A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish a joint legislative task force on sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is created the Joint Legislative Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Student Athletes (Task Force).
SECTION 2.  The Task Force shall consist of seven members as follows:
(1)	Two members of the Senate appointed upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, with one of those members serving as a cochair.
(2)	Two members of the House of Representatives appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with one of those members serving as a cochair.
(3)	The Secretary of Health and Human Services or his or her designee.
(4)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee.
(5)	A representative of the American Heart Association appointed upon the recommendation of the cochairs.
SECTION 3.  The Task Force shall study the following:
(1)	The frequency of sudden cardiac arrest or other heart conditions in student athletes.
(2)	Other jurisdictions that have implemented strategies to mitigate risks to student athletes, such as mandatory heart exams.
(3)	The cost of requiring student athletes to be tested for heart conditions.
(4)	Any other issue the Task Force considers relevant.
SECTION 4.  The Task Force shall meet upon the call of its cochairs. A quorum of the Task Force is a majority of its members. No action may be taken except by a majority vote at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The Task Force, 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 Task Force may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services, as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. If the Task Force hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services. Members of the Task Force shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowance as provided in G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, or 138‑6, as appropriate. The expenses of the Task Force shall be considered expenses incurred for the joint operation of the General Assembly.
SECTION 5.  The Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist the Task Force in its work. The Director of Legislative Assistants of the House of Representatives and the Director of Legislative Assistants of the Senate shall assign clerical support to the Task Force.
SECTION 6.  Meetings of the Task Force shall begin no later than October 1, 2017. The Task Force shall submit a final report on the results of its study and development, including proposed legislation to the General Assembly on or before April 1, 2018, by filing a copy of the report with the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Legislative Library. The Task Force shall terminate on April 1, 2018, or upon the filing of its final report, whichever comes first.
SECTION 7.  This act is effective when it becomes law.