GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
S	1
SENATE BILL 740*
     

 
Short Title:	Post-Adoption Assistance Funds.	()	
Sponsors:	Senators Wellons;  Lucas and Martin of Guilford.	
Referred to:	Appropriations/Base Budget.	
April 2, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT appropriating funds to extend adoption assistance payments to age nineteen, to increase vendor payments for post-adoption services, and to increase adoption assistance payments in the special needs adoptions incentive fund.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 108A‑49(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Adoption assistance payments for certain adoptive children shall be granted in accordance with the rules of the Social Services Commission to adoptive parents who adopt a child eligible to receive foster care maintenance payments or supplemental security income benefits; provided, that the child cannot be returned to his or her parents; and provided, that the child has special needs which create a financial barrier to adoption. A county department of social services shall pay, at a minimum, the monthly graduated adoption assistance payments for eligible children as set by the General Assembly. A county department of social services may make adoption assistance payments in excess of the monthly graduated rates set by the General Assembly. Adoption assistance payments made under this section shall continue until the child reaches 19 years of age."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of one million seven hundred forty‑three thousand dollars ($1,743,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of one million seven hundred forty‑three thousand dollars ($1,743,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year for the costs of implementing Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of three million two hundred sixteen thousand dollars ($3,216,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of three million two hundred sixteen thousand dollars ($3,216,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year to be allocated for medical vendor payments for medical services not covered by Medicaid or other medical benefits and the sum of three million two hundred sixteen thousand dollars ($3,216,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of three million two hundred sixteen thousand dollars ($3,216,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year to be allocated for therapeutic vendor payments for the continuation of post‑adoption assistance in accordance with eligibility requirements for vendor payments as adopted in rules of the Social Services Commission.
SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 2001‑2002 fiscal year and the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 2002‑2003 fiscal year to be allocated to the Special Needs Adoptions Incentive Fund enacted in Section 11.16 of S.L. 2000‑67 to continue providing assistance for the adoption of certain children.
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2001.