GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 89

Short Title: Child Care Commission. 	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Walker, Forrester, Plexico, Richardson; and Cochrane.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Rules and Operation of the Senate.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

February 9, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE ISSUES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 120 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
       "ARTICLE 12J.
"Legislative Commission on Child Care Issues.

"§ 120-70.90.  Commission established.
The Legislative Commission on Child Care Issues is established as a permanent commission.  As used in this Article, the term 'Commission' means the Legislative Commission on Child Care Issues.
"§ 120-70.91.  Powers and duties; study.
The Commission shall study State government policy and programs affecting child care issues, specifically addressing child care issues from the point of existing laws, governmental programs needed or already functioning, and current child care issues.  The Commission shall work in close collaboration with all agencies and programs dealing with child care.  Among the issues the Commission may consider studying are:
(1)	Prior recommendations of other study commissions that have reviewed child day care and other child care services since 1980 and an assessment of compliance with these recommendations;
(2)	The advantages and costs associated with measures to improve the quality of child care, including lowering staff/child ratios, enhancing child care teaching credentialing, improving training of child care teachers, and improving salaries of all child care workers;
(3)	Ways to maximize the positive impact on North Carolina of the federal block grant;
(4)	Ongoing examination of the current statutory regulation of child care and the procedures used to develop policies and rules in order to ensure that all North Carolina's children in child care can receive quality care that is both enriching and safe;
(5)	The relationship between child care services offered by for-profit and nonprofit, public and private, child care providers, including the public schools, to ensure that parents have full choice of safe, quality child care;
(6)	Ways to continue towards the development of a unified State policy for funding and delivery of all child care services; and
(7)	Any additional issues the Commission may consider necessary to study.
"§ 120-70.92.  Membership; cochair; vacancies.
The Commission shall consist of 14 members.  Members serving ex officio may designate other people to represent them:
(1)	The Secretary of Human Resources;
(2)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction;
(3)	Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(4)	Three members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(5)	Two members at large appointed by the Speaker of the House, one of whom shall be from an urban area in the west and one of whom shall be from a rural area in the east;
(6)	Two members at large appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be from a rural area in the west and one of whom shall be from an urban area in the east; and
(7)	Two members at large appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be from a rural area in the Piedmont and one of whom shall be from an urban area in the Piedmont.
Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the initial appointments.  Ex officio members are voting members.
The Commission shall have its initial meeting no later than September 1, 1993, at the call of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.  The Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each appoint a cochair from the membership of the Commission.  The membership shall meet upon the call of the cochair.
"§ 120-70.93.  Compensation and expenses of members.
The Commission members shall receive no salary for serving but shall receive necessary subsistence and travel expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, and 138-6 as applicable.
"§ 120-70.94.  Additional powers.
The Commission may hold public meetings across the State to solicit public input with respect to the issues of child care.
The Commission shall have authority to obtain information and data from all State officers, agents, agencies, and departments while in the discharge of its duties, pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 120-19, as if it were a committee of the General Assembly.  The Commission shall have the authority to call witnesses, compel testimony relevant to any matter properly before the Commission, and subpoena relevant records and documents.  The provisions of G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4 shall apply to the proceedings of the Commission as if it were a joint committee of the General Assembly.  In addition to the other signatures required for the issuance of a subpoena under this section, the subpoena shall also be signed by the cochair of the Commission.  Any cost of providing information to the Commission not covered by G.S. 120-19.3 may be reimbursed by the Commission from funds available for the Commission's work.
The Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than February 1 of each odd-numbered year.  The Commission may report no later than June 1 of each even-numbered year to the General Assembly and the Governor.
"§ 120-70.95. Staffing.
At the request of the Commission, the Legislative Services Commission may supply members of the staff of the Legislative Services Office and clerical assistance to the Commission as it considers appropriate.  The Commission may, with the approval of the Legislative Services Commission, meet in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building."
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year, to fund the Legislative Study Commission on Child Care Issues.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.