A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Implement a pilot Project for local long‑term care planning.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  In response to Recommendation #16 in the final report from the Institute of Medicine Task Force on Long‑Term Care and the study report recommendations resulting from S.L. 2001‑491, Part XXII, the Department of Health and Human Services shall implement a communications and planning initiative to support local planning for long‑term care and shall pilot the establishment of local lead agencies to facilitate the long‑term care planning process at the county or regional level.  For those counties that voluntarily participate, the local long‑term care planning initiative shall aid in the development of core services, coordinate local planning, and streamline access to services. The initiative shall eliminate fragmentation and barriers to information and services; provide a seamless connection among State agencies and local entities, regardless of funding sources; and allow consumers to efficiently and effectively navigate among long‑term care services.
SECTION 2.  The Department shall submit an interim report on the pilot project for local long‑term care planning to the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging by October 1, 2004, and a final report by October 1, 2005.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year and ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year to fund the pilot project established in this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.