NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 997

HOUSE BILL 1069

 

 

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A STATE COORDINATOR OF SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  Article 9 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is hereby amended by adding a new Part, between Parts 10 and 11, to be designated Part 10A and to read as follows:

"PART 10A.

"Office of Coordinator of Services for Victims of Sexual Assault.

"§ 143B-394.1.  Purpose. The ultimate goal of this Article is to establish a network of coordinated public and private services for victims of sexual assault, incorporating existing programs as well as aiding in the development of new programs.

"§ 143B-394.2.  Office created. (a) The office of Coordinator of Services for Victims of Sexual Assault is hereby created in the Department of Administration. The office shall be under the direction and supervision of a full-time salaried State employee who shall be designated as the State Coordinator. The State Coordinator shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Administration and shall receive a salary commensurate with State government pay schedules for the duties of this office, or such salary to be set by the State Personnel Board pursuant to G.S. 126-4. Necessary travel allowance or reimbursement for expenses shall be authorized for the State Coordinator in accordance with G.S. 138-6. Sufficient clerical staff shall be provided under the direction of the Secretary of the Department of Administration.

(b)        This State coordinator shall have administrative experience and the recommendation of the North Carolina Rape Crisis Association and the North Carolina Council on the Status of Women. If possible, the State coordinator shall have public speaking experience, training in rape crisis intervention and education in a related field.

"§ 143B-394.3.  Duties and responsibilities. The duties of the State Coordinator shall include the following:

(1)        to establish an office to facilitate and coordinate all programs and services which deal with the victim of sexual assault;

(2)        to research the needs of the State and already existing programs for sexual assault services;

(3)        to create a liason between public services and private services with which victims of sexual assault normally come in contact;

(4)        to be an information clearinghouse on all aspects of sexual assault services;

(5)        to develop model programs and training techniques to be used to train medical, legal, and psychological personnel (both in the public and private sectors) who deal with the victims of sexual assault, and to aid in implementing these programs to suit the needs of specific communities;

(6)        to be available to aid and advise sexual assault services on operational and functional problems; and

(7)        to develop and coordinate a public education program for the State of North Carolina on the phenomenon of sexual assault."

Sec. 2.  In addition to any and all other appropriations to the North Carolina Department of Administration, there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund of the State of North Carolina the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for fiscal year 1977-78 and the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for fiscal year 1978-79 to be used solely to support the office of Coordinator of Services for Victims of Sexual Assault.

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1977.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 1st day of July, 1977.