A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT allowing alamance county to use attorneys as a child support hearing officer upon designation by a chief district court judge in expedited process child support actions.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop and implement a pilot program to begin no later than November 1, 2011, and to terminate September 1, 2013, to determine the feasibility of allowing an attorney licensed to practice law in this State to act as a child support hearing officer upon designation by a chief district court judge in an expedited process child support action under Article 2 of Chapter 50 of the General Statutes. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall designate two counties to participate in the pilot program, one of which shall be Alamance County. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the courts participating in the pilot program authorized by this act may conduct proceedings authorized under Article 2 of Chapter 50 of the General Statutes by using attorneys as child support hearing officers in expedited process child support cases. In conducting the pilot program, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall do the following:
(1)	Determine the effectiveness of using attorneys as child support hearing officers pursuant to this section.
(2)	Address the costs of implementing the use of attorneys as child support hearing officers on a statewide basis for the purposes described under this section.
(3)	Determine any cost savings obtained through the use of the attorneys
(4)	Determine the frequency of use of the attorneys.
(5)	Address any other relevant information the Administrative Office of Courts deems appropriate.
The Administrative Office of the Courts shall report its findings to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2013. 
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.