GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
H	1
HOUSE BILL 627
     

 
Short Title:	Intensive Home Visiting Funds.	()	
Sponsors:	Representatives Baddour;  Alexander, Barbee, Bell, Bowie, Boyd-McIntyre, Cole, Easterling, Fox, Insko, Jeffus, Luebke, Smith, Wainwright, Walend, and Weiss.	
Referred to:	Appropriations.	
March 15, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO EXPAND THE INTENSIVE HOME VISIting INITIATIVE.

Whereas, the number of substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect increased by 25.5% over the last five years and the arrest rate for violent juvenile crime in North Carolina is higher than the national rate (431 in North Carolina compared to 412 per 100,000 youths aged 10‑17); and
Whereas, intensive home visiting (IHV) has been shown in numerous national studies to be the best strategy available for prevention of child abuse and neglect;
Whereas, evaluations also show numerous positive impacts on participating families, including fewer subsequent pregnancies and increased time between pregnancies; reduced dependence on public assistance programs; fewer visits to emergency departments; higher rates of childhood immunization; and reductions in smoking, alcohol use, promiscuous sexual activity, and juvenile crime among youths whose mothers participated in the program; and
Whereas, two different analyses of economic costs and benefits of IHV programs have shown that for every dollar spent on IHV programs, approximately four dollars in benefits is received, primarily due to reduced health care, public assistance and criminal justice expenses, combined with increased tax revenue generated by IHV participants; and
Whereas, the General Assembly allocated approximately $1,400,000 in 1997 and in 1998 for intensive home visiting, recognizing the need for more comprehensive services to support at‑risk families; and
Whereas, the appropriation of State funds support relatively small IHV projects in only 14 counties and partially support a comprehensive evaluation of the IHV initiative; and
Whereas, full implementation of the IHV initiative, including strengthening existing IHV programs and gradually expanding these programs statewide, will result in healthier outcomes for at‑risk families and long‑term cost savings for the State; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding Section 11.34(a) of S.L. 2000‑67, the Department of Health and Human Services may amend the State Medicaid Plan to provide Medicaid reimbursement for intensive home visiting services.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of three million two hundred thousand dollars ($3,200,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of three million two hundred thousand dollars ($3,200,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used to expand the Intensive Home Visiting initiative.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2001.