GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2007

SESSION LAW 2007-156

SENATE BILL 164

AN ACT to direct the department of health and human services to study rules and regulations regarding housing individuals with mental illness in the same facility vicinity as individuals without mental illness, and to recommend staff training requirements for direct care workers in adult care homes to provide appropriate care to residents with mental illness, as recommended by the north carolina study commission on aging.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Facility Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, and Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, shall study rules and regulations in North Carolina and other states regarding the provision of appropriate care and housing of individuals with mental illness in the same facility vicinity with individuals without mental illness and shall make recommendations relating to the housing of these individuals.

SECTION 1.(b)  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Facility Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, and Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, shall study the need for training direct care workers in adult care homes to provide appropriate care to facility residents with mental illness and facility residents without mental illness and shall make recommendations for appropriate training of these workers. The study shall address the fiscal impact that the implementation of training requirements would have on these facilities and the amount of funding needed to support a successful training model.

SECTION 1.(c)  The Department of Health and Human Services shall present its findings and recommendations in response to the studies authorized in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, along with any required statutory or rule changes, to the Study Commission on Aging and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services on or before March 1, 2008.

SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 25^th day of June, 2007.

                                                                    s/ Marc Basnight

                                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

                                                                    s/ Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/ Michael F. Easley

                                                                         Governor

Approved 2:26 p.m. this 29^th day of June, 2007