GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
S	1
SENATE BILL 1095
     

 
Short Title:	Home Visitation Funds.	()	
Sponsors:	Senator Martin of Guilford.	
Referred to:	Appropriations/Base Budget.	
April 5, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds for the maternal outreach program.

Whereas, the number of substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect increased twenty‑five and one‑half percent (25 1/2%) over the last five years, and the arrest rate for violent juvenile crime in our State is higher than the national arrest rate (431 compared to 412 per 100,000 youths aged 10‑17); and
Whereas, intensive home visiting (IHV) has been shown in many national studies to be the best strategy available for preventing child abuse and neglect. Evaluations of IHV also show numerous positive impacts on participating families, including fewer subsequent pregnancies and increased time between pregnancies; reduced dependence on welfare; fewer visits to emergency departments; high 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 one dollar ($1.00) spent on IHV programs, approximately four dollars ($4.00) in benefits is received, primarily due to reduced health care, welfare, and criminal justice expenses, combined with tax revenue generated by IHV participants (Rand, 1998 and Helmick et. al., 2000); and
Whereas, the General Assembly appropriated approximately one million four hundred thousand dollars ($1,400,000) in 1997 and 1998 for IHV, recognizing the need for more comprehensive services to support at‑risk families; and
Whereas, these State appropriations supported relatively small IHV projects in only 14 counties and partially supported 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.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Medical Assistance, Department of Health and Human Services, the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year to expand the Maternal Outreach Program to serve children up to the age of three years from high‑risk families through the Medicaid program.  The Division shall apply for an amendment to the State Plan to implement this act.  The Maternal Outreach Program trains young mothers and dramatically reduces incidences of child abuse and neglect.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2001.