A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to require that the department of administration provide assistance to county veterans programs and to raise the amount of assistance that must be provided.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 165‑6(9) is repealed.
SECTION 2.  Article 1 of Chapter 165 of the General Statues is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 165‑6.1.  Assistance to counties for maintenance and operation of a county veterans service program.
(a)	The following definitions apply in this section:
(1)	Annual claims filed. – The number of claims filed with a particular county veterans service program during the previous fiscal year.
(2)	Ceiling. – The maximum amount that the Department shall reimburse a county under this section notwithstanding the reimbursement percentage.
(3)	Reimbursement percentage. – The percentage of the actual amount expended during the previous fiscal year by a county for claims filed with that county's veterans service program that is to be reimbursed by the Department.
(b)	The Department shall contribute to each county an amount on a matching basis for any fiscal year for the maintenance and operation of a county veterans service program. The amount of the contribution shall be two thousand dollars ($2,000) or the amount required by the following schedule, whichever is greater: 

Annual Claims Filed		Reimbursement Percentage		Ceiling
	1 to 500				2.5%					$8,750
	501 to 1,000			5.0%					$17,500
	1,001 to 1,500			7.5%					$26,250
	1,501 to 2,000			10.0%					$35,000
	More than 2,001			12.5%					$43,750

(c)	Participating counties shall furnish the Department such reports, accountings, and other information at such times and in such form as the Department may require." 
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in recurring funds for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to provide the assistance to county veterans service programs that is required by this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2008.