A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish the youth accountability planning task force in the division of juvenile justice of the department of public safety and to appropriate funds for a pilot transitional housing program.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Task Force established. – There is established the Youth Accountability Planning Task Force within the Division of Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety.
SECTION 2.  Membership. – The Task Force shall consist of 21 members as follows, with the members designated in subdivisions (1) through (8) of this section serving ex officio:
(1)	The Secretary of the Department of Public Safety.
(2)	The Chief Deputy Secretary of the Division of Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety.
(3)	The Chief Deputy Secretary of the Division of Adult Correction of the Department of Public Safety.
(4)	The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.
(5)	The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(6)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(7)	The Secretary of the Department of Administration, or a designee having knowledge of programs and services for youth and young adults.
(8)	The Juvenile Defender in the Office of Indigent Defense.
(9)	One representative from the Governor's Crime Commission appointed by the Governor.
(10)	One representative from the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission appointed by the Governor.
(11)	Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(12)	Three members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(13)	Two chief court counselors appointed by the Governor, one to be from a rural county and one from an urban county.
(14)	One present or former chief district court judge or superior court judge appointed by the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
(15)	One police chief appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(16)	One district attorney appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Appointments to the Task Force shall be made no later than October 1, 2013. A vacancy in the Task Force, or a vacancy as chair of the Task Force, resulting from the resignation of a member or otherwise, shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
SECTION 3.  Chair; meetings. – The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each designate one member to serve as cochair of the Task Force. A majority of the members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 4.  The Office of the Governor shall provide staff to the Task Force at the request of the Task Force.
SECTION 5.  Cooperation by government agencies. – The Task Force may call upon any department, agency, institution, or officer of the State or any political subdivision thereof for facilities, data, or other assistance.
SECTION 6.  Duties of Task Force. – The Task Force shall study:
(1)	The Educational Services Section of the Division of Juvenile Justice to determine the best structure for delivering these mandatory services to a delinquent population. The study shall identify advantages and risks of changing the delivery, as well as make recommendations to deal with any identified risks.
(2)	Whether the educational offerings available in youth development centers and detention centers provide adequate vocational training for the population.
(3)	The adequacy of transitional housing for delinquent juveniles exiting youth development centers.
(4)	The feasibility of providing transitional housing for juveniles exiting youth development centers with children transitioning from foster care to independent housing.
(5)	Whether the Tarheel Challenge program operated by the North Carolina National Guard should be expanded so that the program can be an alternative for all juvenile dispositional levels.
(6)	The feasibility of providing tuition waivers in the Community College System for juveniles committed to youth development centers and in post‑release supervision status.
(7)	The adequacy of dispositional options available to Juvenile Court for status offenders.
(8)	Any other issue deemed by the Task Force necessary to complete its work.
SECTION 7.  Consultation. – The Task Force shall consult with appropriate State departments, agencies, and board representatives on issues related to juvenile justice administration.
SECTION 8.  Report. – The Task Force shall submit a final report to the 2013 General Assembly when it reconvenes in 2014. The Task Force shall terminate upon filing its final report.
SECTION 9.  Funding. – The Task Force may apply for, receive, and accept grants of non‑State funds or other contributions as appropriate to assist in the performance of its duties. The Division of Juvenile Justice may also use funds appropriated to it to carry out the study and devise the implementation plan.
SECTION 10.  Staffing, services, and supplies. – The Division of Juvenile Justice shall provide professional and clerical staff and other services and supplies, including meeting space, as needed for the Task Force to carry out its duties in an effective manner.
SECTION 11.  There is appropriated to the Division of Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety the sum of six hundred fifty thousand nonrecurring dollars ($650,000) for the 2013‑2014 fiscal year and six hundred fifty thousand nonrecurring dollars ($650,000) for the 2014‑2015 fiscal year to implement a pilot program for transitional housing for juveniles exiting youth development centers. The Division shall collaborate in this effort with the Division of Social Services of the Department of Health and Human Services to determine if populations served by the respective divisions can be served adequately through a single transitional housing model. The Division may contract with appropriate service providers to implement this pilot program as a public‑private partnership.
SECTION 12.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2013.