NC H963

Establishes a Building Inspector Apprenticeship Program with $750,000 in funding, allowing local governments to employ apprentice code-enforcement officials who work under direct supervision for up to two years while completing training and certification requirements

Creates a General Contractor to Inspector Transition Program enabling licensed general contractors to bypass Level I certification and proceed directly to Level II and Level III code-enforcement certification on an expedited basis

Requires counties and municipalities to establish just cause and due process protections for building inspectors facing dismissal, suspension, or demotion, including written notice, opportunity for hearing, right to counsel, and at least 15 days to file an appeal

Provides finality for approved building inspection stages, prohibiting subsequent inspectors from requiring re-inspection or removal of previously approved work unless fraud, concealed defects, code changes, or subsequent damage occurred

Creates the Disaster Building Inspection Relief Fund to provide grants to economically distressed (Tier 1 and Tier 2) counties for hiring additional building inspectors after declared disasters, with local matching requirements of 10% for Tier 1 and 25% for Tier 2 counties