A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds for early literacy initiatives.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education, the sum of twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) for the 2017‑2018 fiscal year to be allocated to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., to develop and implement a comprehensive early literacy initiative. Funds allocated to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., pursuant to this section shall be used as follows:
(1)	Seven million dollars ($7,000,000) to increase access to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, an early literacy program that mails age‑appropriate books to registered children on a monthly basis. Access to the program shall be statewide.
(2)	Five million dollars ($5,000,000) to pilot Family Connects, a nurse home visiting program for all parents of newborns. The program shall be piloted in six counties, including two counties with less than 500 births annually, two counties with 500 to 2,000 births annually, and two counties with greater than 2,000 births annually, with priority in counties that have already implemented the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program.
SECTION 1.(b)  The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., may use up to two percent (2%) of the funds for program evaluation. Funds appropriated under this section shall not be subject to the legislative requirements of the total amount allocated to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., nor shall these funds be subject to the child care services funding requirements under G.S. 143B‑168.15(b), child care subsidy expansion requirements under G.S. 143B‑168.15(g), or the match requirements currently under Section 12B.7(d) of S.L. 2015‑241.
SECTION 1.(c)  The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc., shall report on the success of the comprehensive early literacy initiative, including any recommendations, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by March 1, 2018. The report shall include participation rates for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2017.