Daily bulletin [2015 : February 27]

2/27/2015 The Daily Bulletin: Friday, February 27, 2015 1 Legislative Reporting Service UNC SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT The Daily Bulletin: Friday, February 27, 2015 PUBLIC/HOUSE BILLS H 1 18 (2015-2016) CREATE VETERANS TASK FORCE PED REPORT. Filed Feb 27 2015, AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE TASK FORCE FOR VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES; TO DIRECT THE TASKFORCE TO IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN TO TRACK, COORDINATE, AND IMPROVE SERVICES FOR VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES; TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCIES TO COLLECT AND REPORT DATA ON SERVICES, BENEFITS, AND DISCOUNTS PROVIDED TO VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND TO ESTABLISH THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE VETERANS AND MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO MONITOR IMPLEMENT A TION OF THE STRA TEGIC PLAN, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE PROGRAM EVAL UA TION DIVISION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBL Y. Identical to S 126, filed 2/25/15. Enacts new GS Chapter 165, Article 9, titled "Task Force on Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families" (Task Force), creating, effective January 1 20 1 5, a 27 member Task Force. Provides that 1 6 ex officio members of the Task Force are made up of the heads or respective designees of specified departments or agencies. The remaining 1 1 members are to be appointed, with the Governor appointing five members in line with specified criteria, and three each are to be appointed by the Speaker of the Flouse and President Pro Tempore, following specified criteria. Appointed members will serve two-year tenns, at the pleasure of the Governor or General Assembly. Provides that the members of the Task Force are to elect a chair and hold meeting at least quarterly. Provides that the Department of Administration will provide clerical and professional staff for the Task Force. No salary or per diem is to be received by the members, but they will receive necessary travel and subsistence expenses. Sets out eleven duties of the Task Force, including developing and implementing interagency solutions to make North Carolina a more veteran friendly state, advising the Governor and General Assembly on issues related to veterans, service members, and families, as well as tracking any federal, State, and local legislation affecting the same. Requires the Task Force to make an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly, no later than November 1 of each year, reporting any recommendations for statutory, regulatory, or policy changes that would improve the provision of services for veterans, service members, and their families. Requires the Task Force to create a subcommittee, with all of the ex officio members of the Task Force serv ing as members, with the purpose of engaging in a strategic planning process that achieves six goals, including, defining North Carolina’s mission and vision for veterans, service members, and their families, identifying critical stakeholders, and analyzing the challenges and opportunities that North Carolina faces in their ability to meet those challenges and seize opportunities. Provides that the above strategic planning must define measurable outcomes and goals and sets out 1 1 such outcomes and goals to be accomplished, including coordinating the activities of existing programs and other efforts affecting veterans, maximizing the amount of federal dollars to support these efforts, and proposing legislation that would benefit veterans, service members, and their families. Requires the final plan to be approved by January 15, 2016 and requires the Task Force to report on the plan by April 15, 2016 to the Joint Legislative Veterans and Military Service Members Oversight Committee, with quarterly reports required thereafter. Enacts new GS 165-44.02, directing all NC agencies that provide a service, benefit, or discount targeted or directed at veterans, service members, and their families to collect and report specified information, including the number of persons served, the type of benefits provided, sources of funding for services and benefits provided, and outcomes. Such information is to be reported to the Task Force no later than September 1 of each year. https://lrs.sog.unc.edU/irs-subscr-view/dailybulletin/2015-02-27# 1/11