A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds for various purposes pursuant to recommendations from the Joint legislative committee on domestic violence, to mandate that all educators in the north carolina public school system and all students, faculty, and staff in the University of North Carolina system or the North Carolina community college system receive domestic violence training, and to strengthen the laws related to violations of domestic violence protective orders.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
FUNDS FOR FAMILY COURTS
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Judicial Department the sum of seven hundred eighteen thousand one hundred twelve dollars ($718,112) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year for the purpose of continuing and expanding the family court pilot program established in Section 25 of S.L. 1998‑202. Of these funds, one hundred seventy‑five thousand dollars ($175,000) shall be used to continue operating the family court program established in District Court District 10 and five hundred forty‑three thousand one hundred twelve dollars ($543,112) shall be used to establish family courts in two additional district court districts to be selected by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
FUNDS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS
SECTION 2.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina Council for Women and the Domestic Violence Commission to provide for matching grant funds.  The Council shall make grants as follows:
(1)	For the construction of new shelters for victims of domestic violence. For purposes of this subdivision, "new construction" shall include additions to existing shelters if the additional construction increases the residential space for victims of domestic violence.
(2)	For the purchase of existing space for use as a domestic violence shelter.
(3)	To assist in the payment of construction debt for existing domestic violence shelters.
SECTION 2.(b)  In determining grant awards, the Council shall establish grant criteria to include the following:
(1)	The availability of shelter facilities in the county where the shelter would be located or is currently located.
(2)	The number of persons currently served or the approximate number of persons to be served by the facility.
(3)	The requirements under G.S. 50B‑9(2) and (3) for the receipt of funding.
SECTION 2.(c)  Funds provided for under this section shall be matched one‑for‑one by the applicant. The Council shall not provide more that fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in a fiscal year to any applicant.
SECTION 2.(d)  The Council shall distribute grants semiannually. The Council must receive applications for grants by September 30 of each year for grant awards to be distributed on or after November 1, and no later than March 31 of each year for grant awards to be distributed on or after May 1.
SECTION 2.(e)  Funds appropriated in this section shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain with the Council for the purposes described in this section.
FUNDS FOR VISITATION CENTERS
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to be allocated to the Governor's Crime Commission to create new supervised visitation and exchange centers and to continue funding existing supervised visitation and exchange centers in this State. The Commission shall distribute the funds through its grant process.
FUNDS FOR ABUSER TREATMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR POSITION
SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina Council for Women and the Domestic Violence Commission to adjust the amount appropriated for the Abuser Treatment Program Coordinator position to address inadequacies in both the salary and associated benefits for this position.
FUNDS FOR INTERNAL AUDITOR POSITION
SECTION 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of fifty‑eight thousand nine hundred fifty‑nine dollars ($58,959) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina Council for Women and the Domestic Violence Commission to create an Internal Auditor position. The Internal Auditor would be responsible for ensuring that the Council complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements in its role as a granting agency.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING
SECTION 6.  It shall be the policy of this State that all educators in the North Carolina public school system and all students, faculty, and staff in the North Carolina Community College System or The University of North Carolina System receive training in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and the availability of legal resources for victims in an effort to increase awareness of domestic violence.
VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE ORDERS
SECTION 7.  G.S. 50B‑4.1(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f)	Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who knowingly violates a valid protective order as provided in subsection (a) of this section, after having been previously convicted of one offense under this Chapter, shall be guilty of a Class H felony."
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2006, except that Section 7 of this act becomes effective December 1, 2006, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.