A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to revise the criteria for the placement of juveniles in nonsecure custody.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7B‑503 reads as rewritten:
"§ 7B‑503.  Criteria for nonsecure custody.
(a)	When a request is made for nonsecure custody, the court shall first consider release of the juvenile to the juvenile's parent, relative, guardian, custodian, or other responsible adult. An order for nonsecure custody shall be made only when there is a reasonable factual basis to believe the matters alleged in the petition are true, and
(1)	The juvenile has been abandoned; or
(2)	The juvenile has suffered physical injury or sexual abuse; or
(3)	The juvenile is exposed to a substantial risk of physical injury or sexual abuse because the parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker has created the conditions likely to cause injury or abuse or has failed to provide, or is unable to provide, adequate supervision or protection; or
(4)	The juvenile is in need of medical treatment to cure, alleviate, or prevent suffering serious physical harm which may result in death, disfigurement, or substantial impairment of bodily functions, and the juvenile's parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker is unwilling or unable to provide or consent to the medical treatment; or
(5)	The parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker consents to the nonsecure custody order; or
(6)	The juvenile is a runaway and consents to nonsecure custody.
A juvenile alleged to be abused, neglected, or dependent shall be placed in nonsecure custody only when there is a reasonable factual basis to believe that there are no other reasonable means available to protect the juvenile. In no case shall a juvenile alleged to be abused, neglected, or dependent be placed in secure custody. No juvenile shall be placed in nonsecure custody solely because another child of that parent has been placed in nonsecure custody previously.
(b)	Whenever a petition is filed under G.S. 7B‑302(d1), the court shall rule on the petition prior to returning the child to a home where the alleged abuser or abusers are or have been present. If the court finds that the alleged abuser or abusers have a history of violent behavior against people, the court shall order the alleged abuser or abusers to submit to a complete mental health evaluation by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. The court may order the alleged abuser or abusers to pay the cost of any mental health evaluation required under this section."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2007.