A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT directing the state board of community colleges to study the APPROPRIATE ROLE of and reimbursement to the community college system IN offering courses of instruction to high school students.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly finds that there are currently multiple delivery modes of the offering of courses of instruction to community colleges to high school students and multiple reimbursement systems. These delivery modes include the Huskins Bill, Dual Enrollment, Concurrent Enrollment, Middle College, Early College, Learn and Earn, and Learn and Earn Online. The General Assembly further recognizes the complexity faced by community colleges in the myriad rules, processes, and procedures required for each program offered by community colleges to high school students. Therefore, the General Assembly directs the State Board of Community Colleges to study the consolidation and simplification of both the role of and reimbursement to community colleges in offering courses. The study shall include the following items:
(1)	A historical review of provisions within Chapter 115D of the General Statutes that permits community colleges to provide courses to high school students;
(2)	A historical review of provisions within the General Statutes not contained in Chapter 115D of the General Statutes that permits community colleges to provide courses to high school students;
(3)	The delivery of unified courses and programs of instruction to high school students as currently authorized in statutes for Huskins Bill courses, Dual Enrollment courses, intellectually gifted and mature high school students, Learn and Earn high school courses, and Technical Preparation courses;
(4)	The delivery of unified courses and programs of instruction to high school students under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and other State agencies that currently collaborate with community colleges or have a desire to participate in joint educational programs for high school students;
(5)	Accountability measures to ensure the delivery of a cohesive, high‑quality program of instruction to high school students within the State; and
(6)	A method of consistent and equitable funding of high school students taking community college courses. 
The State Board shall report the results of its study to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Appropriations/Base Budget and the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee by January 20, 2009.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Community Colleges System Office the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to conduct the study set out in this act.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2008.