A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to increase the salary of nationally certified school psychologists.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  Effective for the 2007‑2008 school year, a school psychologist who is designated a Nationally Certified School Psychologist by the National School Psychology Certification Board and who has:
(1)	A specialist (sixth year) level certificate shall be paid a five‑percent (5%) salary differential; and
(2)	A doctoral level certificate shall be paid a ten‑percent (10%) salary differential.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Department of Public Instruction shall adopt rules for the provision of the salary increment pursuant to this act to include, but not be limited to, a process by which a nationally certified school psychologist may verify that:
(1)	The individual is still employed by a local school administrative unit as a full‑time employee;
(2)	The required certification has been attained and has not lapsed; and
(3)	The individual meets all the qualifications to work as a school psychologist in this State.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of ten million six hundred eighty‑four thousand two hundred eighty dollars ($10,684,280) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the sum of ten million six hundred eighty‑four thousand two hundred eighty dollars ($10,684,280) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.