A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT creating the innovations in education legislative study commission to study the feasibility of offering financial incentives to students for quality academic performance.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Findings. – The General Assembly finds that the State is fighting a war on high dropout rates, on achievement gaps, on growing discipline problems, and on a lack of parental involvement. The General Assembly finds that the active and innovative participation of parents, students, teachers, policymakers, and lawmakers will be required to win the battle for the best educational and occupational future for the children in this State. To that end, consideration of innovative incentives for educational achievement is in the best interests of the State.
SECTION 2.(a)  Commission Created. – There is created the Innovations in Education Legislative Study Commission ("Commission").  The Commission shall consist of 12 voting members appointed as follows:
(1)	Four members appointed by the Governor, to include:
a.	One person in the field of college loans and educational finance.
b.	One person in the field of banking.
c.	Two members of the general public.
(2)	Four members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	Three members of the Senate.
b.	One member of the general public.
(3)	Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	Three members of the House of Representatives.
b.	One member of the general public.
SECTION 2.(b)  The Commission shall:
(1)	Study the feasibility of giving to every public school student in North Carolina an incentive of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year beginning at grade one and extending to grade 12 if the student meets successfully specific academic, disciplinary, attendance, character, and parental involvement goals and benchmarks.
(2)	Determine the amount of money needed to adequately fund the incentives program, including the costs of grants to students and the costs of staffing and tracking for accountability. In determining funding requirements, the Commission shall review how prudent long‑term investment strategies might yield income to offset the costs to the State of an incentives program.
(3)	Study any other matters that the Commission deems relevant.
(4)	Make an interim report to the General Assembly by the convening of the 2010 Regular Session.
(5)	Make a final report to the 2011 General Assembly that includes findings, recommendations, and legislative proposals relating to the incentives program and related educational innovations.
SECTION 2.(c)  The Commission shall terminate upon filing its final report.
SECTION 2.(d)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each appoint a cochair for the Commission. The Commission may contract for consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. Upon approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist in the work of the Commission. Clerical staff shall be furnished to the Commission through the offices of the House of Representatives and the Senate Directors of Legislative Assistants. The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building upon the approval of the Legislative Services Commission. Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances at the rate established in G.S. 120‑3.1. The appointing authority shall fill vacancies. The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under the provisions of G.S. 120‑19 through G.S. 120‑19.4, including the power to request all officers, agents, agencies, and departments of the State to provide any information, data, or documents within their possession, ascertainable from their records, or otherwise available to them and the power to subpoena witnesses.
SECTION 3.  Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year to fund the work of the Innovations in Education Legislative Study Commission created by this act.
SECTION 4.  Effective Date. – This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.