GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	2 

SENATE BILL 496*
Children and Human Resources Committee Substitute Adopted 3/29/93

Short Title:  Medical/M.H. Eval. Plan.	(Public)
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March 16, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE CHILD FATALITY TASK FORCE TO ESTABLISH AN INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP A CHILD MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION PLAN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) There is established an interagency committee to develop a collaborative plan to provide and pay for medical and mental health evaluations to all children suspected of being abused or neglected, regardless of whether they are referred for these evaluations by child protective services programs.  The plan shall include how best to use existing resources to pay for the evaluations and shall also include a recommendation for the amount of new funding needed, if existing resources cannot cover all children.  
(b)	The committee shall consist of one representative from each of the following:
(1)	The Child Medical Evaluation Program, The University of North Carolina, to be appointed by the Director of that program;
(2)	The Division of Medical Assistance, Department of Human Resources, to be appointed by the Secretary of Human Resources;
(3)	The Assistance Program for Victims of Rape and Sex Offenses, Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, to be appointed by the Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety;
(4)	The Division of Maternal and Child Health, Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, to be appointed by the Secretary of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources;
(5)	The Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, Department of Human Resources, to be appointed by the Secretary of Human Resources;
(6)	The Office of Rural Health and Resource Development, Department of Human Resources, to be appointed by the Secretary of Human Resources; and
(7)	The Department of Insurance, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
The Secretary of Human Resources also may request any appropriate individual to be a member of the committee.
(c) The Department of Human Resources shall provide meeting rooms, telephone, office space, equipment, supplies, and clerical services to the committee without charge.
(d) The committee shall report the plan it develops, together with any legislative proposals, to the General Assembly and the Child Fatality Task Force by March 15, 1994.
Sec.  2. This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.