A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT establishing higher penalties for repeated failure to report abuse, exploitation, or accidental injuries of clients in facilities that provide care and treatment for mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 122C‑66(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	An employee of a facility who witnesses or has knowledge of a violation of subsection (a) or of an accidental injury to a client shall report the violation or accidental injury to authorized personnel designated by the facility. A first violation of this subsection is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable only by a fine, not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00). A repeated violation of this subsection is a Class 1 misdemeanor. No employee making a report may be threatened or harassed by any other employee or volunteer on account of the report. "
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2015, and applies to violations occurring on or after that date.