A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish the legislative study commission on the connection between long‑term suspension and student DROPOUT RATES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is created the Legislative Study Commission on the Connection Between Long‑Term Suspension and Student Dropout Rates (Commission).
SECTION 2.  The Commission shall consist of 15 members as follows:
(1)	Six members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate as follows:
a.	Two persons who are members of the Senate at the time of the appointment.
b.	A school counselor.
c.	A representative from a juvenile court.
d.	A superintendent from a local school administrative unit.
e.	A school principal.
(2)	Six members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives as follows:
a.	Two persons who are members of the House of Representatives at the time of appointment.
b.	A representative of an organization representing law enforcement.
c.	A school resource officer.
d.	A public school teacher.
e.	A representative of an organization serving at‑risk youth.
(3)	The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction, or designee.
(4)	The Chairperson of the State Board of Education or designee.
(5)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
SECTION 3.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator as cochair. Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled by the same appointing authority that made the initial appointment. A quorum of the Commission shall be a majority of its members.
SECTION 4.  The Commission shall study the connection between long‑term suspension and student dropout rates. As a part of this study, the Commission shall do at least the following:
(1)	Examine the impact of and reasons for disparities between schools and local school administrative units in long‑term suspension, dropout, and graduation rates.
(2)	Examine best practices and recommendations for parental notification and involvement in the suspension process.
(3)	Examine the role of school resource officers and law enforcement agencies in disciplinary referrals that may lead to long‑term suspension and student dropout.
(4)	Examine the effectiveness of current laws, practices, and procedures on reducing long‑term suspension and dropout rates.
(5)	Identify statewide goals to lower long‑term suspension and dropout rates.
(6)	Study any other issue the Commission considers relevant to long‑term suspension and student dropout rates.
SECTION 5.  The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120‑19 through G.S. 120‑19.4. The Commission may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs. The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
Members of the Commission shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, and 138‑6, as appropriate.
With approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional staff to assist the Commission in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Commission and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission. The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. If the Commission hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services.
All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
SECTION 6.  The Commission shall submit a final report of the results of its study and its recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the 2017 General Assembly. The Commission shall terminate upon the earlier of the filing of its final report or the convening of the 2017 General Assembly.
SECTION 7.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2016‑2017 fiscal year to be allocated to the Legislative Services Office to implement the study.
SECTION 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2016.