GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

H                                                                                                                                                   D

HOUSE DRH40346-MK-87  (02/27)

Short Title:        School-to-Prison Pipeline/Study.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representative Pierce.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to establish the legislative task force on the prevention of a school‑to‑prison pipeline in north carolina.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  There is created the Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of a School‑to‑Prison Pipeline in North Carolina (Task Force).

SECTION 2.  The Task Force shall consist of 15 members as follows:

(1)        Six members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate as follows:

a.         Two persons who are members of the Senate at the time of appointment.

b.         A school counselor.

c.         A representative from a juvenile court.

d.         A superintendent of a local school administrative unit.

e.         A school principal.

(2)        Six members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives as follows:

a.         Two persons who are members of the House of Representatives at the time of appointment.

b.         A representative of an organization representing law enforcement.

c.         A school resource officer.

d.         A public school teacher

e.         A representative of an organization serving at‑risk youth.

(3)        The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety, Center for Safer Schools, or designee.

(4)        The Chairperson of the State Board of Education or designee.

(5)        The Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.

SECTION 3.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator as cochair. Vacancies on the Task Force shall be filled by the same appointing authority that made the initial appointment. A quorum of the Task Force shall be a majority of its members.

SECTION 4.  The Task Force shall study the relationship between school discipline, dropout rates, and involvement of students in the juvenile justice system in North Carolina that may result in a school‑to‑prison pipeline. As part of this study, the Task Force shall do at least the following:

(1)        Examine school disciplinary practices that remove students from the mainstream classroom and determine whether those practices are connected to a greater entry of students into the juvenile justice system, including identifying whether school disciplinary practices in the State reflect any of the following:

a.         Overrepresentation of minority students or special education students for disciplinary referrals.

b.         Suspension rates that are related to an increase in dropout rate for those students.

c.         Disciplinary referrals for elementary age students that result in removal from the mainstream classroom.

(2)        Determine whether a history of a student's disciplinary referrals is a significant predictor of a student's likelihood of entry into the juvenile justice system.

(3)        Examine the role of school resource officers and law enforcement agencies in disciplinary referrals that may lead to entry of students into the juvenile justice system.

(4)        Examine current programs offered through community organizations and other support services designed to address at‑risk students and their entry into the juvenile justice system.

(5)        Identify statewide goals to prevent a school‑to‑prison pipeline.

(6)        Study any other issue the Task Force considers relevant.

SECTION 5.  The Task Force, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120‑19 through G.S. 120‑19.4. The Task Force may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs. The Task Force may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.

With approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional staff to assist the Task Force in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Task Force and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Task Force. The Task Force may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02. If the Task Force hires a consultant, the consultant shall not be a State employee or a person currently under contract with the State to provide services.

All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Task Force with any information in their possession or available to them.

SECTION 6.  The Task Force shall submit a final report of the results of its study and its recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the 2016 General Assembly. The Task Force shall terminate on April 1, 2016, or upon the filing of its final report, whichever occurs first.

SECTION 7.  This act is effective when it becomes law.