A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT creating a permanent statewide poverty task force; establishing two new personnel positions in the department of health and human serviceS dedicated to poverty reduction and economic recovery and appropriating funds for those purposes.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 80.
"Statewide Poverty Task Force.
"§ 143‑750.  Statewide Poverty Task Force.
(a)	The General Assembly finds that poverty in this State is widespread, especially among minorities and in rural areas and other parts of the State that have lost significant numbers of jobs. Further, the General Assembly finds that a Statewide coordinated effort is required to maximize the State's resources to reduce and potentially eradicate poverty among citizens able and willing to work. To that end, there is created the North Carolina Statewide Poverty (Task Force). The Task Force shall be located within the Department of Health and Human Services, which shall provide staff services and space for Task Force meetings.
(b)	The Task Force shall consist of 30 voting members appointed as follows:
(1)	Ten members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	Five members of the House of Representatives.
b.	Five members of the general public, including persons with expertise in the fields of (i) business and economic development, (ii) job training and adult education, (iii) public health, (iv) affordable housing, and (v) faith‑based initiatives.
(2)	Ten members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	Five members of the Senate.
b.	Five members of the general public, including persons with expertise in the fields of (i) early childhood education, (ii) public safety, (iii) health disparities, (iv) child welfare, and (v) higher education.
(3)	Ten members appointed by the Governor, to include:
a.	Eight members of the general public.
b.	One member appointed upon the recommendation of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
c.	One member appointed upon the recommendation of the North Carolina Latino Coalition.
(c)	The Task Force shall consist of the following nonvoting, ex officio members:
(1)	The Commissioner of Labor, or that officer's designee.
(2)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or that officer's designee.
(3)	The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, or that officer's designee.
(4)	The Secretary of the Department of Transportation, or that officer's designee.
(5)	The Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or that officer's designee.
(6)	The Secretary of the Department of Commerce, or that officer's designee.
(7)	The Chairman of the Employment Security Commission, or that officer's designee.
(8)	The Secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.
(d)	The Task Force shall:
(1)	Identify long- and short-range goals for eliminating poverty in North Carolina.
(2)	Develop a coordinated, integrated, ongoing approach to poverty reduction in the State by establishing poverty reduction targets.
(e)	The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall each appoint a cochair for the Task Force. The Task Force may contract for consultant services. The appointing authority shall fill vacancies on the Task Force.
(f)	The Task Force, while in the discharge of its official duties, has 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. The Task Force has the power to subpoena witnesses.
(g)	By March 1 of each year, the Task Force shall submit an annual report to the Governor and to the General Assembly on its poverty reduction and economic recovery recommendations.
"§ 143‑751.  Member expenses and travel reimbursements.
Members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but may receive travel and subsistence as follows:
(1)	Members who are officials or employees of a State agency or unit of local government, in accordance with G.S. 138‑6.
(2)	Members who serve in the General Assembly, in accordance with G.S. 120‑3.1.
(3)	All other members at the rate established in G.S. 138‑5."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year to fund the work of the Task Force pursuant to this act.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year to fund the salaries and support costs associated with two new personnel positions in that Department dedicated to interdepartmental collaboration among State agencies, departments, and institutions to advance poverty reduction and economic recovery in the State.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.