A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUATION OF THE WORK OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES REGIONAL SUPERVISION AND COLLABORATION WORKING GROUP.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Section 1.2 of S.L. 2017‑41 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 1.2.(a)  Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group. – The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (SOG) shall continue the work of the Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group (Working Group) to make recommendations to the Department regarding the regional supervision and collaboration plan. The Working Group shall consist of the currently constituted members as of December 1, 2018.
"SECTION 1.2.(b)  Composition. – The Working Group shall consist of the following members:
(1)	Three members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated as a cochair.
(2)	Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as a cochair.
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"SECTION 1.2.(d)  Duties. – The Working Group shall continue to develop recommendations for the regional supervision and collaboration plan required by Section 1.1 of this act. The Working Group shall continue to address (i) regional supervision and (ii) address interagency collaboration and regionalization.
(1)	Regional Supervision. – The Working Group shall convene no later than October 4, 2019, and continue developing recommendations regarding:
a.	The size, number, and location of the regions. Recommendations shall take into consideration (i) the need for regions to maintain direct, local connections with the jurisdictions they serve; (ii) alignment with other regional organizations that intersect with the work of social services, as appropriate; and (iii) awareness of the cultural differences and similarities between regions.
b.	The allocation of responsibility between the central, regional, and local officials in supervising and administering the social services programs and services.
c.	Methods for holding the regional offices accountable for performance and responsiveness.
d.	Requirements for the regional offices to share information about local departmental performance with the relevant board or boards of county commissioners, county or regional board of social services, or consolidated human services board.
e.	Options for authorizing the board of county commissioners to intervene in urgent situations to assume direct control of the department of social services at the local level prior to the State assuming control of service delivery pursuant to G.S. 108A‑74.
f.	Any other issues related to regional supervision identified by the cochairs.
(2)	Interagency Collaboration and Regionalization. – The Working Group shall:
a.	Develop recommendations regarding legislative and regulatory changes necessary to improve collaboration between counties in the administration of social services programs and services. Recommendations shall address, at a minimum, information sharing, conflicts of interest, and intercounty movement of people enrolled in programs or receiving social services.
b.	Develop a vision for transitioning the State from a county‑administered system to a regionally administered system. The vision shall identify general benefits and challenges associated with making such a transition.
"SECTION 1.2.(e)  Reports. –
(1)	The Working Group shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (Committee) and the Department on its continued work no later thanApril 15, 2020. After receiving this report, the Committee may terminate the Working Group if it concludes that the Working Group is not making sufficient progress.
(2)	The Working Group shall submit a final report of its recommendations to the Committee and the Department no later than February 1, 2021, and shall terminate upon the final report.
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SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.