1. (a) This Rule applies to all matters within the authority and jurisdiction of the Commission and to all Subchapters of the Commission's rules.

2. (b) In the interests of justice or to protect the public health or safety, the Commission may waive or modify any portion of its rules in order to bring them in conformity with an emergency Order or directive of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court that is in effect. The Commission shall consider the following factors in determining whether to grant the waiver or modification:

   1. (1) the necessity of waiving or modifying the rule; and

   2. (2) the impact of waiving or modifying the rule on the regulated parties and on the Commission.

      If the Commission waives or modifies a rule to bring it into conformity with any emergency Order or directive of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, the Commission shall post a notice of the waiver or modification of the rule on its website unless the waiver or modification is case-specific and not generally applicable to the regulated public. For a waiver or modification that is case-specific and not generally applicable to the regulated public, the Commission shall notify the parties in the case of the waiver or modification via an order of the Commission.

3. (c) During any period that an emergency Order or directive of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court authorizes the taking of oaths and verifications outside the presence of a notary public, the Commission shall accept any pleading, motion, petition, supporting affidavit, or other document with an affirmation or representation not attested to before a notary public so long as the subscriber affirms the truth of the matter to be verified by an affirmation or representation in substantially the same language as that allowed by the emergency Order or directive of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
4. (d) Any waiver or modification made pursuant to this Rule shall only remain in effect during the duration of any emergency Order or directive of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court upon which that waiver or modification is based.

History Note: Authority G.S. 97-80; 130A-425(d); 143-166.4; 143-296; 143-300;
Emergency Adoption Eff. November 6, 2020;
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 29, 2021;
Eff. August 1, 2021.