A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish the north carolina statewide reentry advisory council.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Part 1 of Article 13 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 143B‑605.  North Carolina Statewide Reentry Advisory Council.
(a)	The North Carolina Statewide Reentry Advisory Council is established within the Department of Public Safety to provide the Governor, the General Assembly, the Department of Public Safety, other state agencies that serve juvenile and adult offender populations, and the public with accurate and comprehensive information about programs that serve juvenile and adult offender populations upon their reentry into the community, the barriers faced by that population upon reentry, best practices to meet the needs of that population upon reentry, and funding sources for programs and practices that address the needs of that population upon reentry.
(b)	The Advisory Council shall:
(1)	Identify reentry and transition barriers and develop methods to address them.
(2)	Improve collaboration and coordination of reentry and transition services among and between State, local, and nonprofit agencies.
(3)	Establish partnerships to promote job creation and development for individuals with criminal backgrounds.
(4)	Promote evidence‑based reentry and transition strategies for juveniles and adult offenders.
(c)	The members of the Advisory Council are as follows:
(1)	Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(2)	Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(3)	Three members appointed by the Secretary of Public Safety.
(4)	A district attorney selected by the Conference of District Attorneys.
(5)	A public defender selected by the North Carolina Association of Public Defenders.
(6)	The Secretary of Correction, serving ex officio, or the Secretary's designee.
(7)	The Attorney General, serving ex officio, or the Attorney General's designee.
The Council members set forth in subdivisions (1) through (5) of this subsection shall serve two‑year terms. Council members serving ex officio shall serve terms coinciding with their respective offices.
The Secretary of Public Safety shall furnish such secretarial, clerical, and other services as the Secretary deems necessary for the Advisory Council to perform its duties. Ex officio members of the Advisory Council shall be compensated at the rate specified in G.S. 138‑6. Council members who are members of the General Assembly shall be compensated at the rate specified in G.S. 120‑31. Other Council members shall be compensated at the rate specified in G.S. 138‑5."
SECTION 2.  The North Carolina Statewide Reentry Advisory Council shall report by February 1, 2016, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety on its progress in responding to the tasks set forth in G.S. 143B‑605(b), as enacted in this act.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.