A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE Department of Health and Human Services FOR ALLOCATION TO ACCREDITED LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year. These funds shall be allocated to accredited local public health agencies for one or more of the following purposes:
(1)	To facilitate the creation of Quality Officers in each agency to oversee the quality improvement structure and process, develop and ensure compliance with the agency's quality improvement plan against internal and external requirements, develop critical incident reporting and management plans, assess organizational and workforce development gaps, and oversee the accreditation process.
(2)	To facilitate the development of private or public partnerships through contracts, interlocal agreements, memoranda of understanding, and community grants.
(3)	To provide incentives to agencies to collaborate and partner with other counties in the development of regional public health incubators to improve service delivery, organization, and preparedness.
(4)	To enable accredited agencies to assist other counties in their efforts to achieve public health accreditation.
(5)	To promote partnerships between local agencies and universities through development of academic health departments.
(6)	To provide incentives to develop local and regional business plans to create hybrid health departments, including public health authorities and public health districts, and identify new sources of public health revenue.
(7)	To create community health plans to improve community health and reduce health disparities, including the creation of a Community Wellness Index.
(8)	To strengthen the role of local boards of health through training, technical assistance, and consultation.
(9)	To create public internships at the local level.
(10)	To support new insights and innovative solutions to health problems that will result in improved quality, greater accountability, improved health outcomes, and the elimination of health disparities.
 SECTION 2.  The Department shall report on the accreditation process to the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division no later than January 1, 2006.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.