GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1210

Short Title:  Minority Women's Health/Study.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Boyd-McIntyre; Alexander, Baddour, Beall, Berry, Black, Bonner, Braswell, Clary, Cole, Cunningham, Earle, Fox, Gamble, Goodwin, Hackney, Hardaway, Hensley, Hightower, Hill, R. Hunter, Insko, Jarrell, Jeffus, Kinney, Luebke, McAllister, McCrary, Mercer, Michaux, Miller, Moore, Mosley, Nesbitt, Oldham, Ramsey, Redwine, Reynolds, Saunders, Sherrill, Smith, Sutton, Tolson, Wainwright, Warwick, and Wilkins.

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Referred to:  Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House.

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May 5, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE STUDY COMMISSION ON MINORITY WOMEN'S HEALTH.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. (a) Commission Established.   There is established the Study Commission on Minority Women's Health.  The Commission shall consist of 21 members, as follows:
(1)	Ten members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, five of whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, at least two of whom shall be women. Of the remaining members:
a.	One shall be a medical doctor recommended by the President of the Old North State Medical Society;
b.	One shall be a practicing registered nurse;
c.	Two shall be minority women; and
d.	One shall be of representative of the North Carolina Council for Women.
(2)	Ten members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, five of whom shall be members of the Senate, at least two of whom shall be women.  Of the remaining members:
a.	One shall be a medical doctor recommended by the President of the Old North State Medical Society;
b.	One shall be a practicing registered nurse;
c.	Two shall be minority women; and
d.	One shall be a representative from the Minority Health Advisory Council; and
(3)	A representative of the North Carolina Minority AIDS Health and Advisory Coalition, appointed by the Governor.
The Speaker and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each designate a cochair of the Commission.  Twelve members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.  Meetings shall be called by the cochairs.
(b)	Duties of the Commission.  The Commission shall do the following:
(1)	Study the availability and accessibility of quality health care for minority women of North Carolina, including the impact of managed care on availability and accessibility of quality health care;
(2)	Develop a minority women's health profile and make recommendations for publication of the profile;
(3)	Examine and quantify the incidence of, and document the risk factors for major diseases that disproportionately strike and lead to the death or disability of minority women in this State, and make recommendations for the development of programs, strategies, policies, and services to enhance the prevention and treatment of these diseases; and
(4)	Study other areas and issues the Commission deems pertinent to minority women's health.
(c)	Expenses and Staffing.  Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances as follows:
(1)	Commission members who are also General Assembly members, at the rate established in G.S. 120-3.1;
(2)	Commission members who are officials or employees of the State, at the rate established in G.S. 138-6; and
(3)	All other Commission members, at the rate established in G.S. 138-5.
Upon approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Administrative Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist in the work of the Commission.  Clerical staff shall be furnished to the Commission through the offices of the House and Senate supervisors of clerks.  The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building upon the approval of the Legislative Services Commission.  The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under G.S. 120-19 through G.S. 120-19.4.
(d)	Report.  The Commission may make an interim report to the 1997 General Assembly, Regular Session 1998, which may include recommended legislation for consideration during the Regular Session 1998.   Members of the Commission shall serve until the Commission makes its final report.  Vacancies on the Commission shall be filed by the same appointing officer who made the original appointment. The Commission shall make its final report to the 1999 General Assembly and shall terminate upon the filing of its final report.
Section 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly Legislative Services Commission, the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the expenses of the Commission established under Section 1 of this act.
Section 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.