A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT amending the laws pertaining to displaced homemakers and increasing the fee which funds the north carolina womenwork fund for displaced homemakers.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 143B‑394.4(4) reads as rewritten:
"As used in this Part, unless the context otherwise requires:
…
(4)	"Displaced homemaker" means an individual who:
a.	Has worked in his or her own household and has provided unpaid household services; and
b.	Is unable to secure gainful employment due to the lack of required training, age, or experience; or is unemployed, or underemployed; and
c.	Has been dependent on the income of another household member but is no longer adequately supported by that income, or is receiving support  but is within two years of losing the support, or has been supported by public assistance as the parent of minor children and is no longer eligible."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 143B‑394.5 is repealed.
SECTION 3.  Part 10B of Article 9 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 143B‑394.5A.  Location of displaced homemaker programs; grant criteria.
(a)	The Council shall consider the location of displaced homemaker programs based on the probable number of displaced homemakers in an area, the availability of resources for training and education, and viable living wage job opportunities.
(b)	The Council shall establish a baseline cost of basic program operations criteria to determine grant award categories. The grant criteria shall incorporate displaced homemaker program operational costs based on the location, program delivery capacities, and the probable number of displaced homemakers served in an area."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 143B‑394.10 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143B‑394.10.  North Carolina WomenWork Fund for Displaced Homemakers.
(a)	There is established in the Department of Administration the North Carolina WomenWork Fund for Displaced Homemakers. The Fund shall be administered by the North Carolina Council for Women in accordance with Article 1 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes and shall be used to make grants to 35‑50 programs specifically for displaced homemakers. The Council shall make grants to no more than 50 eligible programs. Grants shall be awarded according to criteria established by the Council pursuant to G.S. 143B‑394.4(4) and G.S. 143B‑394.5A. The Council shall use no more than twenty percent (20%) of these funds for administrative costs. In order to be eligible to receive grant funds under this section, a displaced homemaker program shall fulfill all of the criteria established by the Council. The Council shall award grants to displaced homemaker programs in existence a minimum of two years.
(b)	The Department, upon recommendations by the Council, shall adopt rules to implement the North Carolina WomenWork Fund for Displaced Homemakers."
SECTION 5.  G.S. 7A‑305(a2) reads as rewritten:
"(a2)	In every final action for absolute divorce filed in the district court, a cost of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be assessed against the person filing the divorce action. Costs collected by the clerk pursuant to this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for deposit to the North Carolina WomenWork Fund for Displaced Homemakers established under G.S. 143B‑394.10. Costs assessed under this subsection shall be in addition to any other costs assessed under this section."
SECTION 6.  Section 5 of this act becomes effective October 1, 2005, and applies to final actions for absolute divorce filed on or after that date. The remainder of this act becomes effective October 1, 2005.