A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish a legislative oversight council on child maltreatment prevention and an interagency leadership team for child maltreatment prevention and to appropriate funds for that purpose.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  The Legislative Oversight Council on Child Maltreatment Prevention (Council) and the Interagency Leadership Team for Child Maltreatment Prevention (Leadership Team) are established within the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, for the purpose of preventing child maltreatment in North Carolina. The Legislative Oversight Council on Child Maltreatment Prevention is created to ensure implementation of plans recommended by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention and to improve communication, accountability, and coordination efforts among the multiple systems working to strengthen families. For purposes of this section, multiple systems shall include services offered by the Division of Public Health, the Division of Mental Health, the Department of Public Instruction, the Division of Social Services, and any other private or nonprofit organizations. The Interagency Leadership Team for Child Maltreatment Prevention is created to support the work of the Legislative Oversight Council on Child Maltreatment Prevention.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Council shall consist of no more than 15 members. On or after January 1, 2006, the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, shall appoint five members, two of whom shall serve two‑year terms, and three of whom shall serve one‑year terms; the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall appoint five members, three of whom shall serve two‑year terms, and two of whom shall serve one‑year terms; and the Division of Public Health shall appoint five members, two of whom shall serve two‑year terms, and three of whom shall serve two‑year terms. Upon the expiration of the initial Council members, each member shall be appointed for a term of two years and shall serve until a successor is appointed. Members of the Council shall include representatives from the various State agencies as well as professional associations and nonprofit organizations that serve families and children. The appointing authority shall have the power to remove any member of the Council from office. Any appointment to fill a vacancy on the Council created by the resignation, dismissal, death, or disability of a member shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms.
The Leadership Team shall consist of no more than five members of the Council appointed by the Division of Public Health for one‑year terms.
SECTION 1.(c)  Both the Council and the Leadership Team shall continue the work of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention (Task Force) by:
(1)	Ensuring implementation of the Task Force recommendations.
(2)	Identifying, promoting, and finding ways to support evidence‑based child abuse prevention programs.
(3)	Strategically coordinating the planning, implementation, and evaluation of child abuse prevention efforts across multiple systems as described in subsection (a) of this section.
(4)	Requiring collaboration among the multiple systems to better use existing funds for evidence‑based and research‑based initiatives.
SECTION 1.(d)  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, shall prepare and submit a report on the Council and Leadership Team's prevention efforts to the General Assembly no later than December 1 of each year that shall include the following:
(1)	A description of the Council and Leadership Team and the services each provides.
(2)	The quantity of services provided.
(3)	A description of any child abuse prevention efforts implemented.
(4)	Any recommendations for legislative action.
SECTION 1.(e)  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, may adopt rules to implement this section.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Service, Division of Public Health, the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year for staffing and operational support in establishing the Legislative Oversight Council on Child Maltreatment Prevention and the Interagency Leadership Team for Child Maltreatment Prevention.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.