GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 540
Second Edition Engrossed 5/9/91

Short Title:  Child Neglect Exposure to Drugs.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Russell; and Wilson.
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Referred to:  Judiciary II.
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April 1, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT NEWBORNS WHO WERE EXPOSED TO ILLICIT DRUG OR ALCOHOL PRIOR TO BIRTH ARE NEGLECTED UNDER G.S. 7A-517.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 7A-517(21) reads as rewritten:
"(21)	Neglected Juvenile. – A juvenile who does not receive proper care, supervision, or discipline from his parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker; or who has been abandoned; or who is not provided necessary medical care or other remedial care recognized under State law; or who lives in an environment injurious to his welfare; or who has been placed for care or adoption in violation of law; or any newborn infant whose body is shown through test to contain any amount of a controlled substance as defined in Article 5, Chapter 90, of the General Statutes, or a metabolite of such controlled substance, unless the presence of the controlled substance or the metabolite thereof is the result of medical treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant; or any newborn infant who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome or exhibits other physiological or neurological symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse by its mother; the results of the test shall not be admissible in any criminal proceeding."
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 1991.