A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO direct the north carolina study commission on aging to study REQUIRing NURSING HOMES AND ADULT CARE HOMES to HAVE EMERGENCY GENERATORS FOR USE DURING POWER OUTAGES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  The North Carolina Study Commission on Aging shall study whether nursing homes licensed under Chapter 131E of the General Statutes and adult care homes licensed under Chapter 131D of the General Statutes should be required to provide emergency electrical service for use in the event of failure of the normal electrical service.  In undertaking this study, the Commission shall consider the following:
(1)	The extent to which electrical service should be provided, both between and within care settings, including how much generator capacity should be required.
(2)	The logistical and monetary factors that are barriers to requiring emergency electrical power and options to address those barriers, including providing a funding mechanism for purchasing generators.
(3)	The coordination between facilities and local and State emergency management during power outages.
(4)	Sources of funding for any mandate.
SECTION 1.(b)  The North Carolina Study Commission on Aging shall report its findings and recommendations, including recommended legislation, to the 2003 General Assembly, Regular Session 2004, prior to its convening.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.