GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 161

Short Title:  Health Director Interns.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representative Green.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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February 25, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE HEALTH DIRECTOR INTERN PROGRAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 130A-14.  Health Director Intern Program.
(a)	There is established in the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, the Health Director Intern Program. The purpose of the program is to address problems in recruiting local health directors who have experience in the administration of public health programs by providing an opportunity for qualified individuals to serve internships in selected local health departments as assistants to the health director.
(b)	The Department shall develop a Health Director Intern Program for the implementation of internship projects in local health departments. The Department shall develop a process whereby each county may apply to the Health Director Intern Committee to participate in the program as one of the five project sites. If application is made for a project site to be located in a district health department, the application shall be jointly filed by the counties constituting the district health department.  Interns shall be selected by the local board of health of the participating health department in accordance with qualifications established by the Health Director Internship Committee, and shall serve for an internship period of two years; provided, however, that interns hired for the first two years in which the Health Director Intern Program is implemented may serve for less than two years to accommodate program or project start-up requirements. Interns shall be local government employees for the duration of the internship.  Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the salary and benefits expense for each intern shall be paid from State funds that are appropriated exclusively for that purpose.
At the end of the fifth year of implementation of the Health Director Intern Program, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations on whether the Program is serving the purpose for which it was established."
Sec. 2. Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 130A-15.  Health Director Intern Committee; membership, duties.
(a)	The Health Director Intern Committee is established within the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources.
(b)	The Committee shall consist of four members, as follows:
(1)	The State Health Director, or his designee;
(2)	The President of the Local Health Directors Association, or his designee;
(3)	The President of the North Carolina Public Health Association, or his designee; and
(4)	A representative of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, appointed by the Governor.
(c)	The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(1)	Development of criteria for the selection of project sites;
(2)	Development of qualifications for interns;
(3)	Review and selection of applicants for participation as project sites;
(4)	Development of criteria for long and short-range evaluation of the program; and
(5)	Other activities as may be necessary to assist the Department in the administration of the Health Director Intern Program.
(d)	Members of the Committee shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with Chapter 138 of the General Statutes.
(e)	The Department shall provide staff assistance to the Committee."
Sec. 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of $130,826 for fiscal year 1991-92 and the sum of $180,905 for fiscal year 1992-93 to establish and support five, two-year project sites for the Health Director Intern Program established in Section 1 of this act. Of the funds appropriated under this section, the Department may use up to $4,500 in each fiscal year for administrative costs of the Health Director Intern Program.
Sec. 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 1991, and shall expire July 1, 1997.