A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish the legislative study committee on teAcher compensation.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is created the Legislative Study Committee on Teacher Compensation.
SECTION 2.  The Committee shall consist of:
(1)	Five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2)	Five members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(3)	Two representatives of the North Carolina Association of Educators, Inc., appointed by that organization;
(4)	One representative of the North Carolina School Boards Association, appointed by that organization;
(5)	One representative of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, appointed by that organization; and
(6)	One representative of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators, appointed by that organization.
SECTION 3.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one representative as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one senator as cochair. Vacancies on the Committee shall be filled by the same appointing authority that made the initial appointment.
SECTION 4.  The Commission shall study the current teacher compensation system in North Carolina and shall consider whether the system should include additional merit‑based components.
SECTION 5.  The Committee, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120‑19 and G.S. 120‑19.1 through G.S. 120‑19.4. The Committee may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs. The Committee may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
With approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional staff to assist the Committee in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Committee, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Committee. The Committee may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. If the Committee hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services.
All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Committee with any information in their possession or available to them.
The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Services Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the Committee in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Committee, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Committee.
SECTION 6.  The Committee shall report the results of its study and its recommendations to the 2010 Regular Session of the 2009 General Assembly.
SECTION 7.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.