GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

EXTRA SESSION 1994

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 178

Short Title:  Welfare Reform Study.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Redwine; Spears, Ives, Yongue, Gardner, Hill, Hall, Edwards, Wood, Alphin, McCrary, and Sutton.
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Referred to:  Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.
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February 14, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A LEGISLATIVE STUDY ON WELFARE REFORM, WHICH REFORM WILL EFFECT SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM CRIME PREVENTION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is created the Legislative Study Commission on Welfare Reform.  The Commission shall consist of 14 members as follows:
(1)	Five Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(2)	Two persons appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate who are not members of the General Assembly;
(3)	Five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(4)	Two persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives who are not members of the General Assembly.
Sec. 2.  The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator as cochair and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative as cochair.
Sec. 3.  The Commission shall study the whole issue of the need for welfare reform in light of the current social crisis caused, in part, by the rapidly increasing incidence of violent crimes.  This study shall include:
(1)	A reexamination of the whole purpose of the welfare system and an identification of those disincentives to raising responsible, independent participants in society that are built into the system;
(2)	An analysis of the federal welfare reform proposals and of other states' initiatives; and
(3)	A compilation and detailed examination, including detailed fiscal analysis, of proposals to reform the welfare system totally, not just to amend mere pieces of it.
Sec. 4.  The Commission may submit an interim report to the General Assembly on or before the first day of the 1994 Regular Session of the 1993 General Assembly and shall submit a final report, including a complete proposal for welfare reform, to the 1995 General Assembly within one week of its convening, by filing the report with the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  Upon filing its final report, the Commission shall terminate.
Sec. 5.  The Commission, while in the discharge of official duties, may exercise all the powers provided for under the provisions of G.S. 120-19 and G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4.  The Commission may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs.  The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
Sec. 6.  Members of the Commission shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1.
Sec. 7.  The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02.  The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Administrative Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist in the work of the Commission.  The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Supervisors of Clerks shall assign clerical staff to the Commission or committee, upon the direction of the Legislative Services Commission.  The expenses relating to clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission.
Sec. 8.  When a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Commission, the vacancy shall be filled by the same appointing officer who made the initial appointment.
Sec. 9.  All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
Sec. 10.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and the sum of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year for the expenses of the Commission.
Sec. 11.  This act is effective upon ratification.