construction Workforce Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to provide funds to 23
community colleges in the State to establish credentialing programs for high -demand 24
construction trades. For the purposes of this section, "high -demand construction trades" include 25
electricians, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) 26
technicians, or other similar trades with skills applicable to and used in the construction of 27
residential structures. 28
SECTION 1.(b) Program Funds. – The Community Colle ges System Office shall 29
provide funds to community colleges seeking to establish credentialing programs for 30
high-demand construction trades. In order to receive funds, a community college must submit a 31
written request to the Community Colleges System Offic e detailing the credentialing programs 32
to be established with the funds and how the funds will be used to establish the credentialing 33
program. The Community Colleges System Office shall notify the requesting community college 34
of the approval or denial of the request within 30 days of receipt of the written request. 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1100-First Edition
SECTION 1.(c) Community College Reporting Requirement. – Each community 1
college that receives funds shall submit a report to the Community Colleges System Office by 2
June 30 of each year that funds are received detailing the following: 3
(1) How funds distributed through the Program were used to establish 4
high-demand construction trades credentialing programs at the community 5
college, including which high -demand construction trades credentialing 6
programs were established. 7
(2) The number of students achieving credentials for high -demand construction 8
trades during the most recent academic year compared to the prior academic 9
year. 10
(3) Which specific credential programs were established using Program funds. 11
(4) Any further plans by the community college to establish other high -demand 12
construction trades. 13
SECTION 1.(d) Community Colleges System Office Reporting Requirement. – The 14
Community Colleges System Office shall report to the Joint Legislative Educa tion Oversight 15
Committee on the results of the Program by October 1, 2027, and each year thereafter that funds 16
are available for the Program on the following: 17
(1) The number of community colleges that applied for funds, the number of 18
community colleges that received funds, and the amount of funds received by 19
each community college. 20
(2) The number of high -demand construction trades credentialing programs that 21
were established, broken down by specific trade credentials. 22
(3) The total number of high-demand construction trades credentials awarded by 23
colleges in the Community Colleges System compared to previous years. 24
(4) Any other information the Community Colleges System Office deems 25
relevant. 26
SECTION 1.(e) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the Gene ral Fund to 27
the Community Colleges System Office the sum of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) 28
in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be used for the purposes of this section. 29
The Community Colleges System Office may use up to ten p ercent (10%) of the funds 30
appropriated pursuant to this section to administer the Program and promote the Program to the 31
public. Funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall not revert but shall remain available 32
until expended. 33
34
PART II. CONSTRUCTIO N MATERIALS PRODUCER I NCENTIVE GRANT 35
PROGRAM 36
SECTION 2.(a) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to 37
the Department of Commerce (Department) the nonrecurring sum of one hundred million dollars 38
($100,000,000) for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to, and used for purposes consistent 39
with, the Construction Materials Producer Incentive Grant Program created by subsection (b) of 40
this section. 41
SECTION 2.(b) Construction Materials Producer Incentive Grant Program. – The 42
Department sh all administer a grant program using funds allocated in subsection (a) of this 43
section to provide grants to producers of construction materials to incentivize investment in 44
production capacity for construction materials. For purposes of this section, "cons truction 45
materials" include lumber, engineered wood, concrete, cement substitutes, HVAC (heating, 46
ventilation, and air conditioning) components, windows, doors, and any other material, 47
component, or system assembly that is a standard item used in the const ruction of buildings or 48
infrastructure. Grants under the program shall be subject to the following conditions, which shall 49
be in addition to any conditions imposed by rules created by the Department pursuant to 50
subsection (c) of this section: 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 1100-First Edition Page 3
(1) The maximum award amount under the program, per producer of construction 1
materials, shall not exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000). 2
(2) Grants from the program shall only be awarded to producers of construction 3
materials that (i) invest a minimum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in the 4
State and (ii) create an average of 250 FTE jobs during the "grant period." For 5
purposes of this subdivision, a "grant period" is a period of time, not to exceed 6
five years, during which producers of construction material s are eligible to 7
receive grants under the program. 8
SECTION 2.(c) Rules; Report. – The Department shall adopt rules to implement the 9
grant program created by this section. Beginning September 15, 2026, and continuing annually 10
thereafter until all funds ha ve been awarded, the Department shall submit a report on the grant 11
program to the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight 12
Committee and the Fiscal Research Division. 13
SECTION 2.(d) Effective Date. – This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. 14
15
PART III. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS REGULATIONS 16
SECTION 3.(a) Definitions. – For purposes of this section, the following definitions 17
apply: 18
(1) Nationally recognized cement substitute. – A cementitious material used as a 19
partial replaceme nt for portland cement that conforms to a standard 20
promulgated by ASTM International, the American Association of State 21
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), or another nationally 22
recognized consensus standards organization. 23
(2) Portland-limestone cement. – Portland-limestone cement conforming to 24
ASTM C595/C595M, Type IL. 25
SECTION 3.(b) Code Amendments Required. – To implement this section, the 26
following shall apply: 27
(1) The Building Code Council shall, in accordance with G.S. 143-138(a) and 28
G.S. 143-138(d), amend those parts of the North Carolina State Building Code 29
volumes specified in subdivisions (1) through (9) of G.S. 143-138(a) that 30
apply to commercial and multifamily construction to explicitly allow the use 31
of portland-limestone cement and n ationally recognized cement substitutes, 32
as defined in subsection (a) of this section, in construction regulated by those 33
parts of the Code. 34
(2) The Residential Code Council shall, in accordance with G.S. 143-138(a) and 35
G.S. 143-138(d), amend those parts of the North Carolina State Building Code 36
volumes specified in subdivisions (1) through (10) of G.S. 143-138(a) that 37
apply to residential construction to explicitly allow the use of 38
portland-limestone cement and nationally recognized cement substitutes, as 39
defined in subsection (a) of this section, in construction regulated by those 40
parts of the Code. 41
SECTION 3.(c) Effective Date. – This section is effective when it becomes law. 42
43
PART IV. E-PERMITTING GRANT FUNDS 44
SECTION 4.(a) Appropriation. – There is app ropriated from the General Fund to 45
the Department of Information Technology the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) in 46
nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be provided in the form of grants to local 47
governments in this State for the purpose of establishing e-permitting systems. 48
SECTION 4.(b) Effective Date. – This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. 49
50
PART V. EFFECTIVE DATE 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 House Bill 1100-First Edition
SECTION 5. Effective Date. – Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective 1
when it becomes law. 2