A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to establish safe haven supervised visitation programs statewide.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Judicial Department the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to fund safe haven supervised visitation programs statewide. The Administrative Office of the Courts, in consultation with the Conference of District Court Judges, shall select 10 programs to receive the funding beginning January 1, 2008, and an additional 10 programs to receive funding beginning July 1, 2008. 
These programs provide families with safe, neutral, and family‑friendly environments for the exchange and visitation with children by parents who are separated and need temporary assistance in arranging and securing visitation plans. The goal of the programs is to offer assistance to parents in maintaining contact with their children and to assist the court by providing supervised visitation and safe exchanges when the court feels that visitation and exchange is in the best interest of both the parents and the children.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.