NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1979 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 973

HOUSE BILL 753

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND THE DUTIES AND MEMBERSHIP COMPOSITION OF THE CONSUMER AND ADVOCACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE BLIND.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 143B-163(a) is amended by adding the following at the end thereof:

"This committee shall make a continuing study of the entire range of problems and needs of the blind and visually impaired population of this State and make specific recommendations to the Secretary of Human Resources as to how these may be solved or alleviated through legislative action. The committee shall examine national trends and programs of other states, as well as programs and priorities in North Carolina. Because of the cost of treating persons who lose their vision, the committee's role shall also include studying and making recommendations to the Secretary of Human Resources concerning methods of preventing blindness and restoring vision."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 143B-164(a) is rewritten to read:

"(a)       The Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind of the Department of Human Resources shall consist of the following members:

(1)        one member of the North Carolina Senate to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(2)        one member of the North Carolina House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(3)        President and Vice-President of the National Federation of the Blind of North Carolina;

(4)        President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Council of the Blind;

(5)        President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Association of Workers for the Blind;

(6)        President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Association of Workers for the Blind;

(7)        Chairman of the State Council of the North Carolina Lions and Executive Director of the North Carolina Lions Association for the Blind, Inc.;

(8)        Chairman of the Concession Stand Committee of the Division of Services for the Blind of the Department of Human Resources; and

(9)        Executive Director of the North Carolina Society for the Prevention of Blindness, Inc.

With respect to members appointed from the General Assembly, these appointments shall be made in the odd-numbered years, and the appointments shall be made for two-year terms beginning on the first day of July and continuing through the 30th day of June two years thereafter; provided, such appointments shall be made within two weeks after ratification of this act, and the first members which may be so appointed prior to July 1 of the year of ratification shall serve through the 30th day of June of the second year thereafter. If any committee member appointed from the General Assembly ceases to be a member of the General Assembly, for whatever reason, his position on the committee shall be deemed vacant. In the event that either committee position which is designated herein to be filled by a member of the General Assembly becomes vacant during a term, for whatever reason, a successor to fill that position shall be appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term by the person who made the original appointment or his successor. Provided members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House shall not serve more than two complete consecutive terms.

With respect to the remaining committee members, each officeholder shall serve on the committee only so long as he holds the named position in the specified organization. Upon completion of his term, failure to secure reelection or appointment, or resignation, the individual shall be deemed to have resigned from the committee and his successor in office shall immediately become a member of the committee. Further, if any of the above-named organizations dissolve or if any of the above-stated positions no longer exist, then the successor organization or position shall be deemed to be substituted in the place of the former one and the office holder in the new organization or of the new position shall become a member of the committee."

Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 8th day of June, 1979.