GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
S	1
SENATE BILL 1035
     

 
Short Title:	Living Income Study Commission.	()	
Sponsors:	Senator Ballance.	
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate.	
April 5, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT creating the living income study commission and appropriating funds for the work of the commission.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  There is created the Living Income Study Commission ("Commission").  The Commission shall consist of 20 members appointed as follows:
(1)	Ten members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	Four members of the Senate.
b.	One person who is a working citizen of low to moderate income.
c.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of Latino and Hispanic citizens.
d.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of Asian‑Americans.
e.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of women.
f.	One person who is knowledgeable about State and federal income taxes.
g.	One person from a private business or firm employing fewer than 200 employees in this State.
(2)	Ten members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	Four members of the House of Representatives.
b.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of workers.
c.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of African‑American citizens.
d.	One person who represents an organization whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of the American Indian community.
e.	One person who is knowledgeable about the State's public education system.
f.	One person who is knowledgeable about unemployment insurance laws and State and federal labor laws.
g.	One person from a private business or firm employing 200 or more employees in this State.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Commission shall do the following:
(1)	Identify a basic needs budget for North Carolina families and determine the income, hereinafter the "Living Income", and hourly wage needed to support the basic needs budget.
(2)	Determine the extent to which current labor market participation and wages enable individuals and families to earn a Living Income necessary to meet their basic needs.
(3)	Determine how many North Carolinians work and earn a Living Income as defined in subdivision (1) of this subsection and how many work and earn wages below two hundred percent (200%) of the Federal Poverty Guideline, and study trends in the size, geographic, and demographic profiles of these groups. To the extent possible, this should be done at the county level and demographic profiles should include, but shall not be limited to, gender, race, country of origin, education level, and age.
(4)	Examine job market factors that contribute to any changes in the composition and numbers of those working but unable to meet their basic needs including, but not limited to, shifts from manufacturing to service, from full‑time to part‑time work, from permanent to temporary or other contingent employment, and geographic location of economic development.
(5)	Examine cost‑of‑living factors that contribute to changes in the number of those working but unable to meet their basic needs including, but not limited to, child care, housing, health care, and utility costs.
(6)	Examine the efficacy of current and proposed economic development efforts (especially tax incentives) and other public and private initiatives that could increase household income to an amount adequate to support the household.
(7)	Evaluate the effectiveness of the unemployment insurance system in meeting the needs of low‑wage workers when they become unemployed.
(8)	Evaluate the effectiveness of the public school system to educate students about budgeting and economic literacy skills and about their role as consumers and workers in contemporary society.
(9)	Examine the efficacy of a State earned income tax credit to enable working families to meet the requirements of a basic needs budget.
(10)	Examine the wages, benefits, and protections available to part‑time and temporary workers, leased employees, independent contractors, and other contingent workers as compared to regular full‑time workers.
(11)	Examine the number, household structure, and demographics of workers earning close to the federal minimum wage, the economic effects in North Carolina of the past increases in the federal minimum wage and economic effects in other states that have implemented minimum wages higher than the federal minimum, including, but not limited to, the impact on public assistance payments, competitiveness of employers, and other employee benefits.
(12)	Conduct public hearings around the State to solicit first-hand testimony of workers who earn below a living wage.
(13)	Consider any other matter that the Commission finds relevant to its charge.
SECTION 2.(a)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each appoint a cochair for the Commission. The Commission may contract for consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02.  Upon approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services 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 of Representatives 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 discharge of official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under the provisions of G.S. 120‑19 through G.S. 120‑19.4, including the power to request all officers, agents, agencies, and departments of the State to provide any information, data, or documents within their possession, ascertainable from their records, or otherwise available to them, and the power to subpoena witnesses.  Members of the Commission shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances at the rate established in G.S. 120‑3.1. Vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority.
SECTION 2.(b)  The Commission shall submit an interim report to the 2002 Regular Session of the 2001 General Assembly that contains its recommendations, legislative proposals, and cost analyses. The Commission shall make a final report to the 2003 General Assembly and shall terminate upon filing its final report.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year for the costs of the work of the Living Income Study Commission, created in Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2001.