GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1017

Short Title:  Small Business Development Council.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senator Hunt of Durham.
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Referred to:  Small Business.
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April 26, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 147 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new article to read:
“ARTICLE 4C.
"Small Business Development Council.
"§ 147-54.25. Purpose.
It is the purpose of this Article to establish the Small Business Development Council to enhance the effectiveness of State-funded programs designed to stimulate small business development in North Carolina by creating an environment that encourages cooperation among State agencies that provide assistance to small businesses.
"§ 147-54.26.  Small Business Development Council established.
There is established within the Department of the Secretary of State the Small Business Development Council.  The Small Business Development Council shall have the following duties:
(1)	To develop methods to increase public awareness of State-funded programs designed to stimulate small business development in North Carolina.
(2)	To publish a list of State agencies that provide programs or assistance to small businesses.
(3)	To review new programs relating to small business assistance to ensure that the programs are needed and are not currently being provided by any member of the Council.
(4)	To identify additional methods of enhancing the growth of small business in North Carolina.
(5)	To identify rules or governmental procedures that impede the development and operation of small businesses.
(6)	To provide a forum for the private sector to comment on the State's effort to stimulate small business development.
(7)	To develop a mechanism to guide users of small business assistance programs to the appropriate agencies.
(8)	To report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the activities and recommendations of the Council.
"§ 147-54.27.  Small Business Development Council - members; chairman; compensation; quorum; services.
(a)	The Small Business Development Council shall consist of the following members:
(1)	The Secretary of State.
(2)	The Secretary of the Department of Commerce.
(3)	The Director of the Small Business Development Division, Department of Commerce.
(4)	The Director of the North Carolina Science and Technology Research Center.
(5)	The Executive Director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center.
(6)	The Director of the North Carolina Technological Development Authority.
(7)	The President of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.
(8)	The Director of the Community Assistance Division, Department of Natural Resources and Community Development.
(9)	The President of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
(10)	The Director and Associate Dean of the North Carolina State Agricultural Extension Service.
(11)	The Director for Small Business, Department of Community Colleges.
(12)	The Commissioner of Agriculture or his designee.
(13)	The Deputy Commissioner of the Education and Training Division, Department of Labor.
(14)	The Director of the Business License Information Office, Department of the Secretary of State.
Any State agency that receives one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or more annually to fund programs designed to stimulate small business development in the State and that is not designated in the list above shall notify the Council of its status by October 1st of each year and the head of that agency shall serve on the Council.
Members of the Council shall receive necessary travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-6.
(b)	The Secretary of State shall serve as chairman of the Small Business Development Council.  The Secretary of Commerce shall serve as vice-chairman of the Council and shall preside at the meetings in the absence of the chairman.
The chairman shall have the following duties:
(1)	To preside at all Small Business Development Council meetings.
(2)	To schedule an adequate number of meetings to ensure the effectiveness of the Council.
(3)	To provide the means for assuring input from the private sector.
(4)	To request State agencies not named to the Council to provide information to the Council on programs being offered to assist small businesses.
(5)	To ensure that agencies not named in subsection (a) but which meet the funding requirement in subsection (a) serve on the Small Business Development Council and to determine which agencies meet the criteria in cases in which membership is disputed.
(6)	To present the Council's report to the General Assembly and the Governor annually.  In order to perform this duty, the chairman may require members of the Small Business Development Council to furnish information needed to produce a complete report.
(c)	The Council shall meet at least semiannually and may hold additional meetings at any time and place at the call of the chairman.  A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(d)	State departments and agencies shall provide the Council any information and assistance it considers necessary.  Professional staff and clerical staff shall be furnished to the Council by the Department of the Secretary of State."
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of the Secretary of State $12,000 for the 1989-90 fiscal year to be allocated for printing, postage, and distribution expenses of the Small Business Development Council and $12,000 for the 1990-91 fiscal year to be allocated for printing, postage, and distribution expenses of the Small Business Development Council.
Sec. 3.  Section 1 of this act shall become effective October 1, 1989.  The remainder of this act shall become effective July 1, 1989.