NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1971 SESSION

CHAPTER 659
HOUSE BILL 936

AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE FISCAL RESEARCH RESOURCES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1.  Chapter 120 of the General Statutes is amended by adding thereto a new article, which shall read as follows:

"ARTICLE 7A.
"Fiscal Research Division.
"§ 120-36.1.  Fiscal Research Division established. — There is hereby established the Fiscal Research Division of the Legislative Services Commission, which shall be solely a staff agency of the General Assembly, shall be responsible to the General Assembly through the Commission, and shall be independent of all other officers, agencies, boards, commissions, divisions, and other instrumentalities of State government. The Division shall not be subject to the Executive Budget Act or the State Personnel Act.
"§ 120-36.2.  Organization. — (a) The Legislative Services Commission shall elect a Director of Fiscal Research, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission. The Director of Fiscal Research shall be responsible to the Legislative Services Officer in the performance of his duties.
(b)	The Director of Fiscal Research shall appoint and may remove, after consultation with the Legislative Services Officer and subject in each case to the approval of the Commission, the professional and clerical employees of the Division. He shall assign the duties and supervise and direct the activities of the employees of the Division.
(c)	The Director and employees of the Division shall receive salaries that shall be fixed by the Commission, shall receive the travel and subsistence allowances fixed by G.S. 138-6 and 138-7, and shall be entitled to the other benefits available to State employees.
"§ 120-36.3.  Functions. — In addition to the functions prescribed in Article 7 of Chapter 120, the Legislative Services Commission, acting through the Fiscal Research Division, shall have the following powers and duties:
(1)	To make periodic and special analyses of past receipts and expenditures and of current requests and recommendations for appropriations of State departments, agencies, and institutions, giving special consideration to the requests and recommendations for appropriations to continue current programs and services;
(2)	To review and evaluate compliance by State departments, agencies, and institutions with such legislative directions as may be contained in the State budget;
(3)	To examine the structure and organization of State departments, agencies, and institutions and recommend such changes as considerations of increased efficiency might indicate;
(4)	To make such other studies, analyses, and inquiries into the affairs of State government as may be directed by the Legislative Services Commission, by the Committee on Appropriations of either house, or by either house of the General Assembly.
(5)	To make periodic reports on the activities of the Division and special reports on the above-mentioned studies, reviews, analyses, evaluations, examinations, and inquiries to the Committee on Appropriations of either house of the General Assembly, or to either house of the General Assembly, as may be appropriate. The reports of the Division shall, where feasible, include estimates of the financial savings achieved by or anticipated to result from its recommendations.
"§ 120-59.  Information to be supplied. — Every State department, agency, or institution shall furnish the Fiscal Research Division with any information or records requested by it.
"§ 120-60.  Space, etc. — The Fiscal Research Division shall be provided with suitable office space and equipment in the State Legislative Building."
Sec. 2.  Article 1 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding at the end thereof a new section to read as follows:
"§143-34.3.  Legislative fiscal research staff participation. — Legislative fiscal research staff members may attend all meetings of the Advisory Budget Commission and all hearings conducted by or for the Commission, and may accompany the Commission to inspect the facilities of the State. The Legislative Services Officer shall be notified of all such meetings, hearings and trips in the same manner and at the same time as notice is given to members of the Commission. The Legislative Services Officer shall be provided with a copy of all reports, memoranda, and other informational material which are distributed to the members of the Commission; these reports, memoranda and materials shall be delivered to the Legislative Services Officer at the same time that they are distributed to the members of the Commission."
Sec. 3.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this act are repealed.
Sec. 4.  This act shall become effective on July 1, 1971.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 23rd day of June, 1971.